Panela/Piloncillo RUM

[Hound Dog]

Was in Costco and found this on the shelf. Got two barrels filled this afternoon. It mixed up nice and dark. I threw in half a bag of Cheerios on each barrel because I usually like the smooth flavor of oats. We'll see how it turns out.

rps20160607_201546.jpg

rps20160607_201501.jpg

This wash is finally finishing. I had to add some nutes to it and it was very slow. I will see how it clears when I rack it into buckets. I have a few adjustments to make before I run it. Ordered some Sugar Daddy goodness for the next ferment.

[MichiganCornhusker]

My point that was a bit more relevant to this thread was that I was amazed at how smooth the cachaca was when the gravities are kept lower.

I gotta say, this pre-ground panela is a dream to work with, thanks for shipping it up Larry.
I'm trying out this low gravity step feeding with this batch. The initial fermentation started out around OG 1.052, and it dropped to about 1.02 in 24 hrs.
Each day I'm adding 5 more pounds mixed with 2 more gallons. Seems to ferment back down to around 1.02 overnight. Judging by the bubbles breaking the surface, the fermentation seems steady and strong, but not frothing.
I'm planning to distill this batch a little differently than I have with my other rums, so I won't have a direct comparison, but will let you know how this one turns out. Any chance your cachaca guy mentioned what type of woods they were using for aging? Toasted/charred or left natural?

Edit: Of course, Google is my friend: http://www.caipirinharecipes.com/secrets-cachaca-aging/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Very informative site for the Caipirinha inclined.

[Sugar Daddy]

Very interesting MI Cornhusker

I wanted to drop a link about our farm & how panela is made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCuRYLYfBY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

First, thank you sugar daddy for the link. I am considering a bulk purchase for the east coast, need to see how that works. I think the west coast group has done a number on folks out here.

Speaking of, where did all this come from?

Sorry SD, didn't have time to order from you. Definitely will next time. Wanted this to be done for the meet. Cutting it close, starting today. Anyways, my first rum...

2 gallons of Grade A unsulfered, 80% sugar molasses (total of 18 pounds sugar, each jug $12).

9 lbs panela. Store bought, $2/lb.

So, at $42 for 15 gallons, it is twice as expensive as my all grain Bourbons. But, still worth it. I hope. Using top grade Barbados molasses, and the panela should be less when I have time to order it through sugar daddy.

Also decided to make a yeast bomb. But I used 6 ounces of tomato paste instead of fertilizer.

And, I am using real fresh bakers yeast, not dried. This should be delicious. 1/2 lb went into the bomb, the other 1/2 will be my sludge. This will take off like a rocket after I invert the panela. ..

[Sugar Daddy]

Thanks for the information. Please let me know if you have any questions. I love that you are trying it, and our prices are much more competitive than that, so there's hope approximate location? cheers

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Thanks for the information. Please let me know if you have any questions. I love that you are trying it, and our prices are much more competitive than that, so there's hope approximate location? cheers

I'm in the Philly/NYC area. I know there are a few of us about, if I can get 6-12 heads on it, it might be a great option.

[Hound Dog]

Thanks for the information. Please let me know if you have any questions. I love that you are trying it, and our prices are much more competitive than that, so there's hope approximate location? cheers

I'm in the Philly/NYC area. I know there are a few of us about, if I can get 6-12 heads on it, it might be a great option.

With shipping on an individual basis it should still come out o even on what you are paying for the blocks. The ground up stuff is easier to work with but I miss the bugs and fly parts I used to see in the ferment when melting down the blocks.

[nerdybrewer]

My current batch of Panela rum is happily bubbling away.
I'm using the step process that Larry described and I'm interested in the exotic woods he also talked about.
I have done a little searching online and found some Brazilian wood for sale.
Here is a site that has various species, and the page with Brazil Nut wood.
Check out the pen blanks, 3/4" x 5" blocks.
http://www.cookwoods.com/wood-by-species/brazil-nut" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[nerdybrewer]

My current batch of Panela rum is happily bubbling away.
I'm using the step process that Larry described and I'm interested in the exotic woods he also talked about.
I have done a little searching online and found some Brazilian wood for sale.
Here is a site that has various species, and the page with Brazil Nut wood.
Check out the pen blanks, 3/4" x 5" blocks.
http://www.cookwoods.com/wood-by-species/brazil-nut" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Well I'm going to find out what Brazilian Rosewood tastes like in Panela rum!
Getting four 8" sticks.
Now, toast it? Char it? This is going to be experimental, but I'm open to suggestion.

