The Maillard Reaction

[Odin]

"The Maillard reaction is a form of nonenzymatic browning. It results from a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring heat.
Vitally important in the preparation or presentation of many types of food, it is named after chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, who first described it in 1912 while attempting to reproduce biological protein synthesis.[1][2](p79)
The reactive carbonyl group of the sugar reacts with the nucleophilic amino group of the amino acid, and forms a complex mixture of poorly characterized molecules responsible for a range of odors and flavors. This process is accelerated in an alkaline environment (e.g., lye applied to darken pretzels), as the amino groups are deprotonated and, hence, have an increased nucleophilicity. The type of the amino acid determines the resulting flavor. This reaction is the basis of the flavoring industry. At high temperatures, acrylamide can be formed.
In the process, hundreds of different flavor compounds are created. These compounds, in turn, break down to form yet more new flavor compounds, and so on. Each type of food has a very distinctive set of flavor compounds that are formed during the Maillard reaction. It is these same compounds flavor scientists have used over the years to make reaction flavors."

The Maillard Reaction takes place in for instance the baking process of pumpernickel or black rye bread. The colour indicates Maillard is at work. And where the Maillard Reaction is doing it's thing, tasts and flavors develop. It makes me understand why my rye bread sugarhead whiskey has more and more complex tastes to offer than even my All Grain malted rye.

So how can we use this (to me) new learnings? Easy, to improve an UJ or SF where grains are used for taste. This is how it is done (or can be done):

Take 3.2 kilo's of flaked/cracked corn or Sweet Feed and put them in 3.2 liters of boiling water. Stirr well. Put the lid on it and maybe wrap a towel or blanket around the pan. Let it cool overnight. The slower it cools the better.

Now comes the next day. Put the mixture in a baking dish, put alufoil on top and put it in the oven for 6 hours at 90 degrees C or 194 degrees Fahrenheit. You might want to add some extra water halfway down the road.

Now when the six hours in the oven are done, proceed as per normal. Give the replacement grain from each new generation a "Maillard" treatment as well, and you will end up with a stronger, more interesting taste profile.

I think this method is applicable in an All Grainer as well. It shouldn't hurt convertability of grain starches. A partial "Maillard" treatment, instead of treating all the grain is another option that should enhance the taste profile further.

For my experience so far, in my rye bread whiskey see: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 3&start=24

Odin.