Cloudy after aging!!!! HELP!!!

[KNatalia]

I have been distilling for about 5 years, my last batch of rum, made in november 2020 was set on barrel staves at 150proof in a 1 gallon glass pickling jar, placed in a cabinet to age. about 2 weeks ago i took the wood out and added filtered water to bring it to 80proof and last night when i went to make a few sample bottles for friends i found that it had gotten very cloudy. When i added the water it was a beautiful Golden Red color. I have done the same thing several times and never encountered this. Has anyone else seen this happen? Im at a Loss please help!!

[LWTCS]

Sure.
It's why over proof is so popular with producers. Higher abv minimizes the likelihood of that happening. Less material handling, more shelf stable....

Since you say this is the first time, perhaps you ran that batch too aggressively? So more strict cuts can minimize this too.

Or maybe your water quality has changed?

Try chilling for several days and see if the cloudiness will fall out of suspension. A straight cylindrical vessel with a wider mouth will more easily allow you pour off the clear without disrupting the settled jellyfish.

[KNatalia]

ive done this rum recipe many times, on this batch in particular i ran it slow pot still style and stopped collecting around when it hit 25% - im not greedy. it smells and taste fine, I will try chilling it and see what happens. I have another gallon of the same batch still ageing and it is clear golden red. Thanks for the advice! i am very cautious about making something that is not safe!!!

[still_stirrin]

... 2 weeks ago i took the wood out and added filtered water to bring it to 80proof... it had gotten very cloudy...

Has anyone else seen this happen?

You’re not the first by any means. Want to know what happened?

Here, read this thread: https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 6#p7669578

Next time, don’t temper it to 80 proof. Instead, keep it at 90+ proof and the oils will stay dissolved.
ss

[still_stirrin]

...rum made in november 2020 was set on barrel staves at 150proof...

Also, aging on wood at 75%ABV will leach more tannins from the wood which can cause the haze when tempered. Again, the oils coalesce and settle when you dilute the spirit. Typically, bourbon makers age at 120-130 proof to avoid extraction of the astringent tannins from the wood.

And for a rum, I’d age it at 110-120 proof to enhance the sugars and vanilla notes from the wood, instead of the “woody” barrel character.
ss

[KNatalia]

SS do you think the batch is lost? I would think that likely the cloudy is more likely from ageing at the higher proof,( i aged on used whiskey barrel staves) I could combine the tempered 80proof with the 150prf that is still has oak and to bring the overall ABV up. Hmm not sure what to do know.

[still_stirrin]

SS do you think the batch is lost? <— Nope, not “lost”. Try chilling it in the freezer and filtering through a couple of coffee filters.

I would think that likely the cloudy is more likely from ageing at the higher proof,( i aged on used whiskey barrel staves) I could combine the tempered 80proof with the 150prf that is still has oak and to bring the overall ABV up. <— This may help clear some of “the cloud”. It wasn’t evident from your original post that you still have some of the high proof spirit with which you could try to raise the %ABV of your tempered spirit.

Hmm not sure what to do know.

I’ve given a couple of options. But next time you make rum, lower the cask proof before aging. And then, wait for it! Time on wood is necessary to mature the product. 6 months is way too young to consider “mature”.
ss

[subbrew]

You could just drink the evidence. Or it it really bothers you, ship it to me. I will perform sensory experiments on it over a period of weeks let you know the results.

[NZChris]

If a batch of my rum tends to go cloudy, I drink it cloudy. As long as it tastes nice, it is what I wanted to make.

That said, most of my own rums that I drink are blends of what I have made over several years, not single runs. Many of the rums that you like are likely to be blends rather than single runs and barrels.

[Saltbush Bill]

For what its worth I temper mine to 42ish % for drinking.....never yet had any go cloudy.
It goes into the barrel at anywhere from 62 to 65%.
Maybe your including to much tails in the mix.

[NZChris]

Maybe your including to much tails in the mix.

If I like the flavor of my finished product, I got the cut right. I'm a home distiller, so it's not like I'm trying to make rum to sell to people who expect clear product.

[Saltbush Bill]

I was trying to help the OP Chris ..I really don't care how you make or drink your rum.

[NZChris]

So am I. If a rum, or whiskey, that you made several years ago tastes great but goes cloudy when proofed, it isn't really a big deal.

https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/cloudy-whisky/

[Saltbush Bill]

True...

[dunluce]

True, but the OP was creating some sample bottles for some friends. Therefore, having a clear product might be of more concern to him that if he were drinking it himself.

Less knowledgeable friends might question a coudy drink.

[NZChris]

Unless you are a particularly good rum distiller, or know of some magic aging tricks, showing off 8 month old rum might get you a serving of humble pie from anyone who knows their rums. Maybe hold off letting your friends see it until you have slowly proofed it down over a few years.