Stockfeed molasses run

[Dathhu]

I've done a fair few runs of Bundaberg molasses, fancy molasses type runs.

Added dunder from previous runs and been happy enough with the results. Haven't ventured into muck yet, still not quite game enough for that and it's hard enough to keep the fruit/vinegar flies away at the best of times in Australia.

Finally found a source of stockfeed molasses in town which works out well, as I'm no longer able to source the Bundy stuff.

First impressions have been good so far, running all molasses with some of the dunder saved from the previous ferments.

Couple different points though. This stuff foams up like crazy during the ferment. Had to baby sit it all night, even with the lid of the fermenter loose. I thought 20L of headspace in a 60L fermenter would be fine, but just managed to catch it as it started to push through the airlock. Left the lids loose and lucky it died down enough to be able to refit them before finally getting to bed.

Stripping it is going well, had a bit of a puke but not too worried. If anything it's more flavour for the spirit run. It's got some nice fruity and molasses smells and tastes, but there is definitely something grungier about it than the fancy stuff.

Hoping after a spirit run I'll end up with some very nice rum. I'll definitely have to stash it away on oak longer, but looking forward to how it comes out.

[Dathhu]

I've got the next couple days to get the strips done so I can get the next lot of molasses going. Gotta get it going soon though, I'm guessing the container that was used wasn't quite clean, it appears to be fermenting and building up some pressure.

I'll put away some of the dunder for the next lot of molasses I get then make a sugar, dunder, left over wash and feints to make a lighter rum to get me through while this stuff ages.

[Saltbush Bill]

I'm guessing the container that was used wasn't quite clean, it appears to be fermenting and building up some pressure.

Never yet met a stock feed mollases that wouldn't start fermenting by its self given half a chance.........if you want to go that way buy the fancy food grade stuff in perfectly sterile cube containers.

[Dathhu]

Never yet met a stock feed mollases that wouldn't start fermenting by its self given half a chance.........if you want to go that way buy the fancy food grade stuff in perfectly sterile cube containers.

All good Saltbush Bill, I'm taking this as a big learning experience. Only going to buy what I need from now on. Hoping maybe some of the wild funk from the pre-feremnt comes out ok, if not I'll put it away for a bit.

Either way, rum? Might be good, might be bad? Might be interesting...

[Dathhu]

It's definitely looking to be better than just the Bundy molasses.

[ferrica]

Me too. I'm quite new to distilling and closely followed the SSB molasses rum recipe/method from this forum. Although I used 12 cans of Lyles Treacle and topped that up with 1kg of sugar. I've since found a local source for raw animal molasses at a fair price so will be trying that in future.

So.....I've got nearly 30 litres of molasses wash almost ready for the off after about 10 days. I'm using a virgin keg-type modular still and will be running it as a pot in a day or so. I did a vinegar run yesterday and biting at the bit now to warm up my first rum wash. I only have to get the coolant arrangements sorted and I'm a way 2 go.

I'm enjoying my little journey, this place has helped me no end!

[Dathhu]

Me too. I'm quite new to distilling and closely followed the SSB molasses rum recipe/method from this forum. Although I used 12 cans of Lyles Treacle and topped that up with 1kg of sugar. I've since found a local source for raw animal molasses at a fair price so will be trying that in future.

So.....I've got nearly 30 litres of molasses wash almost ready for the off after about 10 days. I'm using a virgin keg-type modular still and will be running it as a pot in a day or so. I did a vinegar run yesterday and biting at the bit now to warm up my first rum wash. I only have to get the coolant arrangements sorted and I'm a way 2 go.

I'm enjoying my little journey, this place has helped me no end!

Hope you make some tasty rum Ferrica. 30L of wash is dipping your toes though, hope you get a bottle or two of something tasty out of it.

After all the stripping from 20L of straight molasses, I'm hoping to get 5L or so of 60% after cuts to put away for a while on some oak.

Hoping to back it up a couple more times over the next few months while the weather is good for rum.

I really need to get my bigger still up and running properly so I can strip more at once.

[Yummyrum]

Good stuff Dahthu.

Funny thing is I’ve had two cubes of Bundaburg molasses sitting in the shed for nearly two years . Strangely , one is swollen up while the other is not .
I keep wanting to do a side by side with Blackstrap but never seem to get the time .


