molasses with propiotic acid

[smokeskrene4207]

As I've never made pugirum can someone tell me if its closer in flavor to bacardi silver or Meyers Jamaican.

[still_stirrin]

...closer in flavor to bacardi silver or Meyers Jamaican...

I can't....I've not had those commercial off-the-shelf examples. But the macerations gives the rum a sweet, spicy flavor.
ss

[smokeskrene4207]

Still stirring if I find the flavor profile to heavy could I just water down and run again to lighten the flavors. I'm not a fan of heavy rum.

[still_stirrin]

Still stirring if I find the flavor profile to heavy could I just water down and run again to lighten the flavors. I'm not a fan of heavy rum.

Sure. Or mix it with some white neutral.

I wouldn't worry so much about too much flavor really. If you use less dunder and substitute water in the boiler for the spirit run, it'll clean up the flavors for you. But you do need to pay attention on how you make your cuts. You don't want heads and tails in the "keeper" cut...just good clean hearts.
ss

[smokeskrene4207]

I've been under the impression I should collect enough low wine to charge the boiler. You are saying single distill but don't get too greedy. Hmmm that's a no brainer. Saves on propane to. Hell if done right 2 12 gallon charges would keep me in rum for a while.

[still_stirrin]

I've been under the impression I should collect enough low wine to charge the boiler. You are saying single distill but don't get too greedy. Hmmm that's a no brainer. Saves on propane to. Hell if done right 2 12 gallon charges would keep me in rum for a while.

No, I'm not saying to run single pass...strip the ferments and collect low wines for a spirit run. But you should pull fores out of the strip runs, keeping heads and tails with the low wines. Then, when you do the spirit (with the added dunder), then do your conservative cuts.
ss

[BourbonStreet]

My Pugirum is somewhere between light and dark. The molasses always makes it puke a bit during the stripping run, even if I add butter. That gives me enough dunder, so I add water instead. Good clean flavor, especially on the hearts. It's almost as clean as UJSSM, but with more of a molasses taste.

[smokeskrene4207]

OK so I'm in the process of converting the propiotic acid right now. It simmered I'm just waiting for it to cool to syphon other liquid off the sediment. I'm pretty much doing pugirum 10 gallon starting fresh no dunder except for a few changes which are
1. I don't have b complex but I did have a multivitam with lots of b12.
2. No fertilizer but from reading I can supplement yeast nutrient for wine
Now from what I understand this will need lots of headspace. Would 4 gallons in a 5 gallon fermenter leave me enough headway? I have some 5 gallon buckets.

[smokeskrene4207]

So I made up 12 gallons. 3 5 gallon fermenters with 4 gallons in each. I ended up with an SG of 1.110 at 108 degrees Fahrenheit. I'll pitch yeast soon

[nerdybrewer]

So I made up 12 gallons. 3 5 gallon fermenters with 4 gallons in each. I ended up with an SG of 1.110 at 108 degrees Fahrenheit. I'll pitch yeast soon

Hope you wait until the temp is down a ways before pitching.
When you get a method that works for you you can fine tune.
I've been doing it from Buccaneer Bob's and fine tuning my recipe and process, currently have a batch I've moved from the first barrel to a second barrel.
It's really great from 7 months in the first barrel, there are some things the other barrel has I want in my rum so maybe another 6 months in there and it will be done.
Whatever you do, make it your own.
You know that Specific Gravity is related to the temperature right?
You can use a formula to figure out your SG from 108F to 60F.
Or a handy web converter.

[still_stirrin]

OG calculated as 1.117....waaaaaay big! I hope it'll taste OK for you.
Here's a link to an online calculator for SG correction: http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipa ... l?17903035" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
ss

[smokeskrene4207]

I just pitched yeast. I added more water to bring my SG down to 1.095.

[smokeskrene4207]

My SG is at 1.050. I hope underpants gnomes aren't stealing my sugar content to make profit lol. This is fermenting fast. 15 hrs and it dropped 45 points. Anybody know the average fg of rum wash.

[Monkeyman88]

That would depend on the amount of unfermentables in your batch of molasses and how much you used. Mine finish around 1.030-1.040. Others can get theirs down to 1.000.

[still_stirrin]

+1 to what Monkeyman said.

I use feed store molly (83 brix) with much fermentables in it. But it also has a lot of non-fermentables in it too. My last ferment finished in the 1.040 range.

But I fermented only the molly, without adding sugar (I wanted to retain a big molasses flavor). Adding sugar to the ferment will increase the fermentable to non-fermentable ratio, allowing the final gravity to drive lower (provided the starting gravity isn't increased because of the added sugar). Keeping the opening gravity in the 1.070-1.080 range will give you a fast start and if a portion of your fermentables are sugar, the terminal gravity will drive lower.

