Panela goodness

[Snackson]

[quote="Snackson"
What could you possibly build now?

I'm loving rum so maybe a stripper?[/quote]
I just use the plates for that and run it fast with almost zero reflux. Mainly because the shotgun PC is so efficient compared to my 30" 1"over3/4" of my old pot still. Plus I love seeing the bubbles!

[MichiganCornhusker]

Hey Nerdy did you feed Panela during ferment? Let us know how the run goes. Cheers.

I didn't go with the feeding plan this time,...

Just got a sack of panela from LWTS, so I'm doing up a batch of 100% panela right now.
I've always done the Buccaneer Bob protocol, more or less, so I've always done scheduled feedings with my rums.
I just did a 100% blackstrap molasses run and it turned out great.

With this panel batch, I started with 25# of panela in 20 gallons of water, OG about 1.055. So easy with this ground up panela!
Every 2 days I'm going to add 5# panela mixed with 2 gallons of water, eventually ending up with 50# panela in 30 gallons water.
This should result in an easy stress free ferment.

My plan is to strip this with wash in boiler and thumper, then do a single pot still run with the low wines.

I've done all of my rums white, but most if this will be put on oak for long term aging. Of course, some will be kept white for easy immediate drinking!

[Oldvine Zin]

My current ferment is going great - yeast seems happy and at this rate it will be ready to rack tomorrow It's already dropped to 6 brix!

[Jimbo]

Hey Nerdy did you feed Panela during ferment? Let us know how the run goes. Cheers.

I didn't go with the feeding plan this time,...

Just got a sack of panela from LWTS, so I'm doing up a batch of 100% panela right now.
I've always done the Buccaneer Bob protocol, more or less, so I've always done scheduled feedings with my rums.
I just did a 100% blackstrap molasses run and it turned out great.

With this panel batch, I started with 25# of panela in 20 gallons of water, OG about 1.055. So easy with this ground up panela!
Every 2 days I'm going to add 5# panela mixed with 2 gallons of water, eventually ending up with 50# panela in 30 gallons water.
This should result in an easy stress free ferment.

My plan is to strip this with wash in boiler and thumper, then do a single pot still run with the low wines.

I've done all of my rums white, but most if this will be put on oak for long term aging. Of course, some will be kept white for easy immediate drinking!

Great minds MC. Pretty much exactly what I planned on doing. Let me know how it goes. I have a 50lb bag here too ready to did. Bakers?

[MichiganCornhusker]

Baker's and temps in the 80's here all week.

[Oldvine Zin]

MC what are your typical ferment times using that method? Might try that on my next one.

[MichiganCornhusker]

Takes about a week to 10 days, but I'm in no hurry.
I usually start the main fermentation, then just add to it every day or two after it gets rolling.

I've been doing it to get the wash abv up enough to give me a nice yield of 80p rum in a single run because I prefer that flavor over a strip/spirit run with rum.

With this batch it's more about just experimenting with an easy environment for the yeast. It's inspired by something I think LWTS posted about cachaca makers doing scheduled feedings.
I'm starting around OG 1.052, and by the time I get done it will be the equivalent of dumping everything together with an OG of about 1.07, but this way I'm doing it over time.
Not sure there is any real value to this method, but I'm just messing around.

[Oldvine Zin]

It's inspired by something I think LWTS posted about cachaca makers doing scheduled feedings.

Yea I also read LWTS post about that producer and it got me interested in low abv ferments. I also remember him saying the ferments only lasted a day and pulled off at 7%. Not sure how he managed that.

[Snackson]

Just wanted to throw this out one last time for anyone in SoCal/San Diego area, I am getting ready to do a bulk purchase of Panela straight from Sugar Daddy. PM me for details.

[raketemensch]

Holy crap, my jaggery/UJ ferment smells nasty. No visible signs of any infections, but it smells like a hair salon when someone is getting a perm.

I had yeast foam 2 inches thick yesterday, it pushed the top right off the fermenter. Now it's back to pop rocks again.

[Oldvine Zin]

Sorry to hear that rocketman, my all panela smells great and never a violent ferment just happy yeasties doing their thing. What was your grain bill on that ferment?

[GrassHopper]

Yeah, that sucks rocketman.

Contacted Sugar Daddy today and am putting a bulk panela order together. If anyone is within the Boise, Id. area would be willing to part with some. PM me for details.

[Oldvine Zin]

GrassHopper I'm sure that you will like sugar daddy's panela - ferment three for me just finished in three days 17 brix to 0 ! I hope that after running that I will have enough to fill one of my new 5 gal Gibbs barrel

[nerdybrewer]

GrassHopper I'm sure that you will like sugar daddy's panela - ferment three for me just finished in three days 17 brix to 0 ! I hope that after running that I will have enough to fill one of my new 5 gal Gibbs barrel

Where did you get the barrels and what did they cost?

[still_stirrin]

Where did you get the barrels and what did they cost?

Would anyone have experience or learned comments for an OAK barrel supplier? I've found between these:

1. Gibbs Bros Cooperage (http://www.gibbsbrotherscooperage.com/c ... e8306439c0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow)

• - out of Arkansas, uses southern regional white oak
  - new barrel, any char you want
  - 5.3 gal (20l) Sap Clear Charred Keg, $154.00,
  - 6" wooden faucet, $14.45
  - UPS Ground, $37.34

Total: $205.79

2. Black Swan Cooperage, ( http://www.blackswanbarrels.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow)

• - Park Rapids, MN, uses upper US sourced white oak, water leak tested
  - new barrel, medium toast , #3 char, (customizable)
  - 5 gal, Black Swan STandard (cross-grooved)
  - $145.00 (bung included)
  - no spigot
  - Shipping, $38

Toal: $183.