Mentioning Blackstrap .
Blackstrap is used as a feed for animals but we should be careful when talking about Molasses .

Some blackstap is mixed with other crap and sold as feedstock Molasses .

Ideally we should try to obtain and use straight Blackstrap , not the Feedstock molasses .

If your rural store has IBCs or barrels that they fill you containers with , you git the good stuff . If they sell you a container with a fancy label on it , it’s most likely the adulterated feedstock version which usually does have protein added .

[ferrica]

Thanks for the headsup gentlemen.....

I did check-out the molasses I'm about to buy (NAF 25l) and I'm assured it's pure sugar-cane by the supplier and after a little research further online myself.

I finished my first molly run today and ended up with about 1.75l of quite palatable 75% ABV Haven't proofed it yet so the verdict awaits until I bring it down to about 40% There is a very detectable (pleasant) taste of molasses in the heads that fades somewhat during the middle of the run and other pronounced flavours which I can't describe dominate toward the end.

Yes Dahthu I've just invested in a solid 60l food grade barrel I'll be modifying that asap and my next wash will be fizzin in it by next week I hope. I'm fricking hooked lol. I've also got some medium oak sticks courtesy of eBay but I'm not to sure about the amount per litre to use or how long are they left in?

Anyway I'll add a pic I took of my modest set-up (see below) Cheers fellas

[Dathhu]

Not sure how big your oak sticks are ferrica, I bought a bag of medium toast American oak dominos a while back and have been using them.

As the name suggests, about the size of dominos, bit thicker though. Roughly about 20mm x 50 x 10.

I find 1.5 - 2 of them in 5L to work well, adds good colour and flavour with over oaking it. The ones I bought split easy enough, easy to play around with a bit. Was starting to come up really nice by about 6 months, wish I'd made more then to keep it aging longer. That's the plan this time, more volume so I keep my hands of it longer.

For your volume I'd probably start with a piece about 10x10x50 to begin with, give it a couple months and see how the colour and flavour are coming along. You can always add more, but if you over oak it about the only thing you can try is diluting it with some more new make or hoping the woodiness dies down a bit in time.

[Dathhu]

Yummy, pretty sure the molasses I bought is just that, blackstrap molasses.

Came in an unassuming plastic cube from the local feed store. They have to order it in though, not being sugar cane country so far out west in QLD. They did say they can order drums and IBCs too though, so guessing it's free of additives.

If I wasn't in a rental I'd probably consider a drum, would keep me busy all summer long and I probably wouldn't need to make any more for a few years... But I probably still would though

[ferrica]

TY Dathhu

regarding the wood..... my sticks are more like jenga blocks about 15 x 15 x 125mm long.

However I plunged in last night and treated myself to a small medium char American Oak barrel (5l) from eBay which will be delivered next week. I think I will try my hand (mouth/nose) at blending what I have along with the output from a bigger molly 60l wash the week after. I'm hoping to fill that barrel with something potent and pleasant for Christmas :=] Anything I have left over I will experiment with using the sticks

Tally fkn Ho

[Dathhu]

Just be careful with a barrel that size, they can over oak spirits very quickly, especially as it hasn't been used before. My brother in law had that happen to him, bought a couple 10L barrels to put aside for his sons and it didn't work out too well.

It might be okay for Christmas, but it's probably going to have to be a pretty narrow cut.

[ferrica]

Thanks again for the headsup Dathhu

I guess it's all a matter of live and learn huh? When the barrel's arrived and prepared I should have enough blended (after my next molly run) to fill it then monitor it regularly before bottling up.....

AS soon as I work out how to post pictures I will

[Ben]

4th announcement down on announcements, 3rd topic down on topics. Whole section is worth a peak.

viewforum.php?f=35

[Yummyrum]

That link is 11 years old . Things have changed here a bit regarding upload size .
I’ll post something soon when I get time

[ferrica]

Cheers all

I think I've got it sussed now. I was looking for the attachments tab in the wrong place doh

Here's my simple setup during that molly run I just completed this weekend.

[Demy]

I am very envious of your cheap molasses, here where I live I can not find it .... a big hello.

[Dathhu]

Running the spirit run of this now, the early-mid heads smell reminiscent to Bundy.

They've definitely got that jaggy harshness that Bundy rum has, sort of fruity, sort of plastic almost smell.

