Triple distilling

[850stealth]

I had a thread before about my rum having a funky taste. I know it's never good right off the still but diluted I still could see it being great. I ran it again and it is better but still has that taste, I have it on oak and will let it sit. I have enough low wines for another spirit run so I'm wondering who has triple distilled their rum to clean it up. I'm considering diluting it all down to 40% running it and taking a small heads cut as I've taken 1 liter from the first spirit run. Then doing a spirit run after the second strip. I'm hoping this will clean it up as there seems to be a strong molasses taste. I like molasses but the tate seems real off

[shadylane]

I think it was Rad who said,
Diluting and rerunning your alcohol was the best way to wash it clean
Or maybe it was the added water

[still_stirrin]

...so I'm wondering who has triple distilled their rum to clean it up...

I used deer lick molasses (84 brix), a gallon per 5 gallons of water. No sugar or any other fermentables. The molasses flavor was so thick after the strip, I didn't know if I could handle it. I ran it through the reflux column and that helped....a lot. But it still wasn't drinkable. So, I ran it again through the reflux still. This time it brought the proof up to 190. Still with a very big molasses flavor (not sweet, but "oily"). I tempered it to 151 proof and it was the hit of the party. Not exactly to my liking, but others thought it was fantastic. Mixed in a glass of ice with coke and it will knock you silly.

So, yes...I do triple distill my rum. And of course, the gin is triple distilled. That's the great thing about this hobby....you're in control. You make what you want...how you like it. Others can just share, or go home.
ss

[HDNB]

on feed mole ass rum, did the triple rum for the same reasons. was still too strong for me. three years on wood really helped it.

i used to be a die hard Lemon Hart drinker...but this was over the top.

couple friends really liked it. you can tell what it's made from. thats a for sure.

[Wiz of Oz]

Cant say that I have ever triple distilled my rum. I run a pot still and normally for me I strip my washes until I have around 25 liters or so of low wines and then I do a slow spirit run, collecting in 200ml samples.

I usually end up with a total of 9-10 liters during my spirit run. After making cuts I usually end up with anywhere between 4-6 liters of hearts around 71-74%abv, 1-1.5 liters of rum oils (see pugi rum recipe in tried and true) and the rest is my heads and tails that get recycled into my rum feints carboy.

The hearts cut gets diluted to aging strength put on oak and left for a minimum of 6 months, I try to go for a year but I rarely make it

Aging goes a long way towards making a great final product. Take some of your product that you don't like and put it on some oak (dont over oak) and leave it alone for 6 months (airing it out occasionally). Come back to it and give it a taste, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, I know I sure was. Patience is a virtue in this hobby!

Like still stirrin said, its your product, make it to your liking. Perhaps with the recipe your using you will prefer triple distilled. The more you run it the more flavor you will take away, just keep that in mind. Nobody wants to drink rum that doesnt have any flavor

Cheers

[NZChris]

If it's just that the molasses taste is too strong for you, try blending it with neutral to tone it down. That way you end up with more rum, rather than less.

Where in the distillation is the flavor you don't like? You might be able to tone it down by redistilling and removing a jar or two where it is strongest.

Your best option might be to make something else to drink now, so that you don't drink the rum three years before it's ready.

I do have a recently triple distilled rum made from the feints that is part of an experiment, the idea being to blend it back into the hearts in the near future. A rapid aged sample has turned out very nice.

[850stealth]

If it's just that the molasses taste is too strong for you, try blending it with neutral to tone it down. That way you end up with more rum, rather than less.

Where in the distillation is the flavor you don't like? You might be able to tone it down by redistilling and removing a jar or two where it is strongest.

Your best option might be to make something else to drink now, so that you don't drink the rum three years before it's ready.

I do have a recently triple distilled rum made from the feints that is part of an experiment, the idea being to blend it back into the hearts in the near future. A rapid aged sample has turned out very nice.

I'm assuming it's the molasses that's giving the strong flavor as I've made some cornflakes whiskey and it doesn't have the taste. The flavor is all through but the strongest towards the heads. It smells fantastic coming off the still, like a sweet molasses but the taste doesn't match the smell. I think I'll try and dilute the low wines and run again making curs for a spirit run then.

[NZChris]

What proof are you tasting it at?

[moosemilk]

I've always done hookrum. Single run strip runs until I have 5-6 gallons low wines. Then one spirit run with that plus 5 gallons fresh wash. It comes off strong with the molasses flavor, but really mellows out with some time on oak.

