Rum FAQ
This thread is getting long so I summarised the 56 pages into a FAQ. Hopefully it helps.
Fermentation
Should I add Nutrients to the wash?
Mac- molasses is deficient of some valuable nutrients. Only thing I really do different to the original is add DAP, citric to invert sugar, vitamin B pills and a little dog spit
adam89, satchy- “2 heaped teaspoons of tomato paste”
Overall some members prefer to not add any nurtients, while some do. Most common addition is Epsom salts, as molasses is low in magnesium, and DAP.
What yeast should I use.
l-o-o: RUM yeast such as EDV-496 is good because it's designed to handle this high specific gravity.
Most members use lowans, but some members like Ec1118 (but this yeast wont handle the higher 38C temperatures like lowans)
What temperature is best to ferment at?
Mac- The warmer & quicker (4 - 5 days @ around 30ish C) it ferments the more I enjoy my rum, the long slow ferments seem to lack complexity IMHO….
A conversation occurs later where Mac later says “38c is my preferred ferment temp for rum”
pochine- “38*C! Really? Would this not kill the yeast?”
Zak- I do my Rum around that too. its actually quite hard to keep it up to temp but if you do you get some nice Rummyness… 24 deg is too low for Rum .Around 35 deg is good .
SBB- Try and get some heat into it somehow 35C-38c is good for a quick ferment
How long will it take to ferment?
Mac- Mine is normally finished fermenting in under seven days, then I leave it for at least a few more days to settle, so yeah 2 weeks should be plenty…. Now the weather is a bit warmer it should ferment out in 5 to 7 days… It'll ferment slower in the cooler month
shornomovie- 3 days at 30deg
Experience from members suggests that fermentation will take as little as 2 days, and up to 10 days depending on nutrients, but more importantly, on temperature.
What’s the final gravity?
bundy- i am on 2nd generation rum wash, first one stopped at 1020 after 7 days, this one 1025 after 7 days, what I've been reading is its hard to get a final sg with molasses.
Mac- 1010 FG...... run it
kobold-it stopped at 1.02 sg
3draws- final sg 1062... I had a taste(bloody terrible) no sweetness at all.
It would appear that the final gravity is dependent on the molasses used. Some molasses has more unfermentables than other. Molasses is a fairly fast and violent fermenter. If it has stopped “fizzing,” tastes dry and it is not sticky then it has finished fermenting.
When starting 2nd generation do you need to put more yeast in after tipping the rest of the ingredients on to the slops left over from first wash?
Mac- No mate it should start bubbling in a few hours, as long as the liquid you put back in the fermenter is under 30c
How many generations?
Mac- You can keep going as many gens as you like, just keep an eye on your ph & adjust accordingly
sbb- (advice to 9th+ generation that is slowing down) Try cutting back on backset just a bit next ferment and see what happens.
Brendan- I've only heard previously where people have pushed washes to 7 gens, and then don't recommend any further as the yeast mutates and completely changes the flavour profile and possibly it's ability to perform properly
Special note: After subsequent generation the ph will drop, becoming more acidic.
Urrazeb- I try to keep my rums at around ph 4-5, if when you get your test kit if it is really low make sure to raise it over 2 gens as a spike in ph will shock the yeast and they won't like you after that.
Fermentation caution- Members have reported violent ferments, which leads to a messy clean-up.
Running
How much should I put in the boiler?
Mac- 35L is about right..... S.T.R.E.T.C.H......... to 40 but add a little cooking oil to be safe
Kimbo - 40lt mark in my 50lt keg
Matt S commented that “25L in a 30L boiler” leads to puking.
Newstilla- had a puke with 30L in a 50L boiler
geeps- 2/3 full in the boiler is a bit of a rule and you can add a cap full of olive oil to help on the puking side
Will this wash leave a residue in my boiler and column when I run it?
Kimbo- More than likely, i always wash my gear after every use anyway (its good practice)
kiwikeg- Ran my first molasses wash in my mates still today foamed like crazy and left a scuzzy ring round the boiler
How to run through a bubbler?
