Fermentation affecting Flavour after Distillation

[AbsoZed]

I'm not planning on distilling anything, it's illegal in this here country. I was just wondering if anyone knew if the products used in fermentation would effect the flavour after distillation. It doesn't make sense to me that it would, from what I know about distillation from a chemistry standpoint. Maybe someone could enlighten me?

 

[Trail]

They will, because not everything has a sufficiently high vapourization threshold that it won't transfer with the ethanol. Plenty of flavor compounds and water make it through... otherwise, everything distilled would taste like vodka (or Everclear.)

 

[AbsoZed]

Great, thanks. That's been bugging me a lot. Only reason I wondered is because I know water distillation causes water to be completely pure (basically.)

 

[Trail]

Eh, kind of. It purifies water to a large extent, but a lot of contaminants (think solvents, like alcohol and acetone) have lower vapor points so they'll get distilled as well unless you purposefully do a multi-pass distillation to remove those materials. Even then, there's stuff that vaporizes so close to water that you get it anyway. This is why for really pure water you want a multi-step process that also includes reverse osmosis and a multi-stage carbon filter.

 

[Homercidal]

Distillation of water for drinking is a bit different. Water is mostly fine for by products, except the viruses and bacteria. The distillation will take care of that.

I'd get into the reasons why distillation of alcohol is a bit different, but we aren't allowed to discuss that topic. Sorry.