[850stealth]

What proof are you tasting it at?

about 35-40%

[Saltbush Bill]

Its a funny old world, people complaining about to much flavour in Rum ( Molasses taste). Mean while there are hundreds more Rum fans trying to get more flavour into their own Rum by adding dunder to washes, experimenting with dunder pits and the like.
I think a lot comes down to what your interpretation of what a good rum tastes like.
Are you used to drinking White Rum or Dark Rum?....Navy Rum or Bacardi Rum?
Is the rum you have drunk and are used to drinking from Jamaica, Mauritius, Australia, Barbados,Cuba,Canada,United States, or from one of the many other countries who produce Rum.
The way that these rum taste are hugely different in my opinion.
The rules of rum production world wide are not as strict as those associated with Bourbon or Scotch Whiskies, many and varied methods of Fermentation, Distillation, Oaking and Aging are used.
From my own experience what leaves the still as a fairly manky tasting product ..improves dramatically once placed in a oak barrel or on oak, and given time to age.

[850stealth]

Its a funny old world, people complaining about to much flavour in Rum ( Molasses taste). Mean while there are hundreds more Rum fans trying to get more flavour into their own Rum by adding dunder to washes, experimenting with dunder pits and the like.
I think a lot comes down to what your interpretation of what a good rum tastes like.
Are you used to drinking White Rum or Dark Rum?....Navy Rum or Bacardi Rum?
Is the rum you have drunk and are used to drinking from Jamaica, Mauritius, Australia, Barbados,Cuba,Canada,United States, or from one of the many other countries who produce Rum.
The way that these rum taste are hugely different in my opinion.
The rules of rum production world wide are not as strict as those associated with Bourbon or Scotch Whiskies, many and varied methods of Fermentation, Distillation, Oaking and Aging are used.
From my own experience what leaves the still as a fairly manky tasting product ..improves dramatically once placed in a oak barrel or on oak, and given time to age.

well I do like a flavored rum. It's just my rum had a strange flavor that I wasn't used to. For white rum I like the captain morgan east coast white, other rums I really like are El dorado 8 year and 12 year, plantation 5 year was real nice too. I have some on oak now at 62% and has been on for about 2 months. I can tell a small difference already just hoping for more.

[Saltbush Bill]

I really like are El dorado 8 year and 12 year, plantation 5 year was real nice too.

And yours has been on oak for ??????
Even the difference between French Oak , American Oak , Charred or Toasted will change the character of your rum in the long term.....all things worth considering.

[NZChris]

I don't even open mine for a taste at two months. If you are in that big of a hurry to get some drinking likker in your cabinet, you need to put a different type of ferment down.

[NZChris]

... or do some research starting here;
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 44&t=55301

[Saltbush Bill]

Another thing I'd like to clear up while I'm here is the Molasses taste thing I see many talk of.
To me good Rum tastes about as much like a mouthful of molasses as Scotch Whisky tastes like a mouthful of Malted Barley.

[850stealth]

I really like are El dorado 8 year and 12 year, plantation 5 year was real nice too.

And yours has been on oak for ??????
Even the difference between French Oak , American Oak , Charred or Toasted will change the character of your rum in the long term.....all things worth considering.

I don't expect mine to taste like those rums right away, or even at all. I'm new to this and just know that mine didn't taste like rum, just had a real strong taste so I'm just looking at doing another distillation to make tone it down a bit. Mine is on medium toast American white oak right now.

[850stealth]

I'm not in a huge hurry to drink it. I know it has to wait and age. Just want a good drink when it comes time so I was checking it to see if there is any change and if it did mellow at all.

[Saltbush Bill]

Mine is on medium toast American white oak right now.

You have made a fine choice of Oaks ,, now keep ya mitts off of it for at least 12 months ..then report back.

[NZChris]

American white oak is really good for Bourbon. You are making rum, which is often aged in ex whiskey barrels which had a previous life as American white oak barrels aging Bourbon.

I age my rums on ex JD BBQ chips with a bit of vanilla bean added. That works well for me, better than new oak.

[850stealth]

American white oak is really good for Bourbon. You are making rum, which is often aged in ex whiskey barrels which had a previous life as American white oak barrels aging Bourbon.

I age my rums on ex JD BBQ chips with a bit of vanilla bean added. That works well for me, better than new oak.