Mac- single runs and it comes off the still at 90 + %... 4 plates
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=2681
How to run with a pot still?
Collect all the low wines over the generations. General consensus is to collect down to 30-20%, water down to <40% for final spirit run. Instead of watering down to 40% with water, some (few) members add low wines to a finished wash for more flavour.
Oaking/Aging?
Mac-American oak (charred) seems to give me the flavor I like
SBB- oak staves and give them a heavy toast
Lowandsey- Today I poured out some of this rum that I made around Easter and has been aging for 7 odd months now. My God it is so fuckin good.
unsub- I age mine with charred american oak dominoes for 3 months minumum, I find thats when the flavours really start getting good
backyardbrewer- Air/time/oak=win!
Urrazeb- I normally step the oaking, 75ish for a week, 65 for as long as I can hold off and water to 40 for bottle and ageing
Put some McRum down on some untoasted un charred French Oak I got from stevem109r last year. Been soaking @65% for about 4-5 months now...It was very slow to colour up...a paleish yellow and very little Oak flavour...until now. It has developed a quite unique flavour wouldn't say it tastes like rum,.....more a subtle Banana flavour
Amount of oak-
Bushy on dominos- 1 per 2 litres would be plenty
cols15- 7g per lt for 3-6mths on medium/heavy toasted oak @ 65%, then age another 6-12 before bottling
Ageing tips
Camikaze- Add a teaspoon of raw molasses to your aging hooch. I use a teaspoon per 1.5 litres. Tastes awesome on medium-toast american oak. Sediment will settle out but that gets filtered out when you cut after oaking. When adding raw molasses to your aging rum, don't shake it. It will resemble water fresh from Matilda Bay....minus the jellyfish.. Let it steep and leave it alone. Filter the shit out along with your oak
Davecuds- When i was over in Colombia recently i did a tour of the rum distillery there. They use a big plated still there and take off product around 90%. What i found interesting was that they put it into barrels at 80% with raisins to age
Andy- Sherry soaked oak, with about 70ml of sherry per litre makes a decent drop. I use cream or sweet sherry as I like that little sweetness.
Mac- About a day once a week I'll open the tops up to let mine breathe, sometimes less often if I forget
Homedistiller- Another simple trick is to use corks in your bottles, rather than screw-caps. This helps the spirits breath a little, and help its aging. Jack explains ... it's been a proven fact (discovered by rum distillers) for years- carbonic acid gasses formed in the mash, then carried over in the distillate, are capable of staying in solution, and causing a noticable sharpness - a period of "breathing" (typically 30 days) can allow this gas to escape.
Homedistiller- Honey: here they use a lot of this! As much as half a liter per 50 gal. cask (in top of the line rums) so don't spare it.
Other Notes
Dunderpits
kiwikeg- but what i am looking for detail about is using the cotents of a "dunderpit" ie intentionally aged dunder. i read that well aged dunder was a essentual ingrediant to a filthy rum but details on how to use are a bit lacking.
Lowndsey- from what I have read you want to get bacteria in it and the top goes moudly and you use the stuff underneath that. How exactly you do that i have never looked in to
Dominator- First run molasses is after the first boil and thus still contains quite a bit of sugar, about 75%. First molasses is like golden syrup, second run is after the second boil and has less sugar sugar and a more bitter taste, third run is what we call feed grade molasses (Americans call it Blackstrap) and has 50% sugar content.
Wedwards- Molasses measurement guide
1kg=0.66L
1gal=7kg
1L=1.5kg
ProTip- Don’t spill the molasses! Molasses is sticky shit to work with, and takes a hell of a lot of cleaning up.
most who have made this say something along the lines of "this is good shit." For those who say “but I don’t drink rum.” General consensus is that you will after this!!
This thread has been started for any one wishing to discuss the making of Rum. The original Tried and Proven recipe can be found in the Tried and Proven section of the forum or by clicking HERE