Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

Anything to do with rum

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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

Post by Saltbush Bill »

DetroitDIY wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2019 5:28 pm Do you have any posts on your method Saltbush? Barrel types, sizes, durations between transfers. And how do you transfer it? Every time you have new make? When you have enough to fill barrel #1? Do you do a gravity cascade system, or do you have to drain and then fill?
Detroit I will start another post to save cluttering this thread up, post a few photos up if I can, and try to answer most of your questions at the same time. Ive already posted a similar thing on another forum for someone else who was interested, so hopefully can just cut n paste.
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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So here is an update. I dumped the barrel and experienced a 33% angel share loss over a two year aging cycle and a second-use. What went in @ 62.5% came out @ 61% and an absolutely wonderful bourbon for sipping neat. I went ahead and refilled the barrel for its third use with rum by topping off completely, then removing enough to leave about a half-inch head space. I have a gallon of rum aging in glass that I will use to top off every couple months after the first year of a three year aging cycle. Thanks for the advice.

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🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Sounds good 8Ball :thumbup:
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Saltbush Bill wrote: Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:06 pm Sounds good 8Ball :thumbup:
Thanks again, SBB.

🎱
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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So those of you reporting percentage loss and quoting numbers on how much of that loss was water and how much was alcohol.

How are you getting your readings?
Do the wood sugars not effect the hydrometer?
Are hydrometer readings still accurate after oaking?
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Saltbush Bill wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 1:53 am Detroit I will start another post to save cluttering this thread up, post a few photos up if I can, and try to answer most of your questions at the same time. Ive already posted a similar thing on another forum for someone else who was interested, so hopefully can just cut n paste.
Did you ever make this thread? Gotta link?
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Preesh
"Making likker with a hydrometer and thermometer is like measuring the length of a 2x4 with a clock"
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Hillbilly Popstar wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:15 pm So those of you reporting percentage loss and quoting numbers on how much of that loss was water and how much was alcohol.

How are you getting your readings?
Do the wood sugars not effect the hydrometer?
Are hydrometer readings still accurate after oaking?
Good question. I use the alcohol proof & traile hydrometer on both clear and wood aged spirits to get my initial and final percentages. I take careful measurements on small samples as I dilute them down to taste to get the tempering ratios dialed in. Don’t know about wood sugars affecting readings. Hasn’t mattered any to me.

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🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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You're fine using a proof and tralle hydrometer on wooded spirits.
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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14 month update:
Pulled a gallon out @ 64%. Topped off again with almost 2 gallons of rum I had aging on glass. Angels share after 14 months was 20% and 1% abv overall. This rum is a great sipper at 14 months. I’ll top off the cask a couple more times this year, then leave it alone until it is done at three years total.
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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8Ball wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:49 pm 14 month update:
Pulled a gallon out @ 64%. Topped off again with almost 2 gallons of rum I had aging on glass. Angels share after 14 months was 20% and 1% abv overall. This rum is a great sipper at 14 months. I’ll top off the cask a couple more times this year, then leave it alone until it is done at three years total.
19 month update and at a cross roads for a decision. I’ve been topping off the 5G Gibbs cask as follows:

• January -2020: Filled with 65% molasses & panela (M&P) rum. (New Year’s Eve, 2019)
• March -2021. Pulled 1G to drink. Topped off with 6 month old M&P rum (Sep20) (2G total @ 65%).
• April - 2021. Topped off with 500 ml of 6 month old M&P 65% rum. (Oct20)
• May - 2021. Topped off with 350 ml of 7 month old 60% M&P rum (Oct20)
• June - 2021. Topped off with 300 ml of 8 month old 60% M&P rum (Oct20)
• July - 2021. Topped off with 350 ml of 9 month old 60% rum (Oct-20).
• 17 months remaining out of 36 month aging cycle.

Here is my question: Should I start topping off with water only for the remaining 17 months? I want to wind up with the aging finished for bottling at 48% abv.

From the dilution calculator: 5.25G@64% diluted to 48% using 1.75G (6.625L) water = 7G / 26.5L / 35 bottles.

6.625L water /17 months= 390 ml water per month. As you can see, I’ve been averaging 350 ml of rum per month to top off angel share loss. My thinking is that if I switch to water top offs from here on out, I should be at 48% abv in 17 months and at the end of the 36 month aging. I may be jumping the gun by diluting below 60% though before the 36 months are up. Should I dilute down to 60% or so over the last 17 months instead of 48%? I can always temper down to 48% from 64% at bottling. Thoughts?
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

Post by Hambone »

I wouldn’t dilute until bottling.
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Hambone wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 8:21 am I wouldn’t dilute until bottling.
+1.

And to add to that, bottle it as you need to.
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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Thanks for the responses. Think I’ll drop the abv down over the next 6 months to 60% to draw out more of the sweetness and vanilla to balance out the spiciness drawn out at 65% for the last 18 months. Then I’ll let it sit until 36 months are up.
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

Post by 8Ball »

Well I made it to 28 months. Absolutely delicious. Gonna bottle some and keep the rest aging in glass. Time to re-fill it with my malt whiskey.
952D3754-7CDB-495C-882F-68D55627A66B.jpeg
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

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8Ball wrote: Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:49 pm Well I made it to 28 months. Absolutely delicious.
Wow, how time flies, good to see the wait was worth it :thumbup:
Is there anything you would change next time?
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Re: Getting Ready to Fill the Barrel with Rum

Post by 8Ball »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Mon Apr 04, 2022 7:26 pm
8Ball wrote: Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:49 pm Well I made it to 28 months. Absolutely delicious.
Wow, how time flies, good to see the wait was worth it :thumbup:
Is there anything you would change next time?
Well, the rum journey to fill the cask was a huge learning curve. My thanks to you and all the other HD members who contributed comments & advice. I probably wouldn’t change anything because I know that I have a nice, unique rum to sip on & share with friends and family.

I made various types of rum initially, then dialed in on what I liked best near the end: Panela & Molasses. I also started out using bakers yeast, then switched over to FermPro 921 because of it’s nice fruity contribution to the party.

Cheers!
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
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