Brewhaus Forum
»
Recipes
»
Rum Recipes
»
3 runs so far. Don't like them
 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/20/2012(UTC)
Posts: 7
|
"My Recipe
Blackstrap 1/4 gallon
White sugar 12 lbs
Water 7 gallons
A little bit of vinegar
Mix in hot water dissolve add cold water until just warm and pitch.
My first two runs were with turbo didn't add nutrients. I got so sick off the results I threw it all away. Poured out two gallons of product.
My last run was with ec118 and I mixed multivitamins with it. It took almost 15 days before it slowed down. I siphoned off the mash and ran it.
Well this last run smells the same as the first two but not as strong. The wash was sour before I ran it so I know the sugar was used up.
The results are a fruity smelling rum. I am trying for something like Bacardi white and not getting anything close. I don't want to have to carbon filter it so I get Vodka! Not sure if it's the flavoring added to Bacardi at the end. I just want to be able to copy their product and move on to other things.
I was hoping that switching to ec118 would change the flavor but it really didn"t. It doesn"t make me sick now but still not what I am going for. I think it is my wash recipe.
Things I want to change.
1. I want to clear my next wash before running it. When done stir it up real good and let it sit to clear, then rack it then run it. I am thinking my flavoring problem could be because my wash isn't clear prior to running.
2. This molasses and sugar mix isn't producing good quality results. I sure wish I lived where I could get cane and press it but I don't. I don't want to spend more on materials then if I could just go to the store and buy Bacardi but at this point I will to get my recipe figured out.
3. I know I need to be more exact on my measurements for my wash. I will purchase a good scale and dial this part in more. Also I am going to get a large keg cooler to ferment in so I can control the temps. Fall and winter is ok but we are moving into summer and I won't be able to control things well.
The bad thing is that it takes me 2-3 weeks between each run so it's a slow process figuring out my recipie! I will take any advice!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/12/2012(UTC)
Posts: 804
Was thanked: 5 time(s) in 5 post(s)
|
" Originally Posted by: buglamp  I got so sick off the results I threw it all away. Poured out two gallons of product. From 20 lbs. of sugar, I'll get 1 gal., maybe 1.5 gal. of what I consider ""keeper"" stock at 50%. The rest goes into the feints jug. Now, I'm very conservative with my cuts since I'm still green and learning, but 3 gal. from 22 lbs. of sugar sounds a bit aggressive to me. Maybe you're taking too much heads/tails and that's getting you sick? Originally Posted by: buglamp The results are a fruity smelling rum. That fruity smell always means heads to me. Are you doing a pot run or a reflux run? How fast are you collecting?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/20/2012(UTC)
Posts: 7
|
Reflux run
Takes about 9 hours to run it.
One to two drip every second. Some times during the hearts it flows real fast And I turn it down a bit.
I'm still learning.
The EC118 turned out way better. I did a drink test last night and I wasn't sick like I was off the turbo!
Thoughts?
This run produced three 1.75l. Not counting heads and tails. Have about 100ml heads and 300ml tails. When the temp moved up you could really smell the tails.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/12/2012(UTC)
Posts: 804
Was thanked: 5 time(s) in 5 post(s)
|
"I'm not sure if I'm reading you right, since you're numbers are very different than mine even though we're starting at similar potential. But I'll share my notes & maybe it'll give you some ideas:
For two simple 4.5 kg sugar washes (9 kg total sugar):
I do a stripping run and collect down to 25% or so. I end up with about 4.5 L of strips at around 48% for each wash. After two runs, the 9 L gets diluted to around 13 L (somewhere in the vicinity of 30%) and put in the boiler for a reflux run.
During the reflux run, I collect 250 mL samples. My heads cut is around 750 mL (or more) at 91% _after_ discarding the first 150 mL (fores). For a neutral, that first 750 mL has way too much smell. My hearts will be 2 L or so at around 90%. The rest goes into the feints jug.
After diluting hearts cut to 45% - 50% I end up with around a gallon or so. It's been very drinkable, and seems to improve significantly after sitting for about three weeks or so. On one of my first runs, I cut just a hair too deep into the heads and got a slightly sweet smell (and flavor) that I ended up enjoying ... but it certainly wasn't neutral.
As an aside: if your goal is rum, you might want to consider a pot run rather than a reflux run?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/20/2012(UTC)
Posts: 7
|
"pot run
I need to get a pot head for my still. At present I only have a reflux tower for it. everything comes out at 190 proof!
I am about to start another wash. Probably tomorrow. I will see if I can get the pot head for this thing and see how it goes.
I also hate how long the run takes."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
|
"I wont say your wrong....but why on earth would add vinegar to your wash??? If its for the acid effect there are other things that are more suited for that purpose.
The reflux tower will strip all that mollasses flavor from your hooch so thats a lotta $$$ wasted in my opinion.
Of course you could stop the reflux action and just let it run in a pot still mode --I'm pretty sure.
