!!!Please Help with RUM!!!!

[rum is life]

so I want the thermo to go far enough down to where the fumes will enter the cooling pipe...?

Thanks Kiwi...that's why I love this forum.

[kiwistiller]

yeah it should have plenty of contact with the vapour. I can't really say exactly how fair without seeing your rig.

[bronzdragon]

In most column set-ups, I believe the thermometer or thermo-couple should be located right at or slightly above where the pipe goes off to your condenser...so you're getting an accurate reading of the vapor temp at the condenser. Thermometers and thermo-couples are different. Some can function well with only the very tip being exposed, some need a good deal more. I'd say, that if you don't feel that you're getting an accurate reading, either expose more of the therm to the vapor or get a new one. But you don't want the reading coming from below the take-off to the condenser.

Just my two cents.

~bd~

[scarecrow]

I was always told that water wouldn't evaporate until 100 degree's C

100C is the temperature that water boils at sea level.
At 5000' and barometric pressure of 25.9, water will boil at about 90C.

Water can evaporate at any temperature lower than the boiling point. The sea evaporates and it never boils. Imagine all those cooked fish everywhere.

Watch a pot that is on the stove. It will form condensate long before it boils.

This is the essence of fractional distillation.

scarecrow

[rum is life]

Thanks for the info on alt and boiling point scarecrow. I'll be moving in 2 months to an area that is 5000 feet above sea level so that will change how I operate then.

On a side note. I think I got everything figured out. I've been tinkering with the still for about a week now. I just got done doing my plain sugar wash in order to help clean it. I was also playing around with the alcohol meter and I was pulling 120 proof out of my sugar wash....is that normal? I put 15 lbs of white sugar in with 5 gallons of water.

I'll me making my first "real" run tomorrow night and I'll let you all know how it turns out. Thanks again for all the support and please keep those good ideas flowing so I can perfect my rum.

[rad14701]

rum is life, a wash with 15 pounds of sugar in 5 gallons of water has an SG of 1.137 and a potential of 21.1% ABV which is a bit steep for even most turbo yeasts...

[rum is life]

Yeah, I did my first run tonight and realized that I messed up on my own receipe. I put in way to much sugar. Out of a six gallon wash, I got 1.2 gallons of "rum". I took 12 440ml cuts. The first cut was 158 proof and I finally stopped at 110 proof. Is there anything I can do to salvage the rum or is it gone? Can I just cut it with water?

On a side note, I have another wash made up already with the incorrect reciepe, can I seperate it into 2 fermentors and top off with water? Or will that ruin it worse? I know where I made my mistakes and will correct them for my next wash, but the more information anyone can give me the better. Thanks all.

[rubber duck]

It's not ruined. Your product should come out of the still a good bit higher then drinking proof. I get hearts of 70%ish on my rum then I cut it to 55% and age it. There a lot of diferent opinions on what proof to age at. Just find a way that works for you.

If you haven't added yeast to your new wash yet the yes, you can cut it in half with water and ferment. If the yeast has been added then I don't know I've never cut a batch down in the middle of a ferment.

[rad14701]

You can split and add water to an existing wash as long as you stir the wash to evenly suspend any solids before splitting...

[rum is life]

That's good to know I didn't ruin it. Do I cut it with water? I dipped my finger in it and other than the high alcohol content, it tasted great. I can't wait to cut it and try it.

[rad14701]

That's good to know I didn't ruin it. Do I cut it with water? I dipped my finger in it and other than the high alcohol content, it tasted great. I can't wait to cut it and try it.

Yes, cut it with room temperature water or slightly warmer, but no warmer than about 95F...

[Cackalack]

interested in doing my first rum as well

haven't seen anyone mention whole sugar cane in any posts

I just so happen to live in a Caribbean neighborhood, found 15lbs of good whole sugar cane on the street the other day

anyone ever used the stalks for a ferment?

[WalkingWolf]

If ya' got stalks in the street then you should have access to cane juice and molasses. I'd think the stalk is too dense to be much good in a ferment and it don't take long before them stalks start stinkin' a whole bunch. With the effort you go through to ferment, strip and run I'd put a couple bucks on juice before trying stalks. Just me $0.2 worth.

WalkingWolf

[Cackalack]

ended up boiling the shit out of it, got maybe 18% OG fer 2 gallons, maybe 10lbs. of stalk

still gonna add molasses though

[WalkingWolf]

Keep us posted on how this turns out. Next "grinding" season I intend to get fresh juice and see how that goes.

Good Luck
WW

[rubber duck]

I would bet Goose eye or Rednose would know something about sugar cane. You might shoot one of them a pm.