Cheap Bundaberg Molasses

[Dathhu]

Hi All,

For anyone after cheap food grade molasses in Australia, hit up Bidfood (formally Bidvest).

Just picked up a 14kg cube for just shy of $25, much better than the $50 the home brew shop wanted to charge.

Don't know if all of them will stock it, but to my mind for an unsulphered, food grade product, 55% sugar, it seems like a bloody good deal to me

Dan

[Saltbush Bill]

14 kg would be 10 litres I think? Equates to $2.50 per Litre.

[silverbean]

I recently saw in a pet store/saddlery a 20L cube of blackstrap for I think it was $25. Not necessarily food grade, I assume for horses. I have no idea if that is what we would need or if its a good price.

[JesseMarques]

I'm buying from this suplier: https://mellacodecana.com.br/melaco-de-cana-liquido/
dolar is quite high comparing to brazilian currency (5R$ = 1US$) so I'm paying 0.24 US$ per litre plus container plus shipping.
Last time I bought 120kg, total was less than 55US$

[SassyFrass]

I'm not sure about feed stores your areas, but I've always used black strap molasses from the feed store. It's just an additive for horse/cattle feed. Works great and it's a LOT cheaper than grocery store stuff.
SF

[Saltbush Bill]

» Sun Dec 13, 2020 2:35 am

I'm not sure about feed stores your areas, but I've always used black strap molasses from the feed store. It's just an additive for horse/cattle feed. Works great and it's a LOT cheaper than grocery store stuff.

Same way most of us here in Au buy it. Averages about $1.50 per L in smaller quantities.
50C- $1.00 L in bulk.....200 L or more.

[SassyFrass]

» Sun Dec 13, 2020 2:35 am

I'm not sure about feed stores your areas, but I've always used black strap molasses from the feed store. It's just an additive for horse/cattle feed. Works great and it's a LOT cheaper than grocery store stuff.

Same way most of us here in Au buy it. Averages about $1.50 per L in smaller quantities.
50C- $1.00 L in bulk.....200 L or more.

I know prices are gonna be different, but I figure every country has farmers and/ ranchers with stock to feed. So I figured everyone would be able to find a feed store for cheap molasses.

[Yummyrum]

I’ve got two of those Bundy Molasses Cubes been in shed for nearly a year . Been meaning to see how they are compared to the normal Blackstrap I use .

I know Googe swore by that stuff when he was in Melbourne .

Regarding Bidvest , I rung them once after something , maybe bulk sugar and they didn’t want to know me if I didn’t have a business account .

[The Baker]

Yummyrum said, 'I’ve got two of those Bundy Molasses Cubes'.

Hi, Yummy.

What size cubes?
Twenty litres?

One thousand litres??

Geoff

[Yummyrum]

Yummyrum said, 'I’ve got two of those Bundy Molasses Cubes'.

Hi, Yummy.

What size cubes?
Twenty litres?

One thousand litres??

Geoff

Just found them Geoff , they are 14kg each , so 10litre Cubes . Same as OP . Seems I paid $35 each for them from HBS so OPs price is much better .

[RC Al]

Geoff Ifn you want to come up for a drive, a 200l is under $120 to get filled up the road from me, they charge by the kg so it depends on how recenly the massive tank been filled, its pretty tall so I recon some seperation goes on, hopefully I can get back there soon before it gets filled again and get the good stuff from the top.

Sadly the local mill wil be closing at the end of the season and I will most likey loose the great price. Some dude decided to buy a bunch of the larger farms feeding it to grow macadamia nuts and has subsequently made the mill not viable and will be screwing a bunch of the smaller cane farmers around

2000+ km's each way in fuel might be a deal breaker for you though

[The Baker]

When my son used to make his own diesel
(his newer car is fussier so he doesn't do it now: saved a heap then though)
Anyway he had a mate did trucking from the sugar mill to our town...
He used to get a 44 gallon (US 55 gallon) drum of Methanol from the mill from time to time.
So it could well be possible but I wouldn't need any yet...

I've got rellies travel from NQ to here but wouldn't have space.

Geoff

[The Baker]

When my son used to make his own diesel
(his newer car is fussier so he doesn't do it now: saved a heap then though)
Anyway he had a mate did trucking from the sugar mill to our town...
He used to get a 44 gallon (US 55 gallon) drum of Methanol from the mill from time to time.
So it could well be possible but I wouldn't need any yet...

I've got rellies travel from NQ to here but wouldn't have space.

Geoff
P. S. Now I think of it there is a bulk distributor in country Victoria, probably passes through here, will have to check. G.

[Dathhu]

I'm not sure about feed stores your areas, but I've always used black strap molasses from the feed store. It's just an additive for horse/cattle feed. Works great and it's a LOT cheaper than grocery store stuff.
SF

Feed store molasses would be cheaper, but I thought for the first couple runs I'd like to use the food grade stuff. I'd at least have something to compare it with then as I don't know what I'd be getting with feed grade around here.

Still, if a can get a few litres of rum from this drum with a bit of added raw sugar its gonna be way cheaper (and hopefully nicer) than the store bought stuff

Dan

[Dathhu]

Where I am Bidfood happily sells to the public as far as I know, they've got a storefront where anyone can come in and ask for stuff.

Might help that I've dealt with them through hospo work though

[Yummyrum]

Still, if a can get a few litres of rum from this drum with a bit of added raw sugar its gonna be way cheaper (and hopefully nicer) than the store bought stuff

Dan

Dan , if you are looking for a reference then just use the molasses without sugar . Folk add sugar when they feel their blackstrap is too low in sugar . That stuff should be perfect as is .
Have a look at Saltbush bills All Molasses wash in T&T recipe section and scale it down ...... or buy another cube or two and scale it up

[Dathhu]

Cheers Yummyrum, after some consideration I'm probably going to just go with all of it plus a touch of sugar. As I've only got the one fermenter available, I'll probably go with the molasses with 1kg of raw sugar topped up to 50L. Just want to up the sugar slightly because I don't know how much of the molasses is actually fermentable.