You mentioned cooling during fermentation..look up swamp cooler, thats easy and cheap.
You mentioned getting sick...was it high proof or did you not toss enough heads and tails.I know the real tough guys TALK about drinkin 180 proof but on a regular basis I would bet its all talk."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/20/2012(UTC)
Posts: 7
|
I cut it precisely to 80 proof. I can smell the heads and after the temp moves up a little and that smell goes away I start saving it. When the smell starts to get stronger and my temps creep up I make a tails cut. It's real strong smelling. I have been saving it but not mixing it with my finished product. This last run didn't make me sick at all. Have tried it twice now. I think it was the turbo yeast.
I have only done three runs so I don't have much experience. I'm going to rack and clear my wash this next time. The smell is plenty strong as is. I should have the pot attachment in a week or so.
Vinigar: I read that if you add a little Vinigar it prevents things growing in your wash you don't want. I don't know if that's true. I do know it's great for ear infections and athlete's foot. Lol. I won't add it next time. I also read that rain water is a little ph orientated towards the Vinigar side and that's why people use it. Who knows at this point. I'm just reading and trying crazy crap.
My first goal is to duplicate Bacardi. My second is Beliezian white. After that I want to move to making other things.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
|
"Cool, sure hope you get it figgered out. Are you waiting until the next day to sniff and make your final cuts??? Thats really the right way to make proper cuts.
You run your still -- collect your runnings (in small jars)-- and leave them seperate until tomorrow AND THEN sniff and make your cuts. It sounded like you were making cuts as you stilled and that might cause a prob with smearing of the things you dont want to drink."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/20/2012(UTC)
Posts: 7
|
That's exactly what I have been doing! Do I leave the lids open on the jars to air out?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
|
This is just my opinion but I'm not sold on the idea of rain water usage. We all know what cars emit and every factory gives off some pretty nasty stuff too. But I guess if it was boiled prior to use well it might be ok. When I hear rain water I think acid rain. But thats just me, I'm sure if your sink water is good enough to drink its good enough to still with. You may need to add some nutrients to the wash and maybe adjust your PH but I'm not sure rain water is the BEST option for my purposes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
|
" Originally Posted by: buglamp That's exactly what I have been doing! Do I leave the lids open on the jars to air out? Thats what I do...I leave the lids off until the morning (i cover with a paper towel) after and then give em a little puff of air -- then give em a good sniff, thats where you can really tell whats what. Then after pushing away the ones that smell alittle off I get what I'm after. Now you can reuse the tails but the heads are something I dont reuse but some may dissagree and thats fine. Keep pluggin away and it'll just sorta come to you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/20/2012(UTC)
Posts: 7
|
I haven't used rain watter. Just add a slash of Vinigar
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/12/2012(UTC)
Posts: 34
|
YES leave the lids off, cover with a paper towel to keep any thirsty bugs out:) swish it around alittle to move the air out of the jars then start letting your nose do its thing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/6/2011(UTC)
Posts: 161
|
and i run a 13 gal pure sugar and water and turbo wash at about 17-18% took 9 hrs to run the whole thing and after dumping heads and tails and proofing to 150 i had 2.5 gal 2.5 pint of heads and fores just so you can have my numbers i had allot of peiople loving my product and thats even with yeast burning in bottom due to fermenting in boiler i drank 2 pints on st pattys and scared everyone being passed out in a parking lot of a bar lol no hangover never sick (did have a hankering to drink 5 gal of water in the morning but after 2 glasses and a line of coke i was more than happy and ready to go again so i did
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/6/2011(UTC)
Posts: 161
|
i also left mine set overnight and a few mosquitos were in the jars but i told people it was just like the worm in tequila so they believed me :)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/6/2013(UTC)
Posts: 17
|
From what I have found so far, many white rums are aged on oak to smooth it out, then filtered. Carbon filtering is tricky also. depending on how much carbon you use, and how much product you are filtering, you will get different results. A small amount of carbon can take an edge off without removing too much flavor. The carbon also holds only so much. Then they "recondition" the carbon through a steam and baking process to purge the contaminates removed and "reactivate" the carbon. I have seen carbon filters strip color to a point, then dump all the color it held, suddenly. I noticed a strong flavor change as well when this happens. I am still learning about the properties of carbon, and many have preferences over the source. Many prefer carbon produced from coconut husks over other sources. There is a local distillery, to me, that filters their vodkas over volcanic rock and carbon. I have noticed that carbon filtering doesn't remove much of the heads, but it really cleans up the tails. So much to study and try.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/9/2013(UTC)
Posts: 56
|
Mr. x.
Just read that bit about mosquitoes in the jars left overnight. I was drinking a diet coke with my lunch and snorted some out my nose. lol. I'm going to try that. It sounds like a nice touch.
G.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brewhaus Forum
»
Recipes
»
Rum Recipes
»
3 runs so far. Don't like them
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.