(Heidi: "Our white oak sourced in PA and MN is sweeter, we believe, than southern white Oak sources. Medium Toast, and #3 Char is recommended to bring out the carmel, and subtle flavors from the Oak vice standard #4 char. In the olden days, stills used lead solder in their construction and a heavy #4 char was needed to filter out these harmful chemicals.")


3. Oak Barrels, Ltd, (http://oakbarrelsltd.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow)

• - Harlingen, TX,
  - used re-coopered barrels of white oak, Cooper in Mexico
  - 5.3 gal (20l) re-coopered, $134.95,(includes Bung, Spigot, & Stand), Galvanized hoops
  - Fedex Ground, $19.75

Total: $154.70

"Our third generation cooper resides in Mexico. He builds quality oak barrels – made in the traditional French manner. He is truly an artist. The barrels are made from American white oak … he gets the oak from distilleries, reconditions and opens the pores by sanding each stave back to original oak and then re-coops it into our smaller barrels. The barrels are have no type of finish or lacquer varnish - each barrel is toasted in which the oak is caramelized and develops a multitude of aromas ... all adding to the character of your finished product."

4. Online Kegs & Barrels (http://www.barrelsonline.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow)

• - ecommerce site for Mexican cooperage (location not disclosed)
  - used re-coopered barrels of white oak
  - Oak Barrel - 5.28 gallon (20 liter) Steel Hoop
  - $100.00 (Includes stand, spigot and bung)
  - Std Ground, $33.21

Total: $133.21

5. The Barrel MIll (http://www.whiskeybarrel.com/index.php/ ... arrel.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow)

• - 5 Gallon Premium American Oak Whiskey Barrel. Staves dried 6 months.
  - new, charred to customer specs, heads charred too.
  - $165.00
  - $6.00 bung
  - wood spigot, $12.00
  - Std Ground, $27.93

Total: $210.93

6. THousand Oaks Barrel Co. (http://www.1000oaksbarrel.com/oak-barre ... etail.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow)

• - website does not disclose any information about the company, location, sources, etc. A DNS Lookup is stealthed.
  - build quality in pictures appears to be Mexican made
  - 5 Gallon White Oak Barrel, "The staves are air dried for two years and all barrels have a medium char."
  - $149.95 (Includes stand, spigot and bung)
  - Std Ground, $24.99
  - State Tax, $7.80

Total: $182.74

[Sugar Daddy]

Very good summary on barrel options.

I wanted to show a link to one of our panela farms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCuRYLYfBY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[GrassHopper]

Thanks for posting Sugar Daddy! Thanks Larry for the great informative video. Man, those guys work hard and in tough conditions. Have a lot more respect for the product after watching that.

[Oldvine Zin]

Thank-you sugar daddy for providing us with the panela goodness! I'm up to a little over 6 gal of rum goodness waiting for barrel

[Oldvine Zin]

Where did you get the barrels and what did they cost?

My Barrels from Gibbs arrived today so the price breakdown is:

169.00 per 5 gal
37.63 shipping to the North West

I love the service at Gibbs, I talked to one of the barrel makers on the 1st of July, he was the only one there the day before the holiday weekend. Asked for a little less than alligator char on them his response was no problem I can do that and he would have the receptionist call me on the 5th for billing info.
Got the call on the 5th and was told the barrels would ship out the next morning, received them today 7 days later

[Sugar Daddy]

You might try the Barrel Mill too, they seem to have some capacity lately

Sorry, I thought I posted these photos already... Thanks guys...

Group buys available possibly in San Diego & outside of Boise, ID. (See above)

Ships from San Diego, Omaha & Riviera Beach (Larry's place)

[nerdybrewer]

Thanks for sharing the pictures, sure is nice sugar!
Looks like 3000 Lbs per pallet there.
Maybe we have to ramp it up here in the Pacific Northwest?

[Sugar Daddy]

That would be great! We are relatively unknown of in the NW

[Bohunk]

Jason, this might be the wrong U-tube. This video is of some handsome, big time movie star talking about stills.

The Ole Bohunk

[nerdybrewer]

That would be great! We are relatively unknown of in the NW

Not for long if we can help it!!
Your sugar is the best, can't wait to run more of it!

[Sugar Daddy]

That would be great! We are relatively unknown of in the NW

Not for long if we can help it!!
Your sugar is the best, can't wait to run more of it!

Thank you, sir! Ty again for the kind words & for setting up the last group

Bohunk, what are you implying? Larry took over the show... He must have had some confidence while sippin on your rum. Did you hear it was delivered down to him after all?

[nerdybrewer]

I have to start thinking in terms of what's it going to take to fill 10 gallon barrels.
Because.
Some are coming to my address...
Ok, five.
I got 8 gallons out of my 90 gallon run.
So two 60 gallon runs should get me 10 gallons.

I'm going to need more supplies.

I plan to fill a couple with rum, a couple with corn & wheat and I should make another scotch - since that worked out so well last time

[Sugar Daddy]

Very nice work! you have my #

[Oldvine Zin]

I think that another PNW buy is in order. My warehouse is still open for delivery

[Bushman]

Count me in! I am doing a stripping run this afternoon.

[nerdybrewer]

I will start another batch this weekend and try to use up the rest of my Panela (three remaining bags).
From my experience in the past I believe I can go up to around 95 gallons and be ok with enough headspace so I'll start with 100 Lbs and then feed the last 50 lbs in over a couple days.
This should be fun, and then with that 10 - 12 gallons I'll be able to fill one barrel and still have enough white to enjoy.

When it comes down to it we have to move conversation for the group buy to PM's or classified ads.