First the contenders -
In the left corner we have Blackstrap Molasses, weighing in at 11g of sugar for every 20g of molasses, this is the lightweight contender compared to Fancy Molasses in the right corner, weighing in at 12g of sugar for every 20g of molasses.
The recipe -
For both contenders, I've created the same recipe, as follows
7 x 675g molasses
1/4 cup of active dry yeast
2 Women's multi vitamins ground to a powder (for vitamin B)
2 tsp of citric acid
5 tsp of DAP
5 ounce of tomato paste
2 pkg of EC-1118
approx 17-18L of spring water
First I bring 1L of water to boil in a pot. Add active dry yeast, vitamins, citric acid, DAP, tomato paste. Stir until it looks like tomato soup (although I wouldn't want to eat it). This kills the yeast which along with the other ingredients provides all the necessary nutrition for fermentation.
Add molasses to a 23L carboy. Add above nutrients on top.
Add about 10L of spring water. Mix vigorously. I use a mixer attached to a electric drill. This mixes and aerates the wash (adds oxygen to the wash) to get it ready for fermentation. I don't fill up the carboy right away to the top because the mixer is quite vigorous and I've had wash come out and had to mop before.
Besides a taste difference between Blackstrap and Fancy molasses, the foam created by this vigorous mixing is different in color too, as you can see by the above picture.
Fill up the carboy. I leave some head room at the top - I always expect my washes to take off like a rocket
(they don't, but I hate moping when they do). Quick measurement of SG - Blackstrap Molasses - 1.084
Fancy Molasses - 1.080
Pitch two packets of EC-1118 right on top. Do not put an airlock on. Do not mix. Just let the yeast sit on top.
Here it is, 3 hours later, starting fiss. I think it's working. I'll wait till the morning before putting the airlock on the carboys.
Stay tuned...
My expectation (and hopes) is these will ferment in 4 days. I'll let them sit for another 10 days, then I'll distill. For both washes I'll do a stripping run down to about 30%ABV output. Then I'll do a spirit run. Since I won't be using feints from previous runs (I have no feints from blackstrap washes, just fancy molasses feints) my expected yield will be 3 x 750ml bottles of 40%.
Hopefully, I can find some good friends to do a blind taste test to see which, or if there is a difference between the two types of molasses.
Oh, one more thing. A brief description of the two molasses -
Fancy molasses -
Fancy molasses is the pure juice of sugar cane,
condensed, inverted and purified. There are no
additives or preservatives. It is a pure product.
Blackstrap molasses -
Blackstrap molasses is the residual liquid
food obtained in the manufacturing of raw
sugar. The cane juice, or mother liquor,
after having been purified, is concentrated
into a thick mass. As the sugar crystallizes,
this mass is passed through a centrifuge,
which allows the mother liquor to pass
through but retains the crystallized sugar.
The resulting molasses is very dark and has
a robust, somewhat bitter-tart flavour.