First Rum Recipe

[Capt StrongStout]

So I have been all over the WWW doing a lot of reading on rum. So far I have found my favorite sipping rums (El Dorado and Ron Centenario) are either Demerara based or molasses based. Since I have no dunder I figured I might as well try something and see what happens. Now that brings me to my question and ask for advice.... What are your thoughts suggestions on the two recipes below for my 10 gallon wash.

20# of Demerara
20oz of blackstrap molasses
10 gallons water
8oz fermax

AND

20# of Demerara
1 cup honey
3oz of bakers yeast
10 gallons water
8oz fermex

[still_stirrin]

...What are your thoughts suggestions on the two recipes below for my 10 gallon wash.

Both recipes are "light" in rum (molasses) flavors.

20# of Demerara
20oz of blackstrap molasses
10 gallons water
8oz fermax

Do you plan to use yeast here too? 1-1/4 lb molly in a 10 gallon recipe won't add a much character. I'd suppose if you had dunder to add, you could build in some rummy goodness. This recipe just seems benign to me.

20# of Demerara
1 cup honey
3oz of bakers yeast
10 gallons water
8oz fermex

Honey won't add much flavor to this wash, although honey makes a unique flavor. You simply don't have much of it here. But, honey is expensive, so I understand the reluctance to add more.

You know, I'd recommend starting with a rum recipe from the Tried & True forum, there's several there. Get your feet wet with one of those and learn the processes. Plus, when you have problems it'll make it easier for us to help troubleshoot because those recipes are T&T.

Sure, you want to (eventually) make your own "signature" rum...but you've got some learning to do first. Start with a T&T recipe and fill your cask...it's a quicker path to your ultimate goals.
ss

[Capt StrongStout]

Thank you for the reply and suggestions. It does show how much of a novice I am when I forgot the yeast....sugar water anyone??

I'll take a peak at the tried and true section and see what runs they have and try a few. That just seems like a great way to start out, after all why reinvent the wheel.

Thanks again

[NZChris]

Instead of starting with blends of ingredients, try fermenting and distilling one ingredient at a time, then blend later. After a while, you will develop preferences.

Most of the commercial rums you like will be blends of different canes, fermentations, dunder treatments, distilling methods, ages, woods and aging treatments, all carefully blended to make a drink that some newbie distillers hope they can replicate by buying essence, joining a forum or watching Youtube

[Pikey]

Seems like a lot of nutrient - I'd go with 10 teaspoons at most for 10 gal

Number 1 will give you a lightish rum If you're doing a single run - save the tails if you don't use them in blend and add them to your next run of the same stuff - for a little more flavour. same with heads - you'd get more alcohol as well by doing that.

If you're intending to do a strip and spirit run I'd say you want more molasses.

Number 2 won't give you much flavour at all.

My vote - go with number 1 but less nutrient. Then decide whether you want more flavour and adjust accordingly.

T&T is a good resource. Rum is a many fceted thing and it really depends what you are looking for when deciding on ingrediments

[Edit - sorry I don't know the ones you mention - I'm foreign ]

[Capt StrongStout]

So I've been reading the T&T recipes for rums and most of them mention using dunder......what if you don't have dunder? I tried searching for an answer and couldn't come up with the right search term to find an answer.

Thanks in advance for the help. Looking forward to sipping my first rum

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

So I've been reading the T&T recipes for rums and most of them mention using dunder......what if you don't have dunder? I tried searching for an answer and couldn't come up with the right search term to find an answer.

Thanks in advance for the help. Looking forward to sipping my first rum

You don't need dunder. I made 2 batches last summer for this year. The virgin run was so smooth, flavorful, and great. It's my sipping rum. The second run had dunder, but I used to much, and it was fresh dunder. Had a weird taste, but still ok for mixing.

Now, this year I made a 40 gallon batch virgin style. But when fermentation was finishing, I threw a gallon or so of dunder that had been sitting for a year outside getting infected. I let that marinate for a few days, and stripped it yesterday. It is awesome. I'm going to put some infected dunder in the low wines for a few days and then spirit run it. I have very high hopes.

So, the point is, there are many different ways to do your rum. Dunder is just a tool in the box that can either help or hurt the product, depending on how you use it.

I say make some great virgin rum this year, let your dunder age in a bucket, then try it with dunder next year.

[Bushman]

You will not have Dunder until after your first run. After that you will have it from the first run then you can mix the runs together or as I do and do a stripping run then add that to your next run with the Dunder.