Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

IBD General Certificate > Unit 6 - Lesson 1 Maturation & Blending > Flashcards

Unit 6 - Lesson 1 Maturation & Blending Flashcards

1
Q

What benefits of maturation?

A

Reduces harshness
Adds color
Adds sweet flavor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the 3 reactions that take place in maturation?

A
  1. Additive
  2. Subtractive
  3. Sensory
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an additive reaction?

A

Compounds are extracted from the wood into the spirit for

1. Flavor & 2. Color

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Does wood have many flavor compounds?

A

Not relative to the raw materials and yeast

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is an example of a flavor compound?

A

Vanillin - additive flavor smells of vanilla and increases perceived sweetness during maturation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are key factors for flavor and color?

A

Type of Cask

Storage Conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are subtractive reactions?

A

When flavor compounds are removed or reduced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are 3 types of subtractive reactions?

A
  1. Evaporate
  2. Removed - Interaction with wood eg char and sulphur
  3. Transformation eg reactions with other components in spirits like oxidation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What evaporates in casks?

A

Casks are not airtight - angle share
volatile compounds
water
alcohol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What impact does char have?

A

It creates a subtractive reaction and reduces sulphur compounds leaving flavor compounds unchanged hence reduces harshness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What does oxidation do to spirits?

A

Is a subtractive reaction when O2 reacts with flavor compounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are sensory Interactions?

A

It is perceived change of flavor even though level of compounds has not changed.
Change detected by senses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How would cereal-reduction provide a sensory interaction?

A

Cereal aromas reduce over time since other flavor compounds have developed during maturation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the factors that influence maturation?

A
  1. Cask and its construction
  2. How the spirit is treated prior to the cask
  3. Storage conditions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the considerations for selecting wood casks?

A
  1. Must be pliable
  2. Long lengths
  3. Free from defects (no knots)
  4. Not too porous
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the main flavor components for oak?

A

Oak lactones - coconut aromas

Tannins - bitterness and astringency

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is Quercus alba?

A

American Oak

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is Quercus robur?

A

European Oak

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is Quercus Mongolica?

A

Japanese Oak

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What happens to a cask once it is built and why?

A

Heat treated - a step to generate flavor

Heat breaks down structural components of oak

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does heat treatment do to oak?

A

Breaks down Lignin
Increases the additive flavor compounds
Otherwise there is only Oak Lactones and Tannins

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is Lignin?

A

Main structural component of oak
IN cell walls and gives rigidity
Highly branched molecule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What does heat do to Lignin?

A

Breaks down the highly complex molecule into smaller ones and some of these are flavor compounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the main flavor compounds of heat treated oak?

A
  1. Vanillin - vanilla
  2. Eugenol - spicy, clove
  3. 4-ethyl guaiacol - smoke, spicy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are the 2 types of heat treatment for wood?

A

Toasting & Charing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is toasting?

A

heat the surface of the cask without igniting the wood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is charring?

A

Igniting the inside of the casks for a period to build a layer of char

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What does the char layer have in a cask?

A

Contains little or no additive flavor compounds since most burned off in charing process. Wood below char has the flavor compounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What does charing do for a cask

A
  1. Creates a subtractive layer (the char) with no flavor additive, but subtractive by helping remove sulphur in the spirits
  2. Additive flavor with the layer of wood under the char
30
Q

Can a toasted cask reduce sulphur?

A

No only charred barrels

31
Q

What size casks mature faster and why?

A

Smaller barrels since they have higher surface area

32
Q

What does flavor depend on with casks?

A
  1. Cask Type
  2. Ages
  3. # of times used
  4. If it is specialized finishing cask
33
Q

What casks have the best flavor?

A

New casks

34
Q

What does Bourbon require?

A

New, Charred Oak Barrels (used once)

35
Q

What is the plus/minus for used casks?

A

Minus -
lose flavor compounds
Depends on spirits/wine how the next spirit reacts

Plus
Subtractive for evaporation and oxidation
Some flavors from previous spirit/wine may carryover

36
Q

What is a finishing cask?

A

When a spirit is moved from one cask to another for a short period at end of maturity.

37
Q

What is the challenge with finishing casks?

A

Expensive and labor intensive

Used specifically to influence the flavor

38
Q

What is Fill Strength?

