Mash cooking question...

[Scooby]

Hi All,

I have a (maybe) dumb question:
When making Bourbon, the mash is pressurecooked...any idea why?
iow: why is mash cooked? What is the purpose of the cooking here? Does it not denaturate the enzymes needed for converting starch to sugar?

All help welcome!

Paul

[Scooby]

Oops...no need to reply! just found the answer in another thread...

[tmckenzie]

Not everybody pressure cooks. And there are no enyzmes in it during the corn and rye or wheat cooking.

[cowdery]

Some people pressure cook, some people cook at atmosphere, but you have to cook corn to fully dissolve the starches. Not all grains are the same in the solubility of their starches. Malt will dissolve in warm water but corn needs to be cooked for about twenty minutes at atmosphere, less if under pressure. That's the only reason for pressure cooking, it's faster. Four Roses is one distillery that I know cooks under pressure.

The rye and malt are added only after the corn has cooked and the mash has cooled a bit. The enzymes that covert the starch into sugar are in the malt, which is added last.