sorry for the quick answer...but from my own experience...if you reflux all you will get is a neutral spirit...you must use pot distillation...mr. E could you chime in on this discussion please...i believe i am correct in what i am saying ???

Al, Don't give up yet. As long as you have a pot still try that. I have never tried a brown sugar wash. I use molasses for my wash; with that and a pot still I get a great flavor. My next batch I was planning on using a schnapps yeast.

Alex:

First of all thanks for sharing your results. It is through sharing failures as well as successes we all learn more.

This is really curious. As far as I can tell the only differece from mine is that you didn't toss straight molasses in the wash and used copper instead of rashing rings. Hmmmm. I've made three batches now and they have all turned out perfect! No vodka taste at all just pure rum. My OG is usually 1.10, so 1.20 shouldn't have made a difference. As the others here write using a pot method certainly works well with rum, but from my experience you shouldn't have to if you don't want to.

Brown sugar is made by mixing molasses with sugar, I use it because it's a lot cheaper than all molasses and I get great results. The darker the brown sugar the higher the molasses level. The higher the molasses level the more the rum taste.

I suggest next time try adding a bit of unsulfered molasses to the wash and go ahead and do a pot method to see if that works better for you, it surely won't hurt. Let me know how this works out.

Please don't be offended when I ask this, that is not my intent, but did you clean your copper really good before doing this run? Also how heavy do you pack your column?

The next time I do a rum I will try it with just copper in my column instead of rashing rings and see if that is what made the difference. I'll report back and let you all know my results.

Cheers!

Brenden:

For my two cents worth go with rashing rings. They don't cost very much, it's a one time expense as they don't wear out, they are easy to clean, and the pro's use them. Mix a little copper in with them and you are ready to go. When you are done with a run, boil them for awhile, let them dry and you are ready for your next run.

well I have herd that marbles work if you put them in when your distilling in the pot because they will give you a more even heat distribution can they be any thing other than clear glass I will poast some pics of my still so far its not much but I am working on it I am kind of going week by week working more on it

Hey all,I made a mistake that turned out well.

To begin with, I made up a batch of rum a week ago from last Fri. 8# dark brown sugar,8 of white, and 3 pints table mollasses. Pitched with 48 hour turbo. It was going mighty slow but steady, so decided to start another last Wed. I had just bought some EC 1118, and thought I would give that a try. With the wort ready for pithing yeast, I realized I had not made a starter- I can be kinda slow sometimes, but this was my first time useing anything but turbo or whiskey yeast where you don't make starters. Still I knew better. Well I pitched it anyway, as its pretty cheap. 36 hours and nothing, a little activity, but no bubbleing. 44 hours- still no gasing. So I pitched a pack of turbo, and 2 hours later I put it into the bath tub just in case and took out the airlock. Sun. at 1: PM checked and it was done. The hydrometer almost sank completely. I racked it to clear. The first one finally stopped bubbleing yesterday Mon. I just checked its TG and was right at 1.001. I was tired of waiting, and as its suppossed to snow tonight and tommorrow, I added sparkoloid to clarify. I think I'm going to try this again, but make a starter next time.

I use copper packing and propane. I put 2 cups rashig rings into the boiler and it eliminated all the surgeing of gasses, and I can run much, much faster.

With copper, you get the least carryover of flavor, rashig rings- much more flavor, as less reflux surface area, and with marbles even more.

For flavored drinks, I just pot still twice and its quicker in time and energy, and uses less cooling water where thats a concern.

Cheers. Soon we will have all the frustrating problems worked out and be bored, or enjoying a perfect toddy.

John:

Great story! I love the part about putting it in the bathtub. You can't beat turbo. I can feel for you. I have forgotten to make a starter many many times. I usually realize it just at the point where I'm pulling the wort chiller out.

I'm glad you cleared that up about the copper vs the rashing rings in rum, so that must be the answer for Alex's problem.

I'm still waiting to get started on the wheat vodka, I presently have Realtors coming through the house, so right now I'm making hooch vicariously through you guys.

Brenden, is that peas you've got cooking in the second picture? Just kidding.

Hey guys

Once again thank you all for sharing, there is some great info coming through here.

Elricko : I think my packing is the disappointing factor here. As for your question, ,and no offence taken when so ever , my copper was not all that clean. I find it very hard to get the copper to a "fresh" state. I use vinegar for the initial clean and then boil them in water, though its impossible to get the oxidized/sulfurized blackness out of them, and the smell I get from them is pretty much identical to the aftertaste I"m getting. I hoped that with the intense reflux they give I"ll be able to strip away that after taste, but I guess I needed to fail to find out.

As for how packed my column in with copper, I just recently repacked it with a fresh fill and I have a feeling I rolled up the mesh a little too lose. Even with very careful monitoring I can not seem to get anything over 85% ABV, used to get 94% easy with my old packing. I was trying to research if I can loosen the packing up a little to decrease heating times and increase reflux stabilization times, but I guess there are no two way around it, you want a clean run using copper, you have to pack rather tight.

John & Elricko :

Can you elaborate more of the use of rashing rings? I"ve never used any other packing besides copper, it seems like anything with such a dramatically smaller surface area will not make that good a packer, yet it seems to be. Also John, you put the rings into the actual boiler? Is this to suppress activity in your wart as is boils? Never heard of this practice before!


As for my failed rum, no worries, it will make a perfect maceration agent.


Thanks again!


-Alex

Alex: First I need to tell you that I have one of the columns that break in the middle so it can be used as a pot still or reflux. So when I pack my column I start with the bottom half. I roll up some copper and put all the way at the bottom, then fill it to about two inches from the top with rashing rings, then a bit more copper. Then I attach the top half and fill it with rashing rings to right below where the condenser outlet is and put in a third piece of copper. Then the rubber stopper with the digital thermometer and I'm all set. I usually only use my copper twice before tossing because of the very reasons you outlined. As I don't actually use very much it's cost effective. The rashing rings are very easy to clean, just boil them for 15 minutes and dry them out. Well, I actually boil the twice. It works very well. you are right, the tighter I pack the copper the higher the output so how tight I make it depends on what I'm trying to make. Netural, pretty tight, Rum, not so tight.

Hope this helps.


John Lee:
When John wrote that he was using EC 1118 he was talking about a wine yeast. Well actually a champagne yeast made by Lalvin. These usually come in packs that hold 5 grams of yeast ,most turbo yeast packs hold close to 100 grams,. To get enough to active yeast for a 25 L batch you need to make a 'starter'. The same goes for beer yeast. When I make a starter I use an Erlenmeyer Flask where I put some DME or sugar water and pitch the yeast. In a couple of days I have 750 ml of very active and happy yeast which I then put into my wash. If you use Turbo yeast you don't need to do this. So why would anyone go to this trouble? A pack of EC 1118 costs less than a buck where a pack of Turbo costs about $4.

Cheers!

John:

Mine is a 2' and in hind-site I kind of wish I'd bought the 3', but not enough to toss this one and go for the bigger one. I understand what you are saying about controlling the temp and reflux to control the flavor, I do that to but the packing also is a consideration. I find it curious that you use rashing rings in your boiler but not your column. Hey, that's what makes the world go round. I agree that with that much copper it wouldn't be cost effective to toss it out as often as I do.