A

Alcohol strength of spirit filled in the cask

39
Q

What is the typical alcohol strength of a double pot still?

A

70%

40
Q

What is the strength of a continuous column still?

A

90% ABV

41
Q

What is the typical Fill Strength for storing spirits?

A

mid 60% ABV

42
Q

Why dilute spirits before the cask?

A

Additive flavors tend to be more soluble in water than alcohol
Adding water extracts flavor more efficiently and develops mature character quicker
And requires less dilution at bottling meaning less reduction of additive flavors (at bottling since you would be further diluting the additives from oak)

43
Q

What is a dunnage?

A

Traditional small warehouse to mature spirits

2-3 casks on side

44
Q

Where are majority of casks held today?

A

Large warehouses

45
Q

What is the primary role of a warehouse?

A

Lee[ cask dry in an environment where the liquid can integrate with the wood.

46
Q

What is racked storage?

A

Casks stored on their sides

Honeycomb structure

47
Q

What is palletized storage? Pros/Cons

A 
6-8 cask per pallets / 7-8 pallets high
Stored upright
Pros - economical - more casks in same space
Cons - lose 12% surface area 
Hard to get to casks
48
Q

When are additive flavors extracted more rapidly?

A

At higher temperatures

49
Q

When is more alcohol lost than water?

A

Cool and humid conditions “Angels share”

50
Q

What climate causes alcohol strength to increase?

A

Warmer and drier conditions - water evaporates

51
Q

What is not usual in warehouse?

A

Heating and cooling

52
Q

For large brands what makes sense from a maturing standpoint?

A

Doing sensory analysis maynot be practical so based on history, set maturation times

53
Q

When maturing which reactions processes take place earlier of later?

A

Generally, additive are highest in early stages of storage later leveling off.
Subtractive reactions are over time when compounds are being transformed.

54
Q

What is a major consideration for reusing casks?

A

Storage - cannot let mold or bacteria inside

Additive and subtracted reactions decline every use

55
Q

What does regeneration do to a cask?

A

Removes the internal surface and reheat treatment
Primarily to bring out lignin
Naturally present wood flavors are not regenerated.

56
Q

What are ways to add flavors without casks?

A
  1. Toasted Oak Chips
  2. Added flavoring
  3. Filtration through char
57
Q

Why toast oak chips and use them in the first place?

A

Bring out Lignin
Cheaper
High surface area - for additive flavors
BUT you dont get other flavors like oxidation

58
Q

Why are flavorings used?

A

Mimic cask maturation eg vanilla or chemical food additives.

59
Q

What is an example of simulate subtractive flavoring?

A

Filter through char

Eg Tennesse Whisky has to be filtered through maple charcoal. Mellows whisky

60
Q

Why blend and how to do it?

A

Quality control
2 types:
1. Mixing casks from same distillery
2. Mixing from different sources - eg Scotch

61
Q

What is the biggest challenge of blending?

A

Inventory management & not a fixed recipe

62
Q

What type of water is used for reduction?

A

Demineralized water because calcium needs to be removed since it reacts to Oxallic Acid from the wood. forms Calcium Oxalate Crystals

63
Q

What are Calcium Oxalate Crystals?

A

crystals formed when the wrong water is used. Calcium reacts with Oxalic Acid from wood

64
Q

Why is Caramel used as an additive?

A

For colouring not flavor

Used to make consistent color batch to batch or to make it look like it was matured in wood

65
Q

What causes haze?

A

Long chain esters produced by yeast

Insoluble at low ABV and Low temps

66
Q

How to get rid of haze?

A

Chilled filtration since long chain esters are insoluble at low temps and low ABV easy to remove

67
Q

How does chilled filtration work?

A 
Spirit is reduced water
Chilled to 2-4°C
Haze formed
Run through a filter
Flavor compound not impacted since much smaller than long chain esters
68
Q

If a producer does not want to cold filter what are the options?

A

Higher bottle strength of 46% ABV or higher

69
Q

Why is Filling Temperature important?

A

Volume changes at different temperatures

70
Q

What is the Fill Temp in the US?

A

15.6° C (60° F)

71
Q

What is the Fill Temp in the EU/UK?

A

20° C

72
Q

Quercus Robur

Quercus Petraea

A

French Oaks

IBD General Certificate (52 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions