Saving my molasses wash (or am i fine?)

[Levii]

Hi everyone,

Im completely new to distilling, did a few beer ferments ages ago.

2 days ago i started a molasses wash and, oh well, what a mess thats been so far.
Turns out that drinking, severe dyscalculia and having several tabs with different recipies open is a bad start for anything. Also managed to overlook that 1kg of molasses doesnt equal 1 liter


Anyways, thats how it went down: I dissolved 6 (8kg!) liters of molasses in 22,5 liters of water and pitched 250g of fresh pressed yeast + a ground up vitamin b capsule. Violent fermentation started almost right away and lasted for a about 18 hours.
After that it slowed down dramatically and came to a stop by day 2. i couldnt detect any sweetness (or just a very faint one) at this point. Checking the recipe again for the recommendet fermentation time (10-14 days) i also realized that my ratios were way off.

The recipe asked for 1kg of molasses per 5l of water, while my ratio was ~1,7kg per 5 l.
So i added another ~15 liters of water and 150g of pressed yeast to the fermenter, wich did absolutely nothing. Pitched a pinch of Epsom Salts and DAP and aerated the wash again - nothing. Completely flat ....
Should i just start over, or is there a chance that after the crazy first 18 hours fermantation was indeeed completed? In that case i would have unnessecarily thinned out my wash by adding the second 15 lites ... Or is it a stuck one? Would it at least make some usable dunder for the next wash if i were to run it?

Ph of the wash is 4,9 atm. Sugar content of the used molasses is at least 46%.

[Rum Agol]

From the quantities you've given id say the wash was about 8% ABV but hard to say if it finished completely without knowing initial and final gravity. Generally if it tastes dry its done. My guess is it was probably near finished so although you've diluted it somewhat, I'd let it settle and run it.

[Saltbush Bill]

I started crunching some figures.....it all got complicated, 4am here and brain lazy, an educated guess says that you have a fairly low abv wash there, less than 6% I think.
It should work out fine though the proof will be in the running.
How are you judging if it is still fermenting , looking at a air lock for bubbles?... or looking at the surface of the actual wash? Air locks are not a relyable way.....they often leak..as Do fermenter lids.
When / if the wash is done it should taste quite SOUR/ TART.......not at all sweet. Stick a finger in and have a taste.

Ph of the wash is 4,9 atm. Sugar content of the used molasses is at least 46%.

PH in a molasses wash is the last thing you need to worry about.....never seen one yet that needed adjusting.
46 -48% sugar is quite normal.
I don't see any mention if the yeast type used .....if it's bakers yeast keep it warm....26cish would be good.

Checking the recipe again for the recommendet fermentation time (10-14 days)

I don't know where you that recipe but my bet is it wasn't on this forum.....that time is excessive for a Molasses wash.....5-6 days max normal......unless it's not kept warm.
In short ...leave it another 3 four days.....let it be ....taste it .....if it tastes right run it.
Report back with quantity and ABV from the strip or run.

[Sporacle]

Anyways, thats how it went down: I dissolved 6 (8kg!) liters of molasses in 22,5 liters of water and pitched 250g of fresh pressed yeast + a ground up vitamin b capsule. Violent fermentation started

SBB is at 1.48 Mollases to 5 water if that helps, its pretty well proven ratio and works well

[Saltbush Bill]

Is that after adding the extra 15L of water? Or before?

[Sporacle]

Is that after adding the extra 15L of water? Or before?

The 1.48/5, That's your recipe ratio Salty
Edited cause it's early

[Sporacle]

Levii is at 800g and a bit per 5 L, that is if the Sunday morning brain is working

[NZChris]

It’s done. Stop messing with it and run it.

Do your homework on running it before you start, not afterwards to find out what went wrong.

[Saltbush Bill]

To early for this ....my ratio is 8L molasses to a total ferment size of 28-30L
That gives around 7 %
By my calcs this one is 6L mollases to a total wash size of 33L.

[Sporacle]

Go have a cup of tea

[Levii]

After my late night panic dilution I’m at 6l of molasses to 37,5 liters of water. Really wished I wouldn’t have done that, as the initial ratio wasn’t all to bad.

I just gave it another taste and it’s as dry as a fart during lent. The surface of the fermenter is absolutely free of bubbles, foam or anything that might indicate some fermentation action. I pitched fresh pressed bakers yeast bought just hours earlier.


Will probably run it on Monday to get to the Dunder for my next wash, wich will be according to SBB’s tried and true recipe.

By the way @Saltbush Bill do you think your recipe and the proportion of Dunder you use is suitable to create some Jamaican Style funk, or does this purely come from infected Dunder/Muck? I plan on using a pot still for the entire process. I’d love to get something with a tad more disco than Appleton Estate, but not as heavy as a Smith and Cross (Ester wise, I know it’s impossible to recreate particular spirits). Do you collect and recycle the Rum Oils?

Flat af

[Saltbush Bill]

By the way @Saltbush Bill do you think your recipe and the proportion of Dunder you use is suitable to create some Jamaican Style funk, or does this purely come from infected Dunder/Muck?

Try the recipe and see what you think as is.....this rum takes time on oak to show its true colours. I've only ever used fresh dunder in my Rum, feel free to experiment once you get the method sorted.
As for Rum Oils , I always strip wash down quite low, till what's in the collection demijohn is cloudy. All feints,, heads and tails go back into the next spirit run.

[The Baker]

Saltbush said' How are you judging if it is still fermenting , looking at a air lock for bubbles?... or looking at the surface of the actual wash? Air locks are not a reliable way.....they often leak..as Do fermenter lids.'

My wash seemed to have finished fermenting.
Closed the lid, left it for a bit.
Gently lifted the lid and cautiously sniffed.
Yep, carbon dioxide. Still fermenting though nearly there I think.

Geoff