rum run

[Tsouke]

I ran my first rum run a few months ago on my potstill. Fermented two carboys of molasses and water, stripped them each and then ran a combined spirit run with both strips...and wasn't happy with it. Tasted like a lot of smearing was going on and I had run it kinda fast. So I dumped all the cuts and tails back into one pot, kept it while I fermented up another two batches, stripped them, and then mixed all of it together and ran one stripping run of essentially four carboys of stripped rum.

This time I ran the spirit run super slow. A few drops to a pencil stream (varied for some reason. Using a propane burner outside) and it took almost 9 hours. Got a fair amount of distillate. Collected 1L as heads, then 11 jars of 350mL each stopping at 58%. I then cranked er up and collected down to 10% for dunder for the next batch (total of 2L). I let the jars sit for a few days to air out a bit and then added some water to some samples (to bring it down to about 40%) and tasted. I was thinking this would be a nice white rum. Trouble is it is kinda hot and not super nice. I compared it to a white Bacardi and the Bacardi has a sweet aroma and is much softer.

My question is should I be expecting a better product? Realistic to think I can create something close to a Bacardi white? Should I just age it and that will mellow it out? Or is white rum a tough thing to make smooth?

Thanks

T

[blind drunk]

How did it taste @ the higher proof before you diluted it? Mine tastes better @ higher proof. I can't figure rum out

[kenfyoozed]

Bacardi has also been aged in oak barrels and then is carbon filtered to remove the color.

[Tsouke]

BD: Not too much better at full strength, and at mid to high 70's that is a lot to be drinking for me.

Ken: That makes sense based on the taste. Just a little sweetness and definitely mellowed a bit. Any idea how long they age it for? Trade secret likely.

[rad14701]

A first run of rum isn't going to prove much in the flavor department... Rum is a labor of love that not many people have the patience to master - at least not for good rum... You need a dunder pit and you need to run it through several generations before you will start to formulate your own rum taste and undertones... A hearty dunder pit with aromatic rum oils is the cornerstone of a good rum...

LWTCS, where are you...

[Fastill]

I've had very few rums that were good out of the still. Once in a while I would get that buttery smooth center hearts cut, but pretty rare for me... But after 6 months or longer on oak, my worst rums are great. I wish my better runs would have lived that long.
Get yourself some white oak and put it away for some time, I bet you will be pleasantly surprised at the results you get.
I use new oak chips from the brewstore for my rums. About 2-3 tablespoons for a 1.75L bottle. It will turn the rum a light golden color, but who cares if it tastes good...

[kenfyoozed]

Not sure how long bacardi ages theirs. My best rum so far has been with 2 gal fancy molasses and topped with 25lb sugar for a 20 gal wash. Came out ok. Let it age in glass white for a month and now is fantastic. Azframer and I have been doing some experiments with molasses and bran. Next run will be with fancy molasses and bran, as before now ive been using feed grade molasses. The bran gives a nice mouth feel and buttery tones. IM attempting to get a butter rum starigh from the still with aome aging while white.... I think its doable

[blind drunk]

My best rum was a single run blackstrap, brown and white sugar. Then, I did another batch, stripped it and did a slow spirit run. I then added the double run back into the single run, to taste. Seemed like a nice balance of earth and sky.

[LWTCS]

My question is should I be expecting a better product? Realistic to think I can create something close to a Bacardi white? Should I just age it and that will mellow it out? Or is white rum a tough thing to make smooth?

So many of those historical rum descriptions talk about how harsh rum is...Lots of people in PR will polish or cure their freshly stilled rums with fruit to smooth....More recently, seems lots of rums add sugar/syrup to smooth.....and of course the big operators will carbon filter.......I'm sure Bacardi is stilled off at a higher abv than 79% and pretty sure they carbon filter too.

For me rum is a layering of blended material at every level of the process.. I would say keep adding back flavor and collect at a higher ABV...

[mash rookie]

I have been particularly happy with my rum after I was able to start using backset. I am now becoming a rum fan where I was not before.

I use fancy molasses, sugar and backset. After distilling and making cuts I let it air for a day then add a little molasses for a light color and a little sweetness.

Its great!

You noted the Bacardi tastes sweet. How do you think they get that flavor? Add some white sugar to your blend. Let it air. It will smooth out.

My last batch I pulled some away and put it on oak for a couple of months. Sampling it recently the oak had removed a lot of the rum flavor.

You would be surprised at what is added to commercial spirits to achieve their flavor or color. A very slight amount of sugar added to your neutral vodka will not make it taste sweet but will change how it feels on your tounge. It will feel smoother. You will taste the alcohol in your mouth and not in your throat.
MR

[Tsouke]

Sounds like it is time to get some more molasses and start again while this ages. Feed the dunder pit.

Didn't realize white rum had so much work done to it. This was my first rum attempt and thought white would be a good starting point and once I had this settled I could fiddle with the flavoring in oak, spices etc. Seems like I might as well get going with the oak and ageing fun stuff and skip the white rum. More interesting that way for sure.

