A Rum Question

[kentuc]

I think I have a problem with my wash could it be stuck or is it done?

Heres the info:

1 Gallon Feed Molasses
8 LBS Cane Sugar
5.5 Gallons H2O (well Water)
1 Packet Turbo Yeast
SG 1.093
possible ABV 14%
pitched yeast at 83* F


Went like hell from 11-11-09 @18:45 until 11-13-09 @13:27 SG now at 1.030 Airlock not moving at all.

[Barney Fife]

Sounds like she's done. There's not a lot of sugar is feed 'lasses, so you really only had 8-10lbs sugar in there. Substract your SG from the FG and it's about right. All those solids are what's showing up on the hygrometer reading.

Run it! Keep the trubs, add back 1/2 the dunder after the run along with another 8lbs sugar, top it up with warm water, and let her rip again. And, no need for the turbo; baker's yeast works fine, and might be better(better odds of not ending up with off flavors); the molasses has all the nutrients you need, and then some.

[blind drunk]

Sorry to but in BF but I noticed that you don't use molasses in the second iteration. Is that right? Thanks, bd.

[kentuc]

Thanks Barn makes me feel a bit better. Should I add Bakers yeast on the second wash ???

[kiwistiller]

Molasses has a varying amount of unfermentables in it, which raises the gravity without providing any food for the yeast, so it is normal for one to finish above 1.1ish. mine normally finish at 1.2. you had a high starting gravity so 1.3 could be finished. does it taste dry?

Posting same time as barney.

+1 on the dunder. helps the flavour along and will dissolve your sugar really nice when hot. let it cool before pouring back on the lees.

Crikey I can't get a break here. also posting the same time as BD. I personally use a lesser amount of molasses (half) after the first iteration, but I keep mine going a la UJSM indefinitely. if you just did two generations, you might not need to add molasses for the second one.

OMG this is getting silly. Also posting at same time as Kentuc. I wouldn't. you've already got a colony of turbo in there, and a lot of the nutrients from it will have been consumed in batch one. just use bakers the next time you start from scratch.

*please let no one else have posted*

[kentuc]

Thanks Kiwi enjoy your summer my winter is getting to be a pain Wet and cold.

My ABV on my wash is 8% does that sound right?

I has a terrible taste to it so will have to see when I run it how it comes out.

do you have a recipe to try that you use?

[Dnderhead]

I m gissing as don't know the molasses, but most is 50% sugar and it waighs 12lb so 1/2 of that =6 lb+ 8=14lb in 5.5 =16-17% alcohol
OG was 1.093-FG 1.030=63 div. 7.55=8% now.

[kiwistiller]

Pugirum or Pint's fast fermenting molasses wash are safe bets, and very similar. see tried and true recipes. 8% sounds about right, but feed molasses is variable. I think my stuff is more fermentable than most. Rum wash tastes gross, yes. but the sweet nectar you distill will be great

Thanks Kiwi enjoy your summer my winter is getting to be a pain Wet and cold.

Good time to spend huddled around a warm still then unless you distill out in the sticks, I guess, which I can imagine would be a right pain. Still heaps of snow on the tops around here though, so it doesn't quite feel like summer yet!

[blind drunk]

When I rack my wash into the boiler I leave a little bit of the wash over the lees. Then I swish it around and pour it all into a gallon jug. Then I add water and some molasses to get a starter going. Takes off real fast. Mix up the next wash, which includes some scanky dunder, and pitch the gallon of starter into the wash after a couple of hours or the next morning. Make the final water adjustments last.

I personally use a lesser amount of molasses (half) after the first iteration, but I keep mine going a la UJSM indefinitely. if you just did two generations, you might not need to add molasses for the second one.

Do you make up the lower ABV with sugar in that case? bd.

[Barney Fife]

I m gissing as don't know the molasses, but most is 50% sugar and it waighs 12lb so 1/2 of that =6 lb

That would be correct, if he had used fancy molasses, but that feed 'lasses is way down on sugars.

Yes, I don't use any molasses on the second one, sometimes not even on the third; you'll see how strong your dunder tastes and adjust accordingly. It won't be as full flavored as the first generation, but you will likely want to tame that one down a bit anyhow.

[Dnderhead]

this is one off feed molasses,, Typical Molasses Composition

Dry Matter % 73.0

Sugars % 44.0 - 48.0

Crude Protein % 3.7

M.E. (Mj/Kg) 9.3

[kiwistiller]

I personally use a lesser amount of molasses (half) after the first iteration, but I keep mine going a la UJSM indefinitely. if you just did two generations, you might not need to add molasses for the second one.

Do you make up the lower ABV with sugar in that case? bd.

Yup. I use raw or white interchangeably, whatevers on hand. I can't taste the difference through the molasses.

I can't wait to move north, I want to get a dunder pit going. The imminent move is preventing me from making any more gear, I'm going to have to get rid of some stuff as it is

[HookLine]

Feed (blackstrap) molasses typically has between 45-55% sugar.

I use molasses in every rum ferment, with about 40% dunder. I assume the molasses to be 50% sugar.

[Dnderhead]

my point,,,, that recipe has a potential of about 16% it only is at 8% it has a ways to go..
the sugar alone has a potential of 9.5%,,then add the molesses,,

[Barney Fife]

I stand corrected, then, but... are all the sugars fermentable? There may be a lot of carbohydrates and other complex sugars that they're listing as "sugars" but that aren't easily fermentable?

How about trying this: split the wash into two washes, and dilute each one by adding another 2 gallons of water to each, and pitching yeast again. See if it takes off. If it did, the yeast had died before running out of sugars, if neither wash starts back up, she's done; no more fermentable sugars, and is ready to run.

[Dnderhead]

with out the molasses. the suger alone should have been 9.5%
the wash stoped at 8% it is STUCK,,

[rad14701]

I think I rough calculated the wash to have about a 16% ABV potential with the sugar and molasses with about 40% fermentables... If that's the case then I'd agree that splitting the wash into two and pitching a bit more yeast would be a good option...

[Barney Fife]

the wash stoped at 8% it is STUCK,,

8lbs(3.62KG) of sugar in 25 liters water is a potential of 8.5%. Given a bit of error here and there, having it quit at 8% isn't too far off, and personal experience has shown me that the on-line calculator is very generous, as I've never had close to 8% return on 8lbs sugar in a 25l wash.. But then there's the molasses' sugars, so, split it off into two separate ferments, and carry-on. No big deal.

For what its worth, I never try for high ABV washes, so I've never experienced a STUCK wash(he says, while sipping on a very, very good rum...). Don't be greedy, and the rum Gods will reward you rightly.

[Dnderhead]

I believe he is in the US so 1 gallon=3.78L ,,,, 5.5 gal=20.78L.
not that it makes much difference if it is not working ,,,,it has flat lined ,,before its time.

[noobsauce]

I believe he is in the US so 1 gallon=3.78L ,,,, 5.5 gal=20.78L.
not that it makes much difference if it is not working ,,,,it has flat lined ,,before its time.

Heh..i like the way you put stuff Dnder

[kentuc]

Ready to run wash..

Has any one noticed a difference in taste between running with electric (internal) or gas ????

If so, which was better?

Have new electric keg with Variac controll. Bought Variac on ebay $132.00 US 20amp very nice unit. Chinese made but runs great.

[plonker]

Im running my molasses and raw sugar washes at 12-13% ABV on bread yeast and haven't had one yet that's not ended dry..

I was reading somewhere about the bacteria from dunder pits only liking it up to 7-8%abv. The writer suggested that once you had the flavor from the bacteria, then add more molasses or cane juice to get the %ABV up to where you want it..