SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Ok another question. My batch stopped bubbling after 12 days. I decided to check ABV with hydrometer , and its showing way below 0%.. But it tastes sour.
What could be wrong ??
What could be wrong ??
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Hydrometer is useless on anything but clear liquids. The solids and unfermentables mess up the buoyancy of the hydrometer and will give a false reading. You need to measure the gravity and the start and again at the end to calculate the ABV.2ndstill wrote:Ok another question. My batch stopped bubbling after 12 days. I decided to check ABV with hydrometer , and its showing way below 0%.. But it tastes sour.
What could be wrong ??
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Ok. I did measure gravity at the start so I will do it again this afternoon and calculate. Thanks for the info.
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Sorry, it sounds like you are using a proof and triale hydrometer. Wrong tool for the job. You need to measure the specific gravity not ABV of the wash.
- Saltbush Bill
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
If its sour its done......run it.
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Running it today. I'm excited. But I have to source some oak for aging.
- Yummyrum
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Are you going to run it on 4 plates like Salty or are you pot stilling it ?
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I'm using a converted beer keg
- Saltbush Bill
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
You can't distill anything with a beer keg......I think yummy would like to know what's on top of the boiler.
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
It has a 36" × 2" length of copper pipe on top. Then a 2" to 1/2", 90° reducer to a 40" Liebig
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I'm waiting on some copper mesh packing.
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
It seemed to work well. I'm picking up some white oak today
- MartinCash
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Hey 2ndstill, you don't need copper packing inside a pot still column, unless your setup is all stainless, in which case throwing a couple of cheap copper scrubbies in the boiler might well equally well.
4'' SS modular CCVM on gas-fired 50L keg.
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I thought if you put copper mesh in the column that it would act like multiple distillations at once ??
- MartinCash
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
For a flavourful spirit like rum or whiskey, using a pot still, adding packing to your column will up the proof somewhat, at the expense of stripping out flavour, if you get some pasive reflux. You won't have much control over how much reflux you get, it will depend on the outside temperature and the amount of power you apply to your boiler.
If you insulate your column then you will have no passive reflux and the packing only really slows down your speed of production.
If you're looking at multiple distillations, you might consider the traditional approaches of strip-and-spirit run or running with a thumper. You could also go down the route of a plated still, but that's a whole different ball game. IMO it seems a shame to spend the effort to make an all-molasses recipe and then use a method that strips out flavour, but if you like the result, go for it. In general:
Pot still = no packing
Reflux still = packing (or plates)
I should add that I have a couple of small bits of stainless steel scrubber at the top and the mouth of my liebig to aid with huffing, and I have used a scrubbie in my main column to hold botanicals above it. But I get more benefit from chucking them in my boiler, where they even out the boiling rate and give me less surging.
If you insulate your column then you will have no passive reflux and the packing only really slows down your speed of production.
If you're looking at multiple distillations, you might consider the traditional approaches of strip-and-spirit run or running with a thumper. You could also go down the route of a plated still, but that's a whole different ball game. IMO it seems a shame to spend the effort to make an all-molasses recipe and then use a method that strips out flavour, but if you like the result, go for it. In general:
Pot still = no packing
Reflux still = packing (or plates)
I should add that I have a couple of small bits of stainless steel scrubber at the top and the mouth of my liebig to aid with huffing, and I have used a scrubbie in my main column to hold botanicals above it. But I get more benefit from chucking them in my boiler, where they even out the boiling rate and give me less surging.
4'' SS modular CCVM on gas-fired 50L keg.
- Saltbush Bill
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Relying on.passive reflux to try to increase abv or as a means of getting more distilation phases is a complete waste of times.
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I have been running 2 4" plates for some time now. 4 3" plates before that and pot still and packed column. I get more flavor with the two and have great compression of heads and tails. Just remember to balance out the column 1st and and let it equalize for about an hour before I then turn off the head and start drawing off the heads.MtRainier wrote: ↑Sat Apr 20, 2019 3:30 amThanks. I've run rum washes in the past and felt like I didn't have a lot of flavor with 4 so I was going to try this one with less. I'll give this a try with 4 to see what happens. It's fizzing like soda this morning.Saltbush Bill wrote:I agree with yummy about the dunder.....fresh added before fermentation is as good as aged imo.
Got me beat why you would only use two plates....you'll get plenty of flavour with four and better separation of fractions.
Each to thier own I guess.
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Ok thanks for all the info..and yes I watched some youtube..lol. I'm ok with the taste so I wont worry about any packing. Going to char my oak this weekend and add it.
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Like any good Rum time on oak is everything, I’ve tried this rum “young” and it was good. Also tried it after two years on oak and it was exceptional and a completely different animal. I like this rum because it’s subtle but still rummy.