I'll see how the first run comes out, order some more molasses, save up some dunder and work from there. Will also look into the stock molasses available around these parts.

Cheers,
Dan

[Yummyrum]

Just want to up the sugar slightly because I don't know how much of the molasses is actually fermentable.

Entirely up to you but that is exactly why I wouldn’t .

Having said that , you will find that Aussie molasses is around 40% -50%. That Bundy Molasses s supposedly at the high end , so you can expect the equivalent of 7kg of sugar from that 14kg cube .Use that to work out your final volume .

When I use my 14kg cube , I’ll be making it up to 33-34 litres .

[Corsaire]

I know prices are gonna be different, but I figure every country has farmers and/ ranchers with stock to feed. So I figured everyone would be able to find a feed store for cheap molasses.

Unfortunately some of us live in cold european countries where sugar comes from beets and cane molasses is rare and expensive.

It's cheaper for me to buy good rum than to make it.

Are you aussies looking for train drivers?

Or anyone know of a good european (preferably belgian) source? My google fu is weak.

[googe]

Yummy is right, I did love it. I was only paying $19.00 for 14kg through local food wholesaler in Melbourne. I got the info through a broker from.the bundy site. Here's the list for different states.

Queensland
John Lansdown
SALES LINK PTY LTD
117 Zillman Rd
Hendra QLD 4011
Ph: (07) 3255 0999
Fax: (07) 3255 0199
E-mail john@saleslink.net.au
anita@saleslink.net.au
New South Wales
Peter Dagg & Associates
PO Box 7088
TOOWOON BAY NSW 2261
Phone: 02 4333 8448
Fax: 02 4333 8449
Mobile: 0418 960 798
Email: peterd2261@bigpond.com
Victoria, Tasmania & South Australia
Tony Lansdown
QUALITY SALES LINK
7 Frank Street
Box Hill South VIC 3128
Ph: (03) 9888 7077
Fax: (03) 9888 7297
Email: sales@qualitysaleslink.com.au
Western Australia
Michael Luxmoore
LUXFOODS
PO Box 632
Wembley 6913 WA
Western Australia
Phone: (08) 9380 6499
0467 632 500
sales@luxfoods.com.au

[Berserk]

Unfortunately some of us live in cold european countries where sugar comes from beets and cane molasses is rare and expensive.

Or anyone know of a good european (preferably belgian) source? My google fu is weak.

I hear you. Cheapest I found a couple of years ago was from a UK veterinary company, but ordering from the UK feels a bit shakey right now. VioVet - Molasses. I've used the regular NAF molasses with good results.

Otherwise the cheapest I've found is this: Amazon.de - Nortembio molasses 14.3kg. They used to be even cheaper and come in 20 liter cubes, but now it seems they only have 10 liter cubes. Free shipping though.

[kimbodious]

There is such a thing as beet molasses, has anyone tried using it?
https://www.feedipedia.org/node/711

[Berserk]

There is such a thing as beet molasses, has anyone tried using it?
https://www.feedipedia.org/node/711
Everything I've heard and read indicates that it makes a really bad tasting Rum.
Not even worth thinking about.

I do believe the French use(d?) it to make neutral, but I've heard the same about the rum being horrible.

[Corsaire]

It's used to make cheap vodka in europe. Anything less than azeo is supposed to taste pretty bad, but I've never tried running it through my pot.

[Corsaire]

I've used the regular NAF molasses with good results.

Otherwise the cheapest I've found is this: Amazon.de - Nortembio molasses 14.3kg. They used to be even cheaper and come in 20 liter cubes, but now it seems they only have 10 liter cubes. Free shipping though.

Thanks for those leads!

[Dathhu]

Yummy is right, I did love it.

Hi googe,

Haven't had the opportunity to ferment mine yet, still got a sugar wash waiting to be run.

Just wondering how you used to ferment yours out? What kind of volume, any additives etc.?

Did it come out heavy like a Jamaican style rum or lighter, like some of the South American styles?

Thanks,
Dan

[googe]

Hey Dan, its been years since i used that stuff but it was around 4L mollasses, 80g bakers yeast to make up 25L wash. Usually dont need additives but if need be, some kale or tom paste. I like white rum and a light taste with some body, i always ran through 3 plates at 88-92%. End of heads and very start of tails used to work well with it i found.

[Dathhu]

Thanks googe,

Will probably be putting it down in the next few days. Kinda looking at something inbetween full on heavy rum and light white for the first batch, just so I can have something to taste without having to wait for years of aging.

You only used 4L in a 25L batch? I might just try the whole cube to 50L, I'll be pot stilling it so I hope I'll get at least a bottle or so of the centre hearts for an early-ish drink , plus some to age up.

If it doesn't come out as planned, I'll at least have the option for a reflux run and have a few mojitos.

Cheers!

[Yummyrum]

If it doesn't come out as planned, I'll at least have the option for a reflux run and have a few mojit

Hell yeah .

[StriaghtJakket]

Yeah I spoke the the Bundy Rep and gave me the local Bidfood and another suppliers deets. both stock and sell for around the $27 mark COD - may be a bit cheaper with an account - still, cheaper than the HBS.
I normally get mine from the local feed lot, super cheap, about $8 AUD for a 20L drum (5.2Gal) not bad, however always a lot of crap left over after the initial clarification. and the Bloke who runs the shop doesnt know anything about it as far as what type or where it come from.
Keen to give this - higher quality - food grade stuff a go and see if it takes the rum to the next level.