My first Rum

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)

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
Wiley1
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:08 pm

My first Rum

Post by Wiley1 »

I made my first batch of Rum a little over a month ago and boy was I disappointed! It stunk! I thought that maybe I ran it too fast, or hot, and scorched it. When I cleaned my pot there were no signs of scorching or burning. It just simply had a very unpleasant smell and the taste followed suit. The plan was to make a sugar wash and dump it in the pot with the rum and run it through the still in reflux to try and salvage it if I could. Life has been busy and I haven't gotten around to making the sugar wash yet. Yesterday on a whim I tasted the rum...WOW! I am so glad my inexperience was overpowered by my lack of ambition because it tastes amazing. It went from something that I thought was a waste to something I can't wait to drink. Even my wife was amazed at how much the flavor and aroma had changed. I had read in one of the rum posts that rum needs to sit for at least 6 months and that was always I the back of my mind, but it just became my rule.

Thanks again for all the help and great info.
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: My first Rum

Post by still_stirrin »

Yep. Rum needs time to mature. It usually is not a good spirit white (right off the still).

But, you said, “it stinks”. What exactly was that?

You need to be descriptive and “stinky” or worse, “funky” doesn’t describe a perception, only an opinion. If you want help in the future, you’ve got to describe your senses better. Use words like: “sulphur/egg-like”, “cardboard/wet paper/wet dog hair”, or “vomit/baby diaper”, etc.

Remember, the internet does not transmit your senses. So you must “paint the picture” for us. Relating smell and taste perceptions in terms of common (known) paradigms helps us to relate to your senses and will give us an indication what has caused your anomolie. It makes troubleshooting easier and more helpful (for you).

Glad your rum is doing better. But know that it needs much more time, especially if you age it with toasted oak chunks. A year or more will be beneficial.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Wiley1
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:08 pm

Re: My first Rum

Post by Wiley1 »

still_stirrin wrote: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:49 am Yep. Rum needs time to mature. It usually is not a good spirit white (right off the still).

But, you said, “it stinks”. What exactly was that?

You need to be descriptive and “stinky” or worse, “funky” doesn’t describe a perception, only an opinion. If you want help in the future, you’ve got to describe your senses better. Use words like: “sulphur/egg-like”, “cardboard/wet paper/wet dog hair”, or “vomit/baby diaper”, etc.

Remember, the internet does not transmit your senses. So you must “paint the picture” for us. Relating smell and taste perceptions in terms of common (known) paradigms helps us to relate to your senses and will give us an indication what has caused your anomolie. It makes troubleshooting easier and more helpful (for you).

Glad your rum is doing better. But know that it needs much more time, especially if you age it with toasted oak chunks. A year or more will be beneficial.
ss
Still_stirrin I think what I was smelling was the fermented molasses going through the still. It just had a burnt or scorched smell to it which I think was just the hot molasses. It was my first rum so I really wasn't sure what to expect it to smell like. Fortunately I didn't experience any of the smells you mentioned. My post was really about learning how drastically a distillate can change with a little bit of time.

I am planning on putting it on some oak. My wife would like some coconut rum also. Is that aged on oak and then flavored or would I just let it age white and then flavor it?

Thanks for the reply and the tips.
User avatar
8Ball
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1401
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:12 am

Re: My first Rum

Post by 8Ball »

Let it age white. Then add it to a coconut flavored mixed drink, like a Pina Colada.
🎱 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.”
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: My first Rum

Post by still_stirrin »

Wiley1,

Was it “fermented out”? Did you check the final gravity (FG)?

Granted, depending on what type of molasses you used and the OG, the FG may be >1.000, possibly as high as 1.010 or even 1.014, or 1.016. But if it was above 1.020, I would let it continue a while before trying to distill it. You’ve still got some fermentable sugars in the wash.

But, if you did run it too soon, ie - too high of FG, then the sugars could be the source of your “scorched” or “burned” smell or taste. Although the perception is more like caramelized sugar/dark toffee than really a “burned” taste/smell, it still would seems out of place considering your paradigm of a commercial rum.

A couple of suggestions to try to recover it would be 1) try rerunning it through the potstill. It may help to soften the “dark character”.

