Oily film over the ferment, eventual problems or not?

[Evil_Dark]

I made a rum ferment and I added some coconut flesh hoping it will give a subtle taste of coconut... Or another interesting caracter.
Anyway the fat/oils that are naturally in the coconut are now floating over the ferment, and covering it almost entirely. The ferment looks done of fermenting, made it 7 days ago and was fermenting correctly.

I am a bit worried about this oil film...Can it give some problems during the run on the still? (Pot still)
I saw some distiller adding some greasy components into the boiler to help prevent puking, so It may naturally help instead of giving me some problems?

What are your thoughts?

[Truckinbutch]

Have had the same sort of film on corn all grain ferments . Had no problems .

[jonnys_spirit]

I shake some EVOO into most strip runs to prevent foaming. I think it’ll be fine. I also get a layer of oils on top of AG strips.

I noticed some stratification on a carboy of bourbon AG feints. Heavier product on the bottom is a bit cloudy and the top is clear. Mix it up and you can see the oils floating around and it seems to separate again after a bit. This is a batch of feints I’m recycling every bourbon run and discarding early heads - saving late heads and tails.

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

These are no-puke low wines but the thin layer of “gritty oily stuff” or sheen floating on top is fairly typical and the spirit run cleans it up crystal clear. Sometimes there will be a few small blue flecks or of fibrous looking material floating on top with it or even dark globs of oil that might appear metallic in nature. “Corn and grain oils” warm my heart…

Cheers!
-j

[Evil_Dark]

Ok no worries then.
I do 5 gal sized ferments, my boiler has a 10 gal capacity (full), so I shouldn't be worried about having oil carried over in the final spirit?

[jonnys_spirit]

I wouldn’t worry about it. If anything it’ll come over towards the tails. Interested to see how the coconut flavor comes across though.

Cheers!
-j

[still_stirrin]

Ok … so I shouldn't be worried about having oil carried over in the final spirit?

Put a coffee filter in the funnel as you’re collecting the spirit. Or, a little cotton ball works too. Old timers would use a felt hat to catch the oils if they were to come over.

But typically they’ll be mostly left behind in the backset unless you tend to run the heat up high, ie - a fast vapor production rate on the spirit run.

Do you have a “need for speed”, that is, are you urgently trying to fill your drinking liquor bottle?
ss

[Evil_Dark]

Do you have a “need for speed”, that is, are you urgently trying to fill your drinking liquor bottle?
ss

Haha! Well i'm a pirate, I drink rum before 10AM... But I can wait enough to have a good spirit to sip

Probably that just by racking the ferment from the bottom just over the lies I should be able to let most of the oils in the fermenter.

I wouldn’t worry about it. If anything it’ll come over towards the tails. Interested to see how the coconut flavor comes across though.

Cheers!
-j

I do too! Will post the results. But i'm pretty sure that it will be veeeeery subtle. That's why the coconut flavors are usually obtained with a gin basket.
All can do is to tell to my friends that this is a special rum made with coconut... And let them try to find the coconut taste into it !