[Snackson]

One last call for anyone in Southern California looking for some panela. I will be meeting up with sugar daddy soon to pick some up. PM me if interested

[GCB3]

I’m getting ready to try my first panela run and these threads have me excited. Thanks for all the information! As a real Nubie, I don’t have much to contribute yet, but I will gladly tell you what I’ve done with aging wood. I bought a new, 1.3 gal charred oak barrel last year and filled it with 60 pct. rum from moll/turbinado wash. After 6 months it still had what I’d call a sharp, new oak taste. Even when diluted to 40 pct., it was too sharp for me.
I do a fair amout of grilling and always use applewood for smoking pork because I like the softer smoke with the lighter meat. So I tried applewood aging and the finish was great. I take bags of chips and spread them on a cookie sheet to segregate the darker chips out. Those are my rum chips, the rest is for grilling. I char half of them over a gas stove burner and leave the others plain. In each qt. jar I’ll place about 4 charred and 4 plain. Give it a shake every few days and it will start turning golden brown in a few days. In 4 weeks it’s better than the 6 month old barrel rum to my tastes.Hope this is useful.

[Samyguy]

Giving this a try, 14 gallon batch. See how it turns out next week.

[WillC]

Been wanting to do this for a long time. With social distancing i have the time and dont have to worry about anyone driving up.
Got sugar from Sugardaddy.
Good price, quickly came and in good order.
Went with 10lbs per 5 gallons water. 35 gallons total. Could have went with more sugar/gallon? Yes. Just wanted to be safe seeing as this is the largest batch i have ever made of anything. Its has been at a slow "sizzle" for a bit over a week and is slowing down now.
Question......Is it generally agreed that 2 runs is necessary?
Using a 10 gallon onion head pot with no thumper bought from whiskeystill.net

[MichiganCornhusker]

Unlike with whiskey, I find I like a one and done with sugar daddy panela rum. Very rich and smooth. I was quite surprised the first time I ran it.

You can always collect your first strip run in smaller jars and see if you like it.

[WillC]

Thank you
I have tried the brown sugar run before. I found it so-so.

Low and slow it is than!
I am used to just 5-10 gallon runs. 35 is going to take a while. Good thing we have ALOT of jars.
You mix a bit of tails into the heart?

Today will be pulling still out of storage and doing a very good cleaning/cleaning run. Been a while

[OtisT]

Been wanting to do this for a long time. With social distancing i have the time and dont have to worry about anyone driving up.
Got sugar from Sugardaddy.
Good price, quickly came and in good order.
Went with 10lbs per 5 gallons water. 35 gallons total. Could have went with more sugar/gallon? Yes. Just wanted to be safe seeing as this is the largest batch i have ever made of anything. Its has been at a slow "sizzle" for a bit over a week and is slowing down now.
Question......Is it generally agreed that 2 runs is necessary?
Using a 10 gallon onion head pot with no thumper bought from whiskeystill.net

I have had limited success with my single pass panela rum. Most of my single pass results are a bit rough for my liking. Mostly I do 1.5 or double pot stilled panela rum. I did have one descent single pass batch that I distilled real slow. I saved it because it had some really nice smells though after airing it was still a bit rougher than my typical 1.5 or double distilled panela rum.

I like my rum on the cleaner side, but I do enjoy some of the flavor/smell that I was getting after only one pass (but loose after a second pass). What I settled on is a 1.5 run protocol. (Stands for being distilled 1.5 times, between a single and double pass.) I make enough ferment for 2.5 (or 3.5) boilers full. First I strip the first two batches to low wines. Then I do a spirit run with the boiler 2/3 full of low wines and 1/3 full of fresh ferment. The result is a cleaner, higher proof rum with some of the raw flavors/smells found in low wines.

Otis

[nerdybrewer]

Also 1.5 here, after much experimentation and many hundreds of pounds of Panela.
Then into an ex-whiskey barrel for as long as you can stand to wait.
Kentucky bourbon barrels work great for this purpose!!

[WillC]

Rather pressed for time and need to start running.
How critical is allowing it to settle and clear?
Mine is still pretty cloudy.

[nerdybrewer]

Rather pressed for time and need to start running.
How critical is allowing it to settle and clear?
Mine is still pretty cloudy.

Not at all, this is rum, dirty is best!!!
Unless you are in that "light rum" group, if so I cannot help you.

[WillC]

Well...like it or not i have to run! lol
State lock down starts 3rd so i have nothing else to do.
Good think...ive never tried to run 35 gallons through my 10 gallon still.
Than a spirit run
Looking forward to this. Been watching t his thread for a long while waiting for the time to do it.
And yes, i am a dirty, dirty boy!

