2nd Rum Run Blues

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JeeterBee
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2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by JeeterBee »

Hello All,

I just aired and tasted my 2nd batch of Rum. My recipe was 1 gallon of golden barrel black strap molasses, 12 pounds brown sugar, DAP, yeast energizer, and 3 gallons of fresh dunder from the first run. I topped up with spring water until my O.G. reached 1.100 (13%). My rum wash has fermented down to 1.000 or less both times. I haven't got any of the unfermentable readings that I read about. I do let my wash settle out for several days before I rack and run.

My still performed great. I have a CCVM still that I run in pot still mode. My column is about 40" tall. I use a few copper scrubbies in the top. My wash was volume was about 12 gallons. My boiler is 15.5 gallons. My foreshots came across around 174 proof (87%). I collected my heads from 85% to 80%. I'm new to making cuts so any advice is appreciated. I know it is done by taste and smell but I haven't had enough practice yet. I collected my hearts from 80% down to 50% in 500 ml jars. From 50% to 20% I just ran into a gallon jug feints jar.

I aired the jars out for 36 hours. I took a small sample (1 teaspoon) from each jar and mixed it with equal parts water. I smelled and tastes each jar. I kept notes on the temperature each jar was collected at and what percent range they were.

All in all I collected:
500 ml of foreshots
4 - 500 ml jars of heads
10 - 500 ml jars of hearts
Half a gallon of tails

All of the hearts jars were not very tasty. They have a detergent like smell. Kinda sweet and kinda like tequila. I don't know if it is my brand of molasses or my method of distilling. I am not a fan of the flavor of smell. I did oak my first run. It has mellowed out a bit. I am glad I like alcohol because I will drink it all. I decided that this batch needs to be double distilled.

I think I am just frustrated with the results. My still runs like I wanted it to. I put a lot of time and money into this project. I have no regrets there. I had high expectations for my first product. Maybe it's great but I don't think it is.

I have already started my UJSSM batch. I have a 50# bag of organic cracked corn and 50#'s of sugar. I look forward to generation 4 or 5. I am building my 10 gallon grain mash tun and I have my sights on the honey bear bourbon recipe. I won't be happy until I make some liquor that "I" think that is better than store bought. My tastes are not super rich. I love Crown Royal, Krakken Rum, Sailor Jerry's Rum, and Jameson.

I am wanting to try a brown sugar wash to see if it is a mellower rum flavor. I found some grandma's fancy molasses I might try as well. I have some wheat germ to try the death wish recipe. My CCVM still is ready for action.

I am just ranting. I have read probably a thousand posts on this forum (I have been lurking for years). Most folks build a still, run it, and think their alcohol is the best on earth. Very rarely have read that someone thinks their product tastes like ass.

Anyone have any advice, words of wisdom, or good recipes to try?

Thanks,

JB
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brat
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by brat »

Am not surprised you're getting off flavors your starting gravity is a little on the high side. Just run it through once again as you stated. Hopefully that will clean it up a bit.
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fizzix
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by fizzix »

Don't try to make cuts by ABV. Very wasteful and inefficient.
Have you read Guide To Cuts yet? That's likely where your tequila taste is coming from; poor cuts.
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NZChris
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by NZChris »

Once you have decided which jars will definitely make the cut, make a representative sample and taste that. Then, one at a time, add to the sample from the outside jars, tasting each time. Sometimes a jar that isn't great on it's own does have beneficial flavors to add to the whole blend.

You don't have to blend it all the same. The most I've made is three different blends from one spirit run.

Try to find a nice narrow cut if you need short term gratification, wide for long term aging.
JeeterBee
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by JeeterBee »

I have been making wine and beer for years. Some of my wines have 16% or higher abv. 13% seemed like a safe level. My UJSSM is lower than 10% and actually closer to 8%. The next rum I try will be lower as well. I made my cuts in 15 jars if you count foreshots and tails. The weird part is hearts jar 1 through 10 didn't change much in flavor or smell. One of those jars had to be true hearts. I didn't cut them by alcohol level. I notated alcohol level and temp by jar. I was hoping to log done data for future repeatability.

I will try a brown sugar wash and a fancy molasses wash next. I will keep the O.G. lower and see how that goes. Seems like the cuts part is going to be the hardest part to learn. I will figure it out though. I will practice on the UJSSM until I get it down before I move on to the more complex stuff.

Thanks brat, fizzix, and NZchris for the insight.
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fizzix
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by fizzix »

Got ya, JeeterBee. My mistake on the ABV cuts, I understand now.

Consider this: rum is as diverse a drink as you can get. Light rums, dark rums, dundered rums, heavy rums, light rums, all-molasses, and etc. and so on.
You made a high gravity rum that you managed to ferment exceptionally dry because of the brown sugar content, as opposed to a "wet" finishing
all-molasses rum. Nothing wrong with that at all. Just another spoke in the rum wheel.
I'm betting you oak your rum for 6 months (or longer!) and you'll have a fine drink. White rums are just crafted differently, so don't despair on
the tequila taste. It'll oak out.

I've made 2 sugar & molasses rums: A "plain" rum and Crow's Rum.
Crow's rum, with turbinado sugar, was more "rum-like" while white, than the white plain rum.
Having both on oak for some months now, each is taking on its own characteristic even further.

