Bacterial community dynamics during distilled spirit fermentation: influence of mash recipes and fermentation processes.

Production of ethanol from sugars and yeast is an ancient, ostensibly simple process. The source of sugars varies depending on the desired product and can include fruits, vegetables, molasses, honey, or grains, among other things. The source of yeast can be natural in the case of spontaneous ferments, but dry yeast addition is typical for large-scale fermentations.