First rum run

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
Pics are VERY welcome, we drool over pretty copper 8)

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Glacius
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First rum run

Post by Glacius »

My first go at the craft; Made my first spiced rum on dark sugar syrups, buck and a half per pound but everything is expensive in my corner of the world (spirits are starting around 50 bucks / L). It's a common ingredient in local baking traditions. Did a double pot still run, sugars carried over well and left a smooth silver rum. The cuts was probably more luck than skill. Poured 1.5L on jars with medium roasted oak chips, lemon peelings, cinnamon, and a few drops of maple syrup. Let it rest and filtered it through coffee filters. A bit hard on the cinnamon, but a decent drink. Will get a bunch of small jars to tune my spice recipes. 8)

EDIT: And vanilla. Forgot to mention the vanilla..
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fizzix
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Re: First rum run

Post by fizzix »

Nice job. Enjoy!
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Yonder
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Re: First rum run

Post by Yonder »

Really looks good. Save me a sip!
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Twisted Brick
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Re: First rum run

Post by Twisted Brick »

Excellent for a first go at it! Keep 'em coming!
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Glacius
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Re: First rum run

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Thanks for the kind words. To dial in the flavors I decided to isolate a bunch of flavors this run, then blend them in a small glass by trial and taste, using a pipette and taking notes. Everything from coffee beans to big jars of plain oak base, to cinnamon stick, orange and lemon peel, allspice berries, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, anise and more, along with some combinations like oak/vanilla and a few others. This way I won't have to keep making the same mistakes of adding too much of any flavor. When I dial in something I really like, I'll probably try to make a recipe from scratch in a single jar, but for now this seem like a easy and fun way to get started 8)
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Glacius
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Re: First rum run

Post by Glacius »

A few details for the last run; a mix of dark syrups and brown sugars at OG=1.1 (I suspect a bit higher, that some sugars increase in density at the bottom of the fermentation tanks) went to about 14-15% ABV with turbo and bakers yeast. a 40L wash yielded the equivalent of 5.625L 100% after first run (I kept it running till it hit 10%), I diluted the high wines to 35% and ran it again for a solid 80% ABV the first 3L or so before a gradual decline. I bottled obvious heads and tails (foreshot discarded) and aired everything else overnight, and after what I felt was careful and conservative cuts I ended up with 5L 40% and a bunch of feints for next run or a feints run. IIRC (for some reason I didn't take notes on this), my tails cut was in the low 60s.
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