So don't despair. Oak your rum and you won't be playing the blues anymore. I about guarantee it, JeeterBee.
Good rummin' to you!
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Rum is the hardest of spirits to make cuts on in my opinion....its such stinky stuff straight off the still. I still have trouble with it at times.
500ml cuts jars are to big for a learner in my opinion....the more jars and the smaller they are the easier it will be for you to learn what you are doing. Ive yet to taste a good rum that tasted great straight off the still. Rum needs time on oak to come good, 6 months is only a beginning.
Your wasting your time using temp and abv as cut points, it wont work that way. The sooner you start learning the proper way the sooner you will master the art. Id also suggest that if your having trouble smelling out the differences that you air out for longer ....nothing wrong with 48 hours and longer.
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NZChris
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by NZChris »

Long airing can be a mistake if you are wanting a flavorsome rum for long term aging. I like to get my hard won esters into the aging jug where the angels can't pinch more than their fair share.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by Saltbush Bill »

I don't agree at all, all that you are loosing is the crap that you don't want anyway. Each to their own I suppose.
Some of the best and smoothest spirits Ive ever tasted was aired for way longer than 48 hours before cuts were made. That spirit was made by another member of this forum. As Ive said before, many of the more experienced distillers that Ive personally met, air cuts for much longer than the short periods that some suggest.
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by bentstick »

Agree SBB,and the column ya using will strip out good flavors,maybe if ya run it abit harder(less reflux) ya will get more/better flavors,but run it to hard and ta can expect smearing balance it out!
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still_stirrin
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by still_stirrin »

JeeterBee wrote:... and 3 gallons of fresh dunder from the first run...All of the hearts...have a detergent like smell.
Well, there’s a clue why rum #2 is different from rum #1.....the dunder. And certainly, it will add the waxy & and oily quality to your new ferment. It “doubles down” the flavor...I’m guessing that’s what you wanted because you added the dunder. You got what you wanted!

But as suggested already, rums have many (diverse) flavors because of all the “muck” in them. Next time you can work with adjusting the amount added, or eliminate it. Find your compromise.

And for this run, if the flavors are just too strong, dilute and rerun. I’ve used deer lick molasses in rums that produced the same “wax-like” flavors you’re describing. I couldn’t drink it. So, I had to rerun...twice. It took 3 passes through the still to get the flavor clean enough to be drinkable. And then, a year on used oak helped to finish the “polish”...if you can polish a rum.

Rum takes experience. It is a challange. And it is also a “signature series” spirit. Keep after it...you’ll get it.
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der wo
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by der wo »

It depends.
Either cutting much heads and only short airing. Or collecting much heads into the hearts and airing longer.
I definetely have made a few times the mistake NZChris describes.
Anyway IMO it's better to produce low wines with an overdose of "hard won esters" and then to throw many of them out by cuts or by airing, instead of trying it with low ester low wines and less strict cuts and less airing.
So I agree more with NZChris.
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by Stargazer14 »

You can air for days - you won't loose much at all that is even noticeable. But I also dont think you will get any better at cuts with more airing.
Use smaller jars, air overnight, and take your time to go thru each jar.

Rum is not great off the still, add some oak and months of aging and those weird flavors turn into good stuff - if cut right.
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der wo
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by der wo »

Perhaps not in days but months. Then also the loss is noticeable.
IMO airing is the same like cutting fores. But slower, what means more precise. And at higher abv, what also means more precise. At least compared to a potstill distillation. And perhaps the oxdation causes some aging effects.
I never tried it, but honestly I think cutting fores and heads is 100% replacable with airing. I constantly reduce my fores and heads cut every batch. After long aging on oak and airing from time to time I never had the problem of too much heads up to now.

The white Rum from the large distilleries is great enough straight from the still to sell it. If our white Rum is not great enough, we are the problem. Rum needs a higher distillation abv than Whisky to be palatable straight from the still. That's all perhaps or at least the main cause for the general discontent with Rum straight from the still here.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by Saltbush Bill »

How much white rum bottled commercially is straight from the still?
From what Ive read very little is, mostly its aged in barrels then run through carbon to remove the colour.
I dare say the running through carbon also removes some the the less desirable flavours.
der wo wrote:I never tried it
You should , your opinion might change.
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NZChris
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by NZChris »

I currently have a month old new make rum that tastes so good white that I'm reluctant to oak it. Overnight airing before choosing the cut was all it got.

The next generation, using it's dunder, yeast bed and feints, is packed with esters and is already on oak where it will remain for a long time. It also had an overnight airing before choosing the cut. Longer airing would have had more of it's beautiful intense flavors wafting out of the shed door instead of trapped in the aging jar reacting with oak, O2 and time.

Airing is undoubtedly effective for making a smooth drink, especially if you are in a hurry, but like any tool, it can be misused.
JeeterBee
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Re: 2nd Rum Run Blues

Post by JeeterBee »

Hey All,

My first run of rum which has been on oak cubes for a few weeks has changed drastically (in a good way). The smell and tastes has evolved and I'm quite impressed. I am very optimistic for a few months down the road. The weird flavors that were throwing me off are now quite pleasant and tasty

Just an update.

Jeet
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