We have now reached the fermentation step in our series of articles on the whisky production process.
The wort, obtained during the mashing, is cooled and moved into large tanks called vats. The vats traditionally were made of wood; now many distilleries use stainless steel ones because they are easier to clean. The effect this change has had on the final product is unknown. A solution of water and yeast is added to the wort. Yeast is a single-celled organism, a fungus, that works on sugars, transforming them into carbon dioxide, which is lost to the air, and into alcohol. The duration of this stage varies from a minimum of 48 hours to a maximum of 112 and the alcohol content is between “ 6 and 9 degrees.” The liquid obtained at this point, the “wash,” could be made into beer. The difference between whiskey and beer is that in whiskey this liquid is distilled instead of fermented.
And that is exactly what we will discuss in the next article, the alchemic side of whisky making: the distillation.
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