Another option, would be 2) try blending the rum with another rum run. OK, so the secret here is…..brew again asap. Keep your fermenter busy, so you’ll have another wash to run very soon. Don’t think a single “non-ideal” product is your destiny. The next run will have the advantage of the experience you gained with the first rum. And blending may give you a complexity and special signature that supersedes any commercial paradigm.

You haven’t “failed” until you quite trying. So, keep trying. But, don’t overlook what you’ve learned along the way.

Good luck.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Timothy_W
Novice
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:54 am

Re: My first Rum

Post by Timothy_W »

The quality of any product is measured by practice. Even if it's an omelet, not everyone does it well the first time. Not to mention something more complicated like alcoholic beverages.
Wiley1
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:08 pm

Re: My first Rum

Post by Wiley1 »

still_stirrin wrote: Wed Jun 16, 2021 9:08 pm Wiley1,

Was it “fermented out”? Did you check the final gravity (FG)?

Granted, depending on what type of molasses you used and the OG, the FG may be >1.000, possibly as high as 1.010 or even 1.014, or 1.016. But if it was above 1.020, I would let it continue a while before trying to distill it. You’ve still got some fermentable sugars in the wash.

But, if you did run it too soon, ie - too high of FG, then the sugars could be the source of your “scorched” or “burned” smell or taste. Although the perception is more like caramelized sugar/dark toffee than really a “burned” taste/smell, it still would seems out of place considering your paradigm of a commercial rum.

A couple of suggestions to try to recover it would be 1) try rerunning it through the potstill. It may help to soften the “dark character”.

Another option, would be 2) try blending the rum with another rum run. OK, so the secret here is…..brew again asap. Keep your fermenter busy, so you’ll have another wash to run very soon. Don’t think a single “non-ideal” product is your destiny. The next run will have the advantage of the experience you gained with the first rum. And blending may give you a complexity and special signature that supersedes any commercial paradigm.

You haven’t “failed” until you quite trying. So, keep trying. But, don’t overlook what you’ve learned along the way.

Good luck.
ss
Still the FG was .997 and I tasted it and there was no sweetness. I am pretty sure it was the hot molasses smell that I found offensive. I am not a huge fan of the smell to start with. To test my theory I have made another batch with Raw Sugar and no molasses to see if I get the smell. I did run it through a pot still to try to capture flavor.

I agree with your statement that it is only a failure if your give up. I have made some stuff that I am not happy with but part of the fun of this hobby is to figure out how to improve your product or practice. I made a batch of Panty Dropper out of some all bran neutral and while it was good it had the hint of all bran to it. I called that a learning experience. I do keep notes on what I did did for each batch from start to finish. There is a lot to learn for a newbie. Although my wine and beer making experience has help out distilling has its own little secrets and tricks. Again that is what makes it fun.

Right now I like what is going on with the rum and I plan to let it sit for a year or so on some oak like you suggested.
User avatar
NZChris
Master of Distillation
Posts: 13062
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:42 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: My first Rum

Post by NZChris »

Wiley1 wrote: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:31 pm I am planning on putting it on some oak. My wife would like some coconut rum also. Is that aged on oak and then flavored or would I just let it age white and then flavor it?
One of mine started tasting of coconut after about a year on oak, then months later the coconut was so strong that I didn't like it, another year or so and the coconut has mellowed and it's becoming quite a nice rum.

If I want a coconut rum, I make up a blend of suitable rums and add coconut essence from the supermarket. Make her samples with what you've got, dark, white, aged, young, whatever and see if you can make something she likes.
Wiley1
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:08 pm

Re: My first Rum

Post by Wiley1 »

NZChris wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:31 pm
One of mine started tasting of coconut after about a year on oak, then months later the coconut was so strong that I didn't like it, another year or so and the coconut has mellowed and it's becoming quite a nice rum.

If I want a coconut rum, I make up a blend of suitable rums and add coconut essence from the supermarket. Make her samples with what you've got, dark, white, aged, young, whatever and see if you can make something she likes.
[/quote]

NZChris I am looking forward to see what happens when I age it. I have only tried a little All bran Neutral on some wood and I was amazed how fast it took on a whiskey flavor.
Post Reply