From: delwiche@sunflower.bio.indiana.edu (Charles Delwiche)
Subject: Re: My Dog Ate It! (& applejack)
Organization: Biology, Indiana University - Bloomington
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 23:39:59 GMT

In article <43610003@hpmwetg3.sr.hp.com> dondd@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Don Dillon) writes:

>> = Delwiche
>  = Dillon

>>Interestingly enough, it also implies that sourdough starter has at
>>least a moderate amount of alcohol in it (which makes sense), so
>>pouring a little alcohol in the starter just might work to keep it
>>slowed down.  I can't say I've ever tried this though.  Presumably you
>>wouldn't want to overdo it.  I guess that's why the liquid on top of
>>the starter is called "hooch".
>>
>>-- 
>>-------
>>Charles F. Delwiche			(812) 855-2549
>>Dept. of Biology, Indiana University
>>Bloomington, IN 47405
>>----------
>
>
>Is this hooch drinkable?  I mean, it probably tastes bad, but would it make
>you sick or what?
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Don { wonder what this button does?.... } Dillon
>
>INTERNET : dondd@sr.hp.com
>TELNET   : 577-3690
>PHONE    : 707-577-3690


Well, the short answer is "I have no clue", but I would imagine you
could drink the stuff, if for some reason you wanted to.  Sounds
pretty disgusting to me.  It might cause a certain amount of digestive
distress; if you drink the yeast-laden dregs of home-brewed beer you
will get lots of B-vitamins, but you will also end up with diarrhea (I
don't know what the mechanism is though).  Mind you, I don't even know
if one actually finds alcohol in sourdough starter, I just find it
plausible, since the yeast are presumably doing at least some
fermentation.  My understanding is that a moderate amount of alcohol
is produced when one makes standard Saccharomyces cerevisiae leavened
bread.  I would expect that in the case of either kind of bread any
alcohol would be driven off during baking.

It is hard for me to be sure of any of this because sourdough starters
are complex cultures; they typically have at least two organisms (a
yeast and a lactobacillus) that are important in the
flavor/aroma/leavening properties of the starter, and unless you have
remarkable technique and an incredibly clean kitchen your starter
probably also dozens or hundreds of incidental taxa living in there.
Note also there are probably several different kinds of starters
depending upon what yeast and what lactobacilli are present.

If you want a good adventure in "sourdough" (sensu Alaska) alcohols,
try making applejack.  First make hard cider; let a jug of good
quality, unfiltered, untreated, natural apple cider sit in the
basement or some other moderately cool location until it ferments
naturally, or if you are impatient add a little brewer's yeast and let
it ferment.  I have done this before; it makes a pretty raspy stuff,
but one can develop a taste for it if you have a sense of adventure.
Then comes the part I have never acutally tried; if you let the hard
cider freeze to the point where it forms a slush, pure ice will freeze
out first.  I think you should be able to get a home freezer cold
enough to do this, or in the colder parts of the country wait until a
good cold winter night.  The liquid in the slush will be high in
solutes; alcohol and apple solids, maybe a little residual sugar if
you freeze the fermenting cider soon enough.  My guess is this will be
a, um, "challenging" thing to drink :-).  

I've been meaning to try this for years, but have never gotten beyond
the hard cider bit (which works pretty well).  If you try it, I'd love
to know how it comes out, but please don't blame me if: A) the
fermenting cider bubbles over and makes a huge mess, B) the resultant
substance is unspeakably vile (don't throw it out! let it age, some
horrible things can turn into pretty wonderful things given enought
time), or C) something totally unexpected happens.

I'm done babbling for now,

-- 
-------
Charles F. Delwiche			(812) 855-2549
Dept. of Biology, Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405