Any suggestions on this strong rum run?

[SandyCrack]

17 gallons clean water
1 gallon heavy, un-sulphured blackstrap molasses
10 pounds Panela
10 pounds white sugar
3/4 ounce acid blend

potential alcohol at 1.085

White labs Belgian style yeast wlp550 pitched at start temp of 80 degrees F. White labs lactobacillus brevis wlp672 pitched on 3rd day of fermentation.

Should the lactobacillus be pitched with the yeast?

Would you wait for fermentation to stop, rack into secondary demijohn, and clarify prior to distillation?

[DAD300]

Don't pitch the lacto until the ferment is done or almost done. If the lacto is too early it will kill yeast.

Rack a couple of times to remove solids and distill. It won't be perfectly clear. Slow heatup will add flavor. If your normal heatup is 45-60 minutes make it 90 minutes.

[SandyCrack]

Don't pitch the lacto until the ferment is done or almost done. If the lacto is too early it will kill yeast.

Rack a couple of times to remove solids and distill. It won't be perfectly clear. Slow heatup will add flavor. If your normal heatup is 45-60 minutes make it 90 minutes.

Good advice....
I have used lactobacillus countless times in my wines, and I always pitched after primary fermentation then.

I have read two sources now that advocate pitching the lacto and yeast together, especially with all grain beers for whiskey. This sounded kinda strange to me too...

I will take your advice on the warm up, and go over 90 minutes to temp, will take another 30 minutes just to stabilize.
I will be using the pot still on this one, not the column.

This one is going to get barrel aged in a 5l barrel.
Any advice on post-still flavorings?
I am thinking of trying to emulate a Fundacion style, minus the 20 years.....
I know that Centenial favors their rums with Panela and molasses prior to aging in oak barrels.

[still_stirrin]

...I will take your advice on the warm up, and go over 90 minutes to temp, will take another 30 minutes just to stabilize.
I will be using the pot still on this one, not the column...

What's to stabilize on a potstill?

It seems to me, when running a potstill...when it starts...it starts. I guess when it starts to run, you could reduce heat to slow the run...but there is no such thing as "reflux"...so no "stabilization".
ss

[DAD300]

Even with pot still, longer from gas on to first drop, more Esters are made in rum and grain charges during a long warm up...nothing is stabilized...

[SandyCrack]

I always let the pot sit at temp 30 min before opening the valve....
Column still gets more than an hour to stabilize.....

[still_stirrin]

I always let the pot sit at temp 30 min before opening the valve..

What "valve" is on a potstill?

Is your "potstill" a detuned reflux still? If so, you have the reflux condenser open to the atmosphere, right?
ss

[Monkeyman88]

So you're not running A pot still then, you're running a detuned reflux?

[SandyCrack]

No, it is a pot still. Not open.
Bring to temp, start water flow on condenser in discharge, open valve to allow flow at end when pop-off starts to whistle, usually about 10 to 30 minutes, let it go till taste bad.

This will be my second run on the new attachment. Worked very nicely first run of sacrificial.

So you all are saying should leave valve open and just allow to flow as it warms slowly?

[jedneck]

No, it is a pot still. Not open.
Bring to temp, start water flow on condenser in discharge, open valve to allow flow at end when pop-off starts to whistle, usually about 10 to 30 minutes, let it go till taste bad.

This will be my second run on the new attachment. Worked very nicely first run of sacrificial.

So you all are saying should leave valve open and just allow to flow as it warms slowly?

Potstill+valve on output= BOMB

[SandyCrack]

Will actually be very easy to eliminate the valve. It is only a compression needle valve.
i could easily replace it with a union.
When I was shown how to operate the pot attachment, that is how the builder instructed me to run it.

[SandyCrack]

No, it is a pot still. Not open.
Bring to temp, start water flow on condenser in discharge, open valve to allow flow at end when pop-off starts to whistle, usually about 10 to 30 minutes, let it go till taste bad.

This will be my second run on the new attachment. Worked very nicely first run of sacrificial.

So you all are saying should leave valve open and just allow to flow as it warms slowly?

Potstill+valve on output= BOMB

Ya, well, I guess you are right.
i think I have a phone call to make.

[MichiganCornhusker]

when pop-off starts to whistle...

I don't have a whistle, or a valve, on my potstill.
Even open, a needle valve sound very restrictive for a potstill.

[still_stirrin]

SandyCrack,

You better post a picture of your rig....it sounds potentially dangerous. A needle valve vapor take off on a potstill just don't jive.

Plus, a "whistle" will be venting hot alcohol vapors under pressure!

Please don't run anymore until this dilema is resolved.
ss

[SandyCrack]

Builder claims he used the valve because he didn't have Union when he showed me how to run it, when we ran sacrificial boil. He said it is already eliminated, replaced with union.

It is a great design, 46 inch column/reflux, 2 piece, stores inside boiler when put away.
Small pot/ whiskey attachment, also stores in boiler when not being used.
All 2.5" SS.

This will be second run with pot attachment, 9th run total.
Not bad for being green.

[SandyCrack]

SandyCrack,

You better post a picture of your rig....it sounds potentially dangerous. A needle valve vapor take off on a potstill just don't jive.

Plus, a "whistle" will be venting hot alcohol vapors under pressure!

Please don't run anymore until this dilema is resolved.
ss

I'll post pictures in the morning....
I think you will like it, very clever design.

Valve issue is non-existent.... Just me not knowin what I'm talking about, and only one water only run for instruction.

[thatguy1313]

To answer your question about flavoring, see bucaneer Bob's rum in tried and true. His "rum" essence is the key!

[rubber duck]

To the op,,, I would invert that white sugar useing heat and lime juice. Also skip the acid blend you won't need it because of the lime.

To Sandy Crack I would love to see a picture of that still attachment, would you please make it a new topic so it doesn't get lost please?