First Rum Spirit Run!

Anything to do with rum

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Mattmmmax
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First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by Mattmmmax »

Been waiting for this moment since I bought my pot still. Today I ran my first RUM spirit run on a t500 w/ copper alembic attachment following the hook recipe (but also made some dark rum essence for aging experiments). Combined 3 stripping runs w/ 1 gal fresh wash for about 5 gallons @ 40%.

Waiting on my cuts to air right now. I have to say the heads really carried a ton of that funky Jamaican rum smell. Very tempting to venture into these heads at around 80% but it would only be about 1.2L into the heads and I imagine that this will just end up being a literal headache.

Is it common to get some of that really good Jamaican rum odor coming across in the heads?
Last edited by Mattmmmax on Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Yummyrum
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by Yummyrum »

Yes indeed , a lot of the Rum flavour is in the heads and don’t be afraid to dig into them .
Not everyone gets headache from heads . I know I don’t .
Flavour wise , you are better going with heads rather than Rum tails . Tails never gets better and from my experience and samples of others that have used tails , it develops into a horrid Sasperalle kind of taste . Definitely not the Rum flavour we expect from Rum .
Mattmmmax
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by Mattmmmax »

Thanks yummy! I’m def more sensitive to the tails wet socks smell. Cant stand it. Read of some folks digging way down into the sub 60% for some deeper rum flavor but I’m already picking up some tails-y odors around there.

Glad to know there’s goodness in some of those late heads that I shouldn’t be scared of. I’m personally a big fan of the Jamaican pot stills that give off more of that hot funk (I perceive it as a burn hair smell as gross as that sounds).
Mattmmmax
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

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On to the cuts. I know this is where the art kicks in, but thought I’d post anyway.

Collected in 200ml bottles. Discarded the first 400ml as I hadn’t taken foreshore off my stripping runs. I’ll only note every other bottle for the sake of brevity. I haven’t blended yet (nervous novice).

Jars 14-19 are pretty neutral in odor and flavor with a bit of rummy ness. Def keepers.

There’s some really interesting strong rum aromas in the early heads around jars 5-7. Might keep a bit of those aside for post age-ing mixing experiment.

By jar 19 I was starting to pick up tails. Super sensitive to that gym sock/wet cardboard aroma. Those and everything after will be going into the feints bucket.

Overall - probably a conservative cut. Will end up with a bit more than 2L of ~140 proof to be aged.

1 - 180F - 85%
3 - 181F - 83%
5 - 181F - 80%
7- 181F - 80%
9 - 182F - 79%
11 - 183F - 79%
13- 184F - 78%
15 - 185F - 77%
— started gathering hearts here in a larger jug—
185F - 192F - avg 74% - 1750ml
——————
17 -192F - 68%
19 - 194F - 64%
21 -198F - 58%
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nerdybrewer
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by nerdybrewer »

Here's my unsolicited $0.02

Depends on your aging plans.
The longer you age and the better the aging equipment the more I would say you should keep.
If I was planning on filling a once used ex-bourbon barrel and letting it age 2 or 3 years I would be keeping a lot of the run.
Down past the socks stage of tails sometimes the rum oils come through and that part can be a good thing to mix in.
Heads certainly do have a lot of flavor, so you are blending your cuts with flavor and your intended aging method in mind.
Cranky's spoonfeeding:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52975

Time and Oak will sort it out.
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NZChris
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by NZChris »

This is where I'm at with choosing many of my cuts, including my rums...

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 9#p7582880

For today's brandy, I calculated and collected a theoretical 22 jars. The obvious hearts were collected in demijohns, so far less jars were needed. Using this method, even though there were a theoretical 22 jars aimed for when I started, I only had to taste test five samples to find my heart cut, then make a final sample to check that I hadn't made a mistake before committing it all to one vessel for aging.

My theory is that the less sampling you have to do in a short time frame, the better your taste buds will work.

I used to select different cuts for drinking young and for long term ageing, sometimes from the same spirit run, but I have produced enough well aged product now that there is no need to select narrow cut for instant gratification. If you want that luxury in your future, get a big fermenter.
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Bushman
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by Bushman »

You want to share your recipe?
Mattmmmax
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by Mattmmmax »

NZChris - I was roughly following kiwi’s guide but wanted to fraction everything between first drops and hearts (I figured around 79%) just to hone my nose and palate and also the transition to tails.

I hit 80% (kiwis guide) pretty quickly compared to UJSSM at about 1L of heads. My UJSSM heads seemed to never stop flowing. Being a novice I feel like I’ve been warned away from heads in many threads, hence my more conservative 79% cut.

I’ll blend today and keep it tight given my inexperience.

I was thinking if save some of the more rummy late heads around 81% and some of the tails to age separately and blend in to taste later. Thoughts on this approach?

Aging plans: A combo of new toasted oak and used UJSSM toasted and charred spirals. Made Bb’s dark rum essence too. Going to pull some off at 3 months and try w/ and w/o the rum essence. Will leave the rest to ride it out for about a year tasting as it ages.
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nerdybrewer
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by nerdybrewer »

You're doing fine.
You have asked for and received advice from those who have gone before you.
You have done the work.
You have developed a plan.
You are well on your way.
I'd suggest that (if you haven't thought of it) you take notes for yourself.
At least for me that's the best way I learn, from what I've done before.
Cranky's spoonfeeding:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52975

Time and Oak will sort it out.
Mattmmmax
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Re: First Rum Spirit Run!

Post by Mattmmmax »

Continuing on this thread. I ended up with a gal of 60% mostly hearts. Started with spirals (I know, I’ll be switching to dominoes after this)

To my 1 gal added used ujssm 1inch alligator char spiral, 1” of medium toast and 1” new medium toast. Two weeks in and this has some intense wood! My hearts were tight and this tastes like a better whisky than my newbie UJSSM that I went a little wide on.

Basically, I over oaked. I’ve pulled all of the wood. I age in glass demijons w/ cork stoppers. Going to see if this chills out over the next few months witch some evaporation.

Good news is that I saved late heads and early tails separately and put them on a small amount of new toasted oak this Juist smells amazing and has some great rum smell and flavor. I’ve reduced the oak after 2 weeks and plan to use this to blend back
Into the mellowed hearts.

My buccaneer bobs essence is also ready to go as another experiment in flavor.

The wifey loves a good spiced rum n coke. If this whole mess goes to pot does anyone have a good savior spiced rum recipe?

In the interim im enjoying:
Flor de Cana 18
Barbancourt 15
Ron Zacapa XO
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