1st Ferment

[DFitz]

I finished building my pot still last weekend and while I'll be doing a cleaning run using a vinegar/water mix I thought that running a batch of Birdwatcher's neutral for a sacrificial alcohol run would be a good choice. (no offence intended) I figured this would also give me some practice both fermenting and distilling before I move on to more difficult recipes.

So far things are going well with the ferment slowing down today. I'm waiting for my burner to be delivered so I won't likely do a stripping run until early next week. I'll rack this wash into my boiler and start my next ferment; a modified pinto rum. I plan to maintain the recipe with the exception of using only molasses.
I hope to run 25 gal. of wash, age the dunder then run another 25 gal. at a later date. One question I have in using both sugar and molasses is, how much sugar do I use to replace the molasses? I'm using un-sulphured cane molasess and it's a bit expensive. I might even run a 12 gal. wash to get my dunder up just as a trial run.

Anything anyone could chime in with to be helpful would be appreciated.

Thanks
Fitz

[JollyMon]

Congrats Fitz.

While I am a newbie like you, I would have to say, save the Birdwatchers for an actual run. Just use some cheap POS alcohol for the cleaning run, like jug wine or something else. That way you can still rerun your first birdwatchers batch into something drinkable if it doesnt turn out the way you like the first time through. Though, In the end either will accomplish the same goal. No need ruining some good mash for something your going to throw out anyways, IMHO.

[Durace11]

I agree with Jolly on NOT using the BW to do a cleaning run. Jug wine is also dual purpose, clean with the cheap wine & save the jugs for storage of your own stuff. As far as replacing molasses with sugar, you'll need to find the sugar content of your molasses or some average for molasses and convert it to volume of sugar. Found this on a quick google search of "how much sugar to replace molasses"

Turned off by the price of molasses or simply out of it? There are several substitutions that you can try.
Replace one cup of molasses with one of the following:
•1 cup dark corn syrup, honey or maple syrup
•3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
•3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup water
Note: These substitutions may alter the taste of your recipe a bit. If the molasses flavor is vital to the success of your recipe, try the brown sugar substitute. Since brown sugar is made from granulated sugar and molasses, it'll be the closest flavor match.

Personally I'd play with the amounts and see what turns out nice to your personal tastes. Good Luck!

[OlympicMtDoo]

+3 DON"T waste good birdwatchers use some cheepy box wine

[DFitz]

I agree with Jolly on NOT using the BW to do a cleaning run. Jug wine is also dual purpose, clean with the cheap wine & save the jugs for storage of your own stuff. "how much sugar to replace molasses"

+3 DON"T waste good birdwatchers use some cheepy box wine

The thing is my wife being a couponer she picked up my sugar for .49/lb. Xs 35lbs and Including yeast, tomato paste and lemons, I'll only have a little over $25 into this 80L wash. My pot is 100qt.. I figure I can charge the pot with 5 or so gallons of wash for a cleaning run, then run the balance for a strip and spirit run of keepins. I don't want to waste good money on bad wine when I can use what I have... Again, no disrespect intended to the birdwatcher but considering this is my first wash an all it seems like an economical choice.

The wash is almost petered out now. It tastes good, a little sour, a little sweet yet and still measuring 1.010 with the temp starting to drop a little at a time. We'll see how it all comes out.

Edit: guess a good stir took the peter right out of her... So much good info. available here!!

Not being a tight ass with my molasses, I just don't want the rum to taste too strong of it. Its un sulphered and I paid close to $16 a gallon and only have 4 gallons (I don't coupon). Maybe I'll try a small wash and run it slow just to make dunder. This would give me an idea of what I'm after. Unfortunately, in my pot 5 gal. is a small run. The reason I have a large pot is so that I can distill single barrel product. I'll have to suffer through the bad for the eventual good while getting my bearings....

[DFitz]

Speaking of getting my bearing, Boy am I feeling stupid right at the moment. I stop by my local GFS for some supplies. I mean where else can you go for 8lbs. of yeast, 50lbs. of sugar and a couple more gallons of molasses and no one bats an eye. I love that place.

Anyway, getting back to the stupid part. I put my sugar away and notice, Damn this bag looks big compared to the others. The "others" being the 5 POUND bags I mistakenly mistook for 10 pound bags. Not like I use sugar much, not even at home. This being said, seems like I could have at least looks at the bag when I dumped it into my wash mix. No wonder I only read a 1.050 after adding the sugar. This is like what, 6% if I'm lucky... Damnitalltohell! (have to applaud myself on that one).

Nothing I can do now.... Cept feel stupid I reckon... Found a good source for sugar though...

[rad14701]

DFitz, are you campaigning for the Village Idiot of The Week award...??? I wouldn't have admitted that here in the forums...

Could have been worse if you had dumped in a 10 thinking it was a 5...

[DFitz]

I wouldn't have admitted that here in the forums...

Oh like nobody would catch on when I get 2 gal of spirits off a 25 gal. run??
It sure smells nice...

Not campaigning, just king for a day! Just goes to show, some times the simplest things will snag ya... Yeah, ok,,, granted I should have noticed...

What gets me is by the parent site calcs I should have only seen an SG of 1.037

Still came out fantastic, no leaks on the cleaning run, liebig knocks down water at a fast haul and comes to boil in just under 30 minutes... Can't ask for more than that...

[OlympicMtDoo]

Sounds like your'e getting there dfitz, I've been running Birdwatchers all day, I'm on my last pot full now and getting tired but I'll be stocked up for a while now.

[DFitz]

I think I got off lucky on me sugar deficit experience. After reading on the parent site about fermenting at high ABV, I figured all or nothing. I added another 15lbs of sugar and put the heat to the clearing 70 degree wash. I set the heater at 80 and stirred it hard about 4 or 5 times last night. No major fast fermenting just a gradual slow fiz. Before I added the sugar, I was reading 5%. this afternoon I got a reading of 10% and an sg of 0.10. Wash tastes a little sour yet with a hint of sweet and still moving a bit so I'll let it chill out for the weekend and see what my final is. Could be this wash will be worth the propane it'll take to cook her off yet. We'll see what we see...