First Adventure in Fermenting and Distilling

[CaptJoseph]

This Tuesday I'll be mixing up my first wash. I'm making rum from blackstrap molasses and cane sugar. I will be following the Hook rum recipe closely, but with white sugar, and will be making 8 gal of wash. The Hook rum recipe seems pretty straightforward and "distills" much of the rum-making info you see here on the internet.

I'll also be using Lalvin EC-1118 yeast.

Meanwhile, my dad is putting the finishing touches on the still. Then we can fire 'er up for cleaning and testing while the rum ferments. My hope is to have some kind of drinkable rum for my graduation party in mid-June.

Question:
How can I tell if I have a good ratio of molasses/sugar/water?

[Poitín Paddy]

Best advice from one NewB to another: 1) Stick with the tried and true recipes until you've got your feet wet and have learned to run your still. You won't go wrong unless you stray from what's proven. 2) Purchase a hydrometer so you know what the specific gravity of your wash is. A quick test immediately after you've mixed everything up will clue you into whether or not you have too much sugar (gravity will be excessively high). Will also help you to determine when your ferment is complete. 3) Don't get greedy: greed is bad. Excessive amounts of sugar = stressed yeast which can result in off flavors and slower ferments (slow is frustrating when you are anxious to be running). I've had washes that measured out at 1.06 ferment out in 6 days while 1.09 took almost three weeks. There may have been some other variables involved as well, but I've seen it more than once and I'd rather be running than watching an airlock.

Good luck. Stay safe. Read, read, read this site!

[dakotasnake]

the rule of thumb for sugar/ water ratio is 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of sugar per. gal. of water. 2 being on the high side of max. more than that can give you problems with yeast stress, taste, stuck ferments etc. dont forget to factor in the sugar in the molassas also. if i remember correctly blackstap is around 50 to 60% fermeteble sugar. above all else be safe and pay attention to what your doing around a still. NEVER leave a running still unattended. if you got pics of your new rig we would like to see it, its always nice to see other peoples handy work. good luck

[CaptJoseph]

The rum wash is started! We inoculated it this evening. Now it's fizzing like a glass of Pepsi.
Somehow I expected more foam on top.

What have you found whilst making rum?

[CaptJoseph]

After a taste test of the wash (and that the airlock stopped bubbling) we determined that fermentation is done. We will be distilling tomorrow (Thursday). So far we've cleaned the still by distilling water, then vinegar. Some flux and copper oxide flowed out. We've also practiced with some cheap wine. It went pretty well.

Really excited to be making rum. I can't decide whether to play banjo music because I'm distilling in the backyard, or a Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.

[Poitín Paddy]

Keep us updated on your progress. Hope it's going well.

[CaptJoseph]

The rum turned out fantastically! (Wow, this is a late update)

It almost reminds me of Jack Daniels whiskey (I think I went too crazy on the oak chips). It's incredibly strong and my friends love it. My father put a bundle of spices in a portion of it, and that spirit is really good with Coke.

My thanks to everyone on this forum, and to those who provided advice. The next project is vodka.

[Marshwalker]

Congrats!! I still haven't tackled any rum yet...after this next brandy I'm going to give it a shot. Glad it worked out for ya!