I have been looking for barrel staves from whiskey barrels or any good used oak really but can't find any more. At least none that will ship to canada . I can find some chips but would rather sticks. Last 2 places I tried to buy from don't ship to Canada

[BDF]

American white oak is really good for Bourbon. You are making rum, which is often aged in ex whiskey barrels which had a previous life as American white oak barrels aging Bourbon.

I age my rums on ex JD BBQ chips with a bit of vanilla bean added. That works well for me, better than new oak.

I have been looking for barrel staves from whiskey barrels or any good used oak really but can't find any more. At least none that will ship to canada . I can find some chips but would rather sticks. Last 2 places I tried to buy from don't ship to Canada

Check out local home improvement stores for used half-barrel planters, got really good results from the oak from it:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =6&t=21477

[850stealth]

American white oak is really good for Bourbon. You are making rum, which is often aged in ex whiskey barrels which had a previous life as American white oak barrels aging Bourbon.

I age my rums on ex JD BBQ chips with a bit of vanilla bean added. That works well for me, better than new oak.

I have been looking for barrel staves from whiskey barrels or any good used oak really but can't find any more. At least none that will ship to canada . I can find some chips but would rather sticks. Last 2 places I tried to buy from don't ship to Canada

Check out local home improvement stores for used half-barrel planters, got really good results from the oak from it:

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =6&t=21477

I have been looking for them but nothing available right now. We are still getting snow storms here so the spring stuff is kind of on hold right now

[NZChris]

You should be able to find these easy enough.

Google for: Jack Daniel's Wood BBQ Smoking Chips

[RedwoodHillBilly]

You should be able to find these easy enough.

Google for: Jack Daniel's Wood BBQ Smoking Chips

I you want the chips, Amazon carries them. Beware that your likker will have a Jack Daniels flavor. Tried it, but don't like it. To each their own.

[Saltbush Bill]

I you want the chips, Amazon carries them. Beware that your likker will have a Jack Daniels flavor. Tried it, but don't like it. To each their own.

I'm with Redwood on that one

.
I have been looking for barrel staves from whiskey barrels or any good used oak really but can't find any more. At least none that will ship to canada . I can find some chips but would rather sticks. Last 2 places I tried to buy from don't ship to Canada

I would suggest you try these, They are high quality and work extremely well.
They come in French and American Oak and in different toast and char levels.
They are not your average HBS product.
http://stilldragon.com/index.php/oak-adjuncts.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[HDNB]

American white oak is really good for Bourbon. You are making rum, which is often aged in ex whiskey barrels which had a previous life as American white oak barrels aging Bourbon.

I age my rums on ex JD BBQ chips with a bit of vanilla bean added. That works well for me, better than new oak.

I have been looking for barrel staves from whiskey barrels or any good used oak really but can't find any more. At least none that will ship to canada . I can find some chips but would rather sticks. Last 2 places I tried to buy from don't ship to Canada

look for mcleans ex-bourbon, rum and tequila barrels in the BBQ section of canadian tire. they work awesome. fairly large chunks of barrel staves. some fools actually use them for smoking meat, if you can believe that!

[850stealth]

I you want the chips, Amazon carries them. Beware that your likker will have a Jack Daniels flavor. Tried it, but don't like it. To each their own.

I'm with Redwood on that one

.
I have been looking for barrel staves from whiskey barrels or any good used oak really but can't find any more. At least none that will ship to canada . I can find some chips but would rather sticks. Last 2 places I tried to buy from don't ship to Canada

I would suggest you try these, They are high quality and work extremely well.
They come in French and American Oak and in different toast and char levels.
They are not your average HBS product.
http://stilldragon.com/index.php/oak-adjuncts.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

those look geat, it doesn't say how big the chunks are though. I guess I could get both the mini staves and some chunks. I currently age in 1 gallon glass jugs so the sticks fit in the top perfect. I wonder if I could cut the chunks? Or maybe not as that might ruin the whole idea behind it. Or maybe add chunks to 1 liter mason jars as the opening is larger

[Saltbush Bill]

I just had another look at the photos of the SD Oak, the ones they are calling mini staves, are the ones most people here in Au are using. Here they are sold as Oak Dominos.
The staves are easy to split in halves length ways so that they will fit into a demijohn or bottle.

[aceswired]

I know that funky taste. Did my first rum late last year. An odd earthy/musty note, quite pronounced. I'll revisit it in a year or two.