Rum conundrum

[rgreen2002]

OK... I'm hoping I can salvage this rum. I have been keeping up with cranky's recent rum post and felt it was time to run another rum batch myself. I have run pugirum in the past but it has been a year now since my last run. I dropped a line here earlier regarding the dunder being a year old and most folks seemed to think it should be fine. I did keep the leftover yeast in the ferment bucket and I kept the dunder in a separate bucket. It has a nice little infection on it which I thought would add some good flavors. Smelled like blackstrap with no "vomit" type odors so I thought it was OK.

dunder 1.jpg

The recipe I used for 2 separate 5 gallon batches:
I made the yeast bomb with:
-1/2 gallon H2O
-1 vit b tab
-2.5 tsp of DAP ( I didn't use fertilizer)
-two pinches of epsom salt
-1/8ish cup of bakers yeast
- brought to boil 15 minutes then strained into bucket

For the Wash:
- the yeast bomb - 1/2 gallon
-1 gallon feed molasses
-2 lb dark brown sugar
-1 gallon of dunder(strained solids out)
-1/2 gallon more H20
-Topped off with the ferment content that should have old yeast in it

I let it ride for an hour with no activity. I assumed after a year maybe the yeast in the ferment (kept in the bucket, indoors at a relatively constant temp) were no good and I added a half packet of EC 1118 to each of the two buckets.

I'm about 10 hours into this without one single bubble. I checked the pH today in both buckets it is 5.1 and 5.0. I added a yeast energizer to see if that would get me anything but that was 20 minutes ago and I see nothing.

Now the molasses I used is the feed molasses with propionic acid included. I combed many threads that suggested many different things. Some folks were saying it was fine if you boil it with water and take off the liquid while others were saying its fine the way it is. My recent post: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=58570 shows the brand and such. I was discussing it with still_stirrin who uses the exact same kind and gets fine results. I then experimented with it myself, adding some to H2O, DAP and vit b and got good results...

deer mol 1.jpg

Short version, I did not boil this molasses, just added it right into the bucket.

One last note... the ferment bucket has what may have been either an infection as well or the yeast floating on the top of the old wash (which I didn't think would happen so I am inclined to think NO). The ferment also smelled of blackstrap with no hints of off smell (at least not horrible...I couldn't tell). I do not have a picture of it since i basically use it all up.

It seems I always have issues with rum which is a shame because I kinda would like some good rum. Does anyone have any ideas before this becomes actual deer food