[Bushman]

Got to get back to making rum. I wouldn’t call mine clean as I don ‘t like it real light so I use a small portion of blackstrap but I also wouldn’t call it dirty as I also use pure Panela sugar that I have bought in bulk shipments with other members from the PNW. I believe in my containers I still have around 50 lbs of Panela.

[nerdybrewer]

Got to get back to making rum. I wouldn’t call mine clean as I don ‘t like it real light so I use a small portion of blackstrap but I also wouldn’t call it dirty as I also use pure Panela sugar that I have bought in bulk shipments with other members from the PNW. I believe in my containers I still have around 50 lbs of Panela.

Sitting on 220 Lbs here, waiting for some warmer weather because I will be doing this batch from soup to nuts outdoors.
That will be interesting to say the least.

[WillC]

So far so good. Running deep into the tails. Two solid days of work. Phew...back is wore out.
This is not like corn or grain at all. I kept my habit of running of over hardwood charcoal. Tails were so cloudy but.....tasty. All of it is!
Bold flavor? Yes, but nice. Wife likes it, so saving pint of heart from each run for her. She says it has fruit/tropical taste to her.
On last 10 gallon run now.
Tomorrow will be spirit run. Like ya'all recommended i saved a couple of gallons of ferment to add back for flavor.
Pretty stoked.
I use a powerful heat plate with a controller so control is pretty easy.
(i too am sitting on 220 lbs but its not sugar...its my gut!)

[WillC]

DONE!
20 pint jars of rum plus a jug of tails i let run until it was water.
Proof? Havnt checked but put it to your lip and your lip shrivels up.
Smoooooth. Great flavor. I used .25 backset in my spirit but it still came out well.
Wife says its fruity.
Heads to tails its nice. Still ran perfect.
Way way way better than using off the shelf brown sugar. With Sugardaddy it comes direct from the farm. Absolutely what i was wanting.
This evening we blend, proof.


SO
I saved 100% of the backset from the last stripping run. Smelled nice! Since wife said the rum tasted fruity i grabbed some bananas, few peaches and threw it in, melting white sugar. 14-15 lbs for 20 gallons. I have some whiskey turbo i will use
Question...
100% backset. I have no way to test PH
I use well water. Its VERY clean, PH from test when we moved in was pretty neutral. ( Its Artesian and gushes out of the side of the hill. The previous people stuck a pipe in and we pump to the house. The overflow feeds the whole creek, and yes, there is a old still site down the creek. Broken pottery bottles, barrel bands, ect)
Thoughts on rum backset PH?

Thanks!

[nerdybrewer]

Taste it, sour like a lemon?

Here's a thread from a few years back:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=63441

[WillC]

No it didnt really taste sour.
Its not the PH affecting the vessel i am worried about
Its more the PH affecting the fermentation. Stalling it or just not working.

We will see, just put 10 lbs sugar in. With the added banana, ect having sugar i figured i would cut back on the refined some.
These bananas were VERY ripe
It smells good cooking!
When i run this i will add the tails from my spirit run.

[nerdybrewer]

Rum Dunder is typically pretty low PH, adding it to your wash will drop the PH in it.
I like to hang oyster shells in my wash, that's a pretty maintenance free way of regulating PH.
If you have access to oysters then just make sure the shells are clean, I bake mine at 450F for a half hour or so just to make sure there's nothing alive before letting them cool and then hanging in the wash. You could also boil them for a while.

[WillC]

So i got about 2 and a half gallons of 90 proof after proofing.
Got them in jars aging. Half gallon i will put into my little cask.
As soon as i started getting that wanky tails taste i ran it separate deep into the tails.
I read elsewhere about rum here that flavors go deep into the tails.
So im pretty happy with the run and what i got. But you know, from start to finish its alot of work!

The dunder i added sugar and bananas to is finished and clearing. I will add the tails to that and do one
slow run on it.

[WillC]

Well, its been a few months.
Saved some from the first run, my wife liked it. Still likes it. Says its fruity.
Others i jared up, let set, some i added a small lump of the sugar back to
Like a Brandy this takes time to mature. Recent tastes have proven this.
Warm flush, nice. More age will help.
The banannanana turned out better than i figured it would. Do i taste banana? Yes
Is it smoother than i started, yes again. Where i really taste the banana is in the burps lol
I aged some in my cast i have alternated grain and rum in.
Delicious.
I will give all of this a B + and will prob do again!

[WillC]

And....i have drank it all up.
Left some white, some i aged in a small oak barrel.
Its good! Was good.
Thanks sugardaddy for delivering me another load of sugar.
Delivery guy was super nice, showed up at 8pm, right when he said he would
Will be starting a new batch in the next few days