Show us your dunder pit

[chili_no_beans]

Here’s my nasty pit. The black turd in there is an old banana peel.

[Revival Rum]

https://homedistiller.org/forum/downloa ... w&id=76243
4 months and smelling like a sweaty locker room.

[howie]

didn't take a picture, but opened up my 2 x pits recently for a spirit run.
both are in 20l pails.
one smells of pineapple, the other of molasses.
after checking the PH ages ago, i put oyster shells in one pit.it seemed to work, so i put oyster shells in the 2nd pit.
both seem to doing well, despite the winter and being closed off.
the oyster shells in the original pit are almost gone, so it seems as if they are working.

[Wozza]

Dunder pit is a 25L barrel with a screw top lid in the 'attic' which is an under roof storage area alongside bedroom on the first floor. Barrel has a tap near the bottom so I can draw liquid off without having to dig through the cake on top. I started it off with what was left in the barrel after my first rum spirit run. Christ, it gets pretty bloody hot in there in the summer. Gets the sun all day. And humid. Very Carribbean. S'been there a couple of months so far.

I threw in some strawberries that were going off and an old banan skin. Looks pretty gross at the moment and smells...kinda musty. I used a litre of it in my last spirit run (of 15L). That went into a barrel and I've got a second run in glass with some Jack Daniel chips untoasted, mild toast, medium and heavily toasted. Need to get another barrel. Got a wash ready to go in a day or so and I bought plenty of molasses yesterday from an equestrian centre to keep me ticking over for a while. Game plan is to always have a 15L wash going. Strip that, leave some old yeast in the bottom of the bucket, add molasses, some hot leftovers from the strip to disolve it and top up to 15L. Rinse and repeat.

Six months down the track and if what I've made so far turns out ok then I'll start running 2 x 15L continuously and start building some stock.

[Yummyrum]

Be careful leaving plastic fermenters in the sun . I’ve had one crack due to UV damage . Wouldn’t want 25litres of funk everywhere .

Maybe throw a cloth over it .

[Wozza]

Be careful leaving plastic fermenters in the sun . I’ve had one crack due to UV damage . Wouldn’t want 25litres of funk everywhere .

Maybe throw a cloth over it .

It's a totally enclosed area. Light tight. And the screwed on top has a hole for an airlock - I've stuck some tissue in that to keep the bugs out. So if it ferments at all then I've got a pressure relief. My wife might declare my distilling days over if that thing blew. She's asked what's in it. 'You really don't want to know' didn't exactly put her mind at rest.

[tiramisu]

After seeing how the sausage is made I'm thinking of becoming a vegetarian.
swmbo would definitely not be impressed.

[Yummyrum]

After seeing how the sausage is made I'm thinking of becoming a vegetarian.
swmbo would definitely not be impressed.

After eating Vege sausages for a few years ( because my wife can’t eat Red meat after tick bite ) , I now find I actually feel sick at the smell and taste of a meat Sausage … go figure .

Anyway , I get your point . Although I enjoy fish sauce in my Asian cooking , I believe I don’t want to know how its made .

[howie]

these are my 2 x pits, both over 6 months old.
one was infected by flying insects, the other one has never seen the light of day.
both smell completely different, one of pineapple, the other of molasses and fruity vomit.
i had the lids off recently to replenish the oyster shells and stick another yacult in each, and the smell engulfed the workshop and surrounding area lol.
whatever is living in there seems reasonably happy.
i have small barrel with 3 month old rum made with this, smells delicious, taste is improving.

[overoaked]

About 1 year old it has has raw sugar cane and banana peals added

[Hannibbl]

For sure I have butyric and very likely lacto swimming in there.
Has a very similar smell to the “rubbery” nose of smith and cross rum.

[NormandieStill]

Pretty tame compared to most pictures here. I might have to check the pH and maybe sling some slaked lime in to make a more hospitable home for funky bacteria.

[tiramisu]

There is nothing on earth quite as disgusting as a dunder pit for rum.
Definitely not something swmbo approved. I need a heated shed.

[Knife_man]

Quick question for all you muck/Dunder afficinardos .

Is it possible to go wrong with muck/Dunder?

I have a batch which I half heartedly left to sour up . It's in a screw cap container but with the lid only placed on and not tightened.

It's definitely got something growing in there but is it always going to add to the rum? Seems like a shame to potentially ruin my next batch unless the odds are good that it's going to improve the final product.

Edited to add a photo , not easy to get through the screwcap , still smells "molassey"

[Bradster68]

Mines over a year old. Still smells great. Kinda creamy.got 5 generations in their.