[mash rookie]

If you use fancy molasses and plenty of dunder you will get wonderful rum flavor. I personally did not like what oaking did for my rum. It removed flavor.

Make a liberal heads cut and keep a little more tails. The heads have the bite. Tails have more flavor.

The touch of molasses to the final blend smoothes and sweetens. If you want to keep it white add a little white sugar.

If you like spiced rum here is my daughters recipe. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =+daughter

I am going to knock up a batch of rum this week. I have five gallons of dunder that has been stting in my shop fridge for a couple of months.
Good luck,
MR

[crazyk78]

Hi guys. When you talk about adding sugar do you dissolve it in water or directly on the rum blend?

Also are you adding before or after final proof?

Cheers

[googe]

I do 3L fancy molasses, 3kg raw sugar, strip it, then a quick spirit run through the bubbler. Gets rid of alot of the sweetness, but retains beautiful flavour and it's as smooth as angry andersons head!. substituting one of the it's of raw for white lightens it also. Enter of my fav rums lately is mixed 80% rum and 20% neutral, lightens it very nicely!. I like your tastes mr , how much molasses do you put in say 1L?.

[crazyk78]

Googe where do you get your fancy molasses from?

I use blackstrap and I don't think it tastes sweet at all, in fact it's horrible

[googe]

Googe where do you get your fancy molasses from?

I use blackstrap and I don't think it tastes sweet at all, in fact it's horrible

Where you located crazy?. I'm in Melbourne and get mine from a.wholsaler the vic rep referred me to. $19.20 for a 14kg tub.

QUEENSLAND John Lansdown SALES LINK PTY LTD Level 1, 614 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba QLD 4102 Ph: (07) 3255 0999 Fax: (07) 3255 0199 E-mail john@saleslink.net.au anita@saleslink.net.au

NEW SOUTH WALES Peter Dagg & Associates PO Box 7088 TOOWOON BAY NSW 2261 Phone: 02 4333 8448 Fax: 02 4333 8449 Mobile: 0418 960 798 Email: peterd2261@bigpond.com

VICTORIA Tony Lansdown QUALITY SALES LINK 7 Frank Street Box Hill South VIC 3128 Ph: (03) 9888 7077 Fax: (03) 9888 7297 Email: sales@qualitysaleslink.com.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Gavin Witty ALLIANCE MARKETING 40 Coburg Rd Alberton SA 5014 Or PO Box 1625, Business Centre Port Adelaide SA 5015 Ph: (08) 8241 0333 Fax: (08) 8241 0331 Email: gwitty@alliancemarketing.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Ken Allister 19 Milly Court Malaga WA 6090 Phone: (08) 9246 3763 Fax: (08) 9246 2498 Mobile: 0418 957 559 Fax: (08) 9246 2498 Email: ken@allister.com.au

[crazyk78]

I'm in melb too.

Ill have to look into it. I'm paying $12 for 5kg

From my understanding fancy molasses is fit for human consumption. I just use stock feed blackstrap grade.

[Black Eye]

I've used Bobs recipe with success. The second gen Dunder really makes a difference for sure. Per 5 gallon wash I used somewhere between 3/4 and 1 gallon blackstrap and the same amount of boiling Dunder. Add a mix of a couple lemons and limes and stir the shit out of it. Cover and let it sit. After 2 hours I rack the clarified mix and it gets a lot of solids out. I add 4 or 5 pounds raw sugar and top off to 5 gallons. I've just used bakers yeast but I'm going to play with some others.

As suggested by bob I set a side a 500ml jar mix 1/2 &. 1/2 high proof rum aired out and fresh Dunder out of the boiler. I age in 1 qt jars with different oaks. Light toast oak for medium rum heavy toast for black spiced. I let the Dunder age while the rum ages on oak. Once I'm ready to take off oak and let it rest I add a small amount of the Dunder essence to the rum. This stuff tastes not so pleasant on it's own but it tastes great in the rum. Dark rum gets 2x as much essence as medium. I find that adding the Dunder essence really enhanced the flavor of the rum in a good way.

Bottle it and more rest time is nice. I don't want to poach bobs recipe so I didn't post exacts but this is the basic process and I'm really happy with it. Seems like the Bacardi fans are a little less happy with the rum recipes here. Personally I don't like Bacardi, but I'm really happy with how the spiced recipes posted here come out. I'm guessing its the JD factor, being carbon filtered to strip a lot of that good stuff out. Maybe a different yeast would work? White labs has a few different yeasts that are recommended for rum as well. I grabbed a couple jars out of my 1.5 strip with 1 gallon of feints added and it was really nice even at 125 proof. I should have about 4 gallons after my next strip and that'll go for a spirit run. I've seen it suggested that dark is good with a single still, medium double still and white triple still. I've yet to get to triple still... I like that deep rummy flavor.

I think it's about time to make some more.