In Australia as a teenager I grew up on Bundaberg Rum, probably why I don’t like that stuff now.
I found SBB all molasses rum is a similar to Australian Inner circle rum in taste. Mind you by no means am I a rum connoisseur. Everyone’s taste buds are different I guess...
Sometime ago I had a barrel made With the intention to fill it pacifically with SBB all molasses Rum. Need to get my shit together because I still haven’t started.
In Australia as a teenager I grew up on Bundaberg Rum, probably why I don’t like that stuff now.
I found SBB all molasses rum is a similar to Australian Inner circle rum in taste. Mind you by no means am I a rum connoisseur. Everyone’s taste buds are different I guess...
Sometime ago I had a barrel made With the intention to fill it pacifically with SBB all molasses Rum. Need to get my shit together because I still haven’t started.
Never mistake kindness for weakness....
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I started making SBB Rum last jan., and have a good amount put up on both charred and uncharted oak. Just took Salt Bush Bill's advice and am trying really hard to keep my mitts off of it. It helped that we moved, I lost my still space, and have it all in storage in my son's garage attic. I've got to admit I've been drinking more beer and store bought to help me give it time. Just got to keep waiting...
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I put a ferment down on 9/20. Airlock activity seemed normal up until around 9/26. I also have a BW going in the insulated area that I’ve been keeping the heat on for. BW is at .992, so almost finished and has a clean alcohol smell. The SBB on the other hand has me questioning my molasses source. Here’s the full background to help figure out if it was protocol, or moll issues:
Heated 10 gallon to a boil and dumped ~15 gallon of molasses into the barrel. Poured boiling water over molasses and stirred. Filled the fermenter to about half, or slightly more before adding vitamins and Epsom salts, then finished topping off the fermenter with the hose. The hose set to jet gave me a foamy surface as it was trying to aerate the fermenter. Once topped the temp was 85 degrees so I pitched about a cup of yeast. Capped it up and had bubbles within an hour. I started the BW immediately afterwards using the same method and water. I didn’t check SG, because the thread said molasses don’t work that way. Tested today through a foam that seems questionable and it read about 1.050? The surface of the was is a yellowish tan with little pools that resemble melted butter. Is this normal for a feed stock molasses wash?
Heated 10 gallon to a boil and dumped ~15 gallon of molasses into the barrel. Poured boiling water over molasses and stirred. Filled the fermenter to about half, or slightly more before adding vitamins and Epsom salts, then finished topping off the fermenter with the hose. The hose set to jet gave me a foamy surface as it was trying to aerate the fermenter. Once topped the temp was 85 degrees so I pitched about a cup of yeast. Capped it up and had bubbles within an hour. I started the BW immediately afterwards using the same method and water. I didn’t check SG, because the thread said molasses don’t work that way. Tested today through a foam that seems questionable and it read about 1.050? The surface of the was is a yellowish tan with little pools that resemble melted butter. Is this normal for a feed stock molasses wash?
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
You should always take the OG, as the current SG isn't as useful if you don't know the OG.
Does it taste finished?
Does it taste finished?
- MartinCash
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Molasses is full of unfermentable sugars and FG will be very high. If it tastes dry and there's no activity, it's done. I've never seen a molasses wash so pale. Are you sure you had decent mixing?
4'' SS modular CCVM on gas-fired 50L keg.
- Yummyrum
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Yup , a high FG in the order of 1.050-1.065 is pretty typical for this all Molasses Rum . The more often you make it, the higher it will go .
Regarding the yellow crap . That doesn’t look right .
I once got Molasses from the local rural store that had this oily shit on top of it . When I queried them about it , the just laughed and said it was probably transmission fluid from the Used 44gal drums they had the Molasses truck fill up .
They said it won’t worry the horses
I told them I didn’t want it . They let me have it for free . I ended up tipping it out .
Regarding the yellow crap . That doesn’t look right .
I once got Molasses from the local rural store that had this oily shit on top of it . When I queried them about it , the just laughed and said it was probably transmission fluid from the Used 44gal drums they had the Molasses truck fill up .
They said it won’t worry the horses
I told them I didn’t want it . They let me have it for free . I ended up tipping it out .
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
- Saltbush Bill
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Thats a strange looking wash, I have no idea what that oily looking stuff is.....never had that happen on any of my molasses ferments? Did the container the molasses came in have a list of contents on the side?
- Saltbush Bill
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Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I think Yummy's on the money. I remember years ago the old man got some molasses to give to the sheep during a drought and it had a feint motor oil smell. I was only 15, so wasn't making rum and can't compare, sorry.
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