I guess that is what makes Bundy rum though, but I'm aiming a little bit higher than that mark. Plus, I don't want to be leaving it sit more multiple years to hopefully get some of that harshness out.

[Dathhu]

Might go for a little of the mid to late stuff, I'll have another smell and taste in the morning when my house doesn't smell like a rum distillery:)

[Dathhu]

Ok, I think I messed up the tails cut... I'm pretty sure I cut too soon. Got about 4L of what I think will be hearts, was getting a flavour I didn't quite like though, so ramped up the power into a jug for feints.

Just tested the output, was still at about 50% ABV. After running another litre, I know I'm into tails now. I think I could have let it run a little longer, but oh well, I'll run it off and chuck some used oak into it for now. Might just try running it through a short reflux along with any other rum feints for a white rum after I'm finished running rum for the summer.

Haven't run a rum spirit run since last summer though, so I should be able to get things going again over the next few months of 30+C weather and getting my nose and taste back into fresh stilled rum.

[ferrica]

Encouraging result Dathhu.....

Got myself 25l of NAF horsefeed molasses locally (cost near enough £40 with delivery)

Using my new (60l) fermenter drum I'm doing a faithful SSB Molly wash over the next week or so.

Will open up a new thread here soon to log my progress

Cheers mukkas

[Dathhu]

Ended up getting pretty much bang on 4L at 68%. Chucked some oak into it and now it's time to wait.

Not too far off my initial estimate of 5L at 60%. (Works out to be about 4.5L at 60)

Definitely not as clean a taste as the fancy molasses stuff I've run before, watering down a taster to about 30% it wasn't too bad though. A bit rough around the edges but I think I cut the heads fairly nicely. No real burn, a bit of warmth more than anything.

I'm thinking I could probably go a little bit more of the later heads on the next run, as I plan to age it for a decent period. I might have gotten away with a little more tails end stuff as well.

I'll try a few different approaches on the next few runs and track how they're all tasting in the coming months.

Definitely smells like rum though, even as fresh as it is, so that's a plus

[ferrica]

Glad you got a result Dathhu.

My Lyles treacle run output is on sticks and showed improvement overnight. I compared it today side-by-side with a little tot of Captain Morgan and it has a very similar smell but the Capt. Morgan has a much more pronounced molasses aftertaste.

Keep on Truckin

[Dathhu]

Ferrica, i hope your rum is tasty.

Mine is mediocre at best, but it is less than a month old. A day, a week, a month, still probably not so good.

Hope you got some good hearts if you want it for Christmas, me, I'm hoping for a bit longer... If I can keep it until next Christmas I'll be good.

[Dathhu]

Hasn't stopped me tasting it though, while I'm not loving it now, I see something good in the future.

[Archee72]

Hey Dathhu

Molasses Rum that I have made takes at least 3 months to taste ok. I throw a vanilla bean in with the oak staves too.

[Dathhu]

Hey Dathhu

Molasses Rum that I have made takes at least 3 months to taste ok. I throw a vanilla bean in with the oak staves too.

I know this stuff isn't going to taste great for a while now. I intentionally went a lot wider than I have done in the past.

Not looking to add any other flavours, spices or anything, just after some real rum.

I'm planning to have this sit until next Christmas, just having a taste along the way every so often.

Thinking for my next run I'm probably going to go towards the more heads end of cuts after my initial impressions. Got it all ready to start running then COVID bit me on the butt and messed up my smell and taste.

I'll probably strip it off soon when I get the energy for it, still plenty of days in the Australian summer to ferment rum though, so I'm not too worried.

[Archee72]

Cool
I’ve found the vanilla bean tames the molasses harshness quickier. If I had the time to make more volume I’d do 2 batches, 1 with and 1 without to compare.

Cheers

[Dathhu]

Update:

Just shy of three months, tannins have died down and have started to get interesting.

Will definitely put a little more on the heads side next batch, it's a little flat on the front.

Any tailsy notes have changed completely, the hint of wet cardboard has gone now. Deep, funky, molasses hit, really starting to shine. Unlike any commercial product I've tried and I'm struggling to keep my hands off it, even at such a young age.

If COVID and work didn't mess me up as much this summer, I'd have a lot more of this down and be very happy with it.

As it is, I still probably have a couple months to put some more down. Might have to put it in for some holidays so I can actually have the time to distill it.

Overall, very happy with this lot of molasses, hopefully I can keep this stuff going.