Bitter Taste

[Uncle Jesse]

afss
02/03/04 04:48 AM
subject: bitter taste

Hi all. Just finished our first rum run. The stuff tastes OK, but has a bitter after taste. Used black strap and sugar for the mash and the product tastes kinda like the bitter taste from blackstrap. Is this common, and what can i do to remove this taste.

Thanks


tater
02/03/04 07:10 AM
Re: bitter taste [re: afss]

Might try leaving container of rum open and let it air out a few days or adding some toasted oak chips for a while. Just started some rum wash myself.I also used black strap and white suger.


Fourway
02/03/04 09:22 AM
Re: bitter taste [re: tater]

are you sure that you got no boil through?


"Wine is Sunlight, Held Together By Water". --Galileo Galilei


theholymackerel
02/03/04 10:46 AM
Re: bitter taste [re: afss]

A blackstrap rum (feedstore style) is always a bit bitter when young. If ya made real tight cuts it'll be drinkable in 5 days, but give it at least a month for a nicer taste.

edit: Oak, cinnamon, vanilla, and carmelised sugar will do wonders also.

afss
02/03/04 11:06 AM
Re: bitter taste [re: Fourway]

The rum is prett clear except for the tails (milky) so i don't think i got any boil through.

When aging the rum for the 5 days etc should it be capped or oppen to breath?

Also wondering how much oak chipps you guys normally use and same for caramalized sugars?

Thanks


afss
02/07/04 08:24 AM
Re: bitter taste [re: afss]

ok, thanks all. The bitter taste seems to be going away slowly. The stuff still has a bit of a strong smell even after its been cut with water. For that matter so do the snapps we tried to make. When we colected we through out the first 200 ml of the rum and we collected in 100-200 ml amounts. As soon as the distilate started to become cloudy we stopped collecting for the heart and collected tails. All told from a 5 gallon mash of black strap and 5 kg of suggar we got around 200ml tossed, around 3.5 liters kept and around .75 liters tails. Does this sound ball park?

We are using a pot still and we could not find a hydrometer for % alcohol around here. We did manage to find a thing caled a vineometer. It is only good from 0-25% . we had to cut it 1 part product to 3 parts RO water. When we did this we got a reading that worked out to around 20%. We figure this makes the product around 80%. I thought this was a bit high for one run through a pot still. Is it high or is it normal.

thanks


theholymackerel
02/07/04 09:21 AM
Re: bitter taste [re: afss]

I really doubt ya could get 80% from one pass through a pot still...two passes definately, but not one pass.

Double distilled rum is much smoother than single. Try distillin' again.


1090
02/12/04 07:08 PM
Re: bitter taste [re: theholymackerel]

will it light up?


afss
02/20/04 04:28 PM
Re: bitter taste [re: 1090]

Sorry for the slow reply.. puter problems still

the stuff definetly lights, no problem at all.

I thought 80 sounded strong too, going to have to get a proper hydrometer.

Scott


Fourway
03/03/04 12:46 PM
Re: bitter taste [re: afss]

Much below 80 and it wouldn't burn well in a pool like a shotglass or spoon unless it was heated. It would still birn pretty good in a thin layer like splashed onto the smooth surface of a dinner plate.

"Wine is Sunlight, Held Together By Water". --Galileo Galilei