Call me loony or what not, but when ever I think of rum, I think of pirates drinking out of a wooden keg and singing sea songs. It's this type of merry times that I wish to emulate, and I thought it'd be nice to get atleast one oak barrel to age some rum in.
I have done some reading on using barrels and as I understand after one buys a new barrel it first needs to be charred. Can someone eleborate on this step a bit more? e.g. how long to burn, how do you build the fire (I assume you don't use charcole fluid!), do you scrap some of the char out?
Once this step is done, as far as filling and maintaning the barrel, would it be possible for me to combine batches of the same recipie? Reason I ask, is, I haven't built my reflux/pot still keg just yet and will be relying on my pressure cooker one. And I imagine it would take a while to fill a 10 gallon barrel doing so.
Figure I'd distill off a batch (once, perhaps twice) then put in glass fermenter, accelerate aging with some oak chips and the various seasonings I wanna use, filter then pour into barrel for further long term aging. Once full, I'ld just have to do a run every now and again to keep up with the loss from the "angels share".
Sorry I didn't respond sooner, been having some technical difficulties with me 'puter. Since I'm really a newbie at this, I'll rely on your advice with this. For starters I wish to mimic captian morgan spiced rum, as well as the vanilla rum I inquired about in the fermenting forum. Which in your oppionion would be better for what I'm shooting for? I can get american white oak uncharred at my local beer and wine store or I found a website that sells pre charred barrels.
I actually came over to this forum to revive this post for a few other questions that came to mind as well. For starters, making cuts on the first run, I assume you really don't do much cutting for fore, middle and end first time through, right? But the second time through, what temps did you use as a guild line. Homedistiller.com talks about distilling rum, but in a reflux, not a pot still, so I'm unsure where to make my cuts.
The next question I need to know, is I can tell if I need to get another carboy or not. Going by the recipie you gave in the other forum, I figure I'll need to do approx 6 batches. From what tater mentions, and I wondered if you'll agree with this, I should ferment then distill each batch once, combine them, and then run through the pot once more making my cuts in the second run. First off, how much volume will I end up with distilling 6 batches just once? I have only one 5 gallon carboy I can use as a storage container for now, if I need to, the extra $15 for another one won't break the bank.
Now, why I moved this over to this forum... While batches 1-5 are "resting" and waiting for the second run through the potstill, can I begin flavoring those batches? Or should I wait till after I've ran it all through the pot the second time? Once I do add the spices, should I let this all sit in a glass carboy for a few weeks, filter out the spices (vanilla beans and cinnomon sticks, cloves) then add to barrel?
And then there's the Sherry. I understand rum get's part of its flavor from being aged in barrels that sherry was once aged in. Since I'm new at all this and really don't have the space to start wine making, um, what sherry should I use and how much?
For coconut flavored white rum, which route would be best to use, shredded coconut or coconut milk in the wash? Or is this added later while being aged? (Not sure where this question belongs!)
Guess I'm good to go then! Wooohooo my first batch!!! As soon as I log off I'l set my wash to fermenting. Just a side note though, my pressure cooker isn't all that big, only 4.5 gallons, figure I'll be running 2-3 gallons max at a time. (So dump the first 300ml each batch run) Good thing my better half got me the alcoholmeter for xmas!!! I could actually do this w/o using a thermometer then? I do have one, but the one I really want is out of stock right now. And I can store my tails in a gallon jug till I get my reflux built.
Hydrometers are great, if you want to deal with them! They are all calibrated at a specific temperature, and will read slightly off if the sample is not at that temp. Also, they're not as simple to use as would appear--check any freshman chemistry book. A much better alternative is to invest about fifty bucks in an alcohol refractometer. Also, the small volume (two drops is plenty) needed with the refractometer means that you can check the ethanol concentration "on the fly" to get the desired "cut" off the still.
Sorry about the "fifty bucks" lie--mea culpa. It's been several years since I bought one, and now they're about twice that. Still, really nifty gadjets. But then, I work in the spirits industry and realize that I'm therefore seriously spoiled!!!
The Chemist wrote:Sorry about the "fifty bucks" lie--mea culpa. It's been several years since I bought one, and now they're about twice that. Still, really nifty gadjets. But then, I work in the spirits industry and realize that I'm therefore seriously spoiled!!!
Do you mind me asking what part of the spirits industry you work for? Just curious.
I am vindicated!! The refractometers can still be had for about $50, but not at the lab supply I usually patronize (labmart.com). The two links below both sell them--St. Pats ($50) is out of stock right now, and the wine link (~$80) seems to have them. I'm sure there are other places that carry them--just be sure to get the model you need--there are many kinds that do different things.
re: pothead
I work for a company that sells a wood product useful for aging distilled spirits without barrels, quickly. Don't worry, it's only for our international friends!
It's this type of merry times that I wish to emulate, and I thought it'd be nice to get atleast one oak barrel to age some rum in. 