So, finish depends on many factors...type of molly (brix potential), amount of sugar supplements, opening gravity, type and health of yeast, nutrients available for the yeast, aeration, fermentation temperature, etc. YMMV.
ss

[smokeskrene4207]

Its so cool how fast this fermented. Yesterday 1.095 this morning 1.030. I figured it would go fast but not like this wow. I left my hydrometer in my test vial with rum wash in it for fun and every time I went in the kitchen it would read lower and lower.

[nerdybrewer]

So as long as your PH doesn't crash you will know when it's done, my last batches went like that too then got down to the 1.030 range and stopped.
I let it sit for 2 weeks and it barely dipped below 1.030 - so I ran it all (36 gallons, about 12 at a time through my keg boiler to reduce puking).
Stripped it all then had one big spirit run.

[BourbonStreet]

Mine starts out at around 1.12-1.13, and finishes about 1.05-1.06. Sounds weird, but it makes a great final product. My water is pretty hard here. Tap water is about 1.01.

As for the dark or light flavor, it's all in how you run it and mix it. I ran one batch really hot, and got all kinds of spicy flavors, especially in the heads. I ran the next batch slower, and it was a lot cleaner. I mix the two and get a great rum.

My pH crashed on the last batch, so I tried eggshells. It really worked! They had all dissolved by the time it finished. The ferment was slow, but the spirit came out very smooth.

[smokeskrene4207]

So my ferment appears to be stopped at around 1.025. I'm gonna let it settle out some and run it. Is 12 gallons to much to strip in a 15.5 gallon keg? Or should I do 10 gallons to prevent puking?

[still_stirrin]

So my ferment appears to be stopped at around 1.025. I'm gonna let it settle out some and run it. Is 12 gallons to much to strip in a 15.5 gallon keg? Or should I do 10 gallons to prevent puking?

What I'd do is strip 9 gallons. Then add the balance (3 gallons) and top up with the dunder (to 50%) from the strip and strip the rest. After that, you can combine the low wines and run a spirit run.

I think with more than 9 gallons in your boiler, you're likely to see a puke during a strip run. Or at least it may, so planning for it to avoid the troubles that follow.

That's what I'd do if I had 12 gallons.
ss

[shadylane]

Just a thought.
If it's a sugar wash with or without a high % of molasses, a yeast bomb is needed.
If a wash doesn't finish below 1.010, it's not done, it's stalled or the measurement is wrong

[smokeskrene4207]

Still_stirrin I planned to make up another wash that's the same volume as this one to do 3 9 gallon runs. Would it be better to run 3 strips at 8 gallons followed by a spirit run or 2 9 gallon strip runs then add that to the remainder of the wash strip that then to a spirit run with dunder?

[still_stirrin]

Hmmmmm, smokeskrene...I'm not the most experienced with rum runs although I have done a few. Others here should chime in with advice too.

But as an example, I have done two 9 gallon ferments to strip in a keg boiler (each a separate strip) collecting the low wines and running the spirit with about 4 gallons of dunder. The low wines was roughly 5 gallons, maybe just a touch over. The wash wash at 40%ABV with the low wines and the dunder. The spirit run netted about 2 gallons of 160 proof spirit. The molasses character came through very well.

As a general thought, adding dunder to a spirit run will boost up the molasses flavor. Do it if you can, or want a big molasses character in your rum.
ss

[smokeskrene4207]

I'm gonna do three ten gallon strips with my keg still. I'm not too conserned about puking with ten gallons since my 2 inch pot column is 26 inches into a 90 then reduced after about 8 inches to a 1/2 inch leibeg. If my math is right and my second wash is close in abv which it should since I'm using the same recipe and the rest of the molasses in a 5 gallon bucket I was given I should end up with about 9.5 gallons of 29% for a spirit run.

[Monkeyman88]

I wouldn't worry about puking on a strip run. I don't know why everyone fusses about it. Especially if you're going to add dunder or wash back for the spirit run anyway.

[smokeskrene4207]

I'm just hoping I'll get close to 2.5 gallons at aging strength when I'm done. That would be nice.

[smokeskrene4207]

SG dropped to 1.020. I think it got a little cold it my house. As soon as I lit a fire and it warmed up the airlocks picked up speed. once it does stop how long do I have to wait to run it? Normally I wouldn't rush but where I live it was freezing rain last night and I have to run outside.

[still_stirrin]

....once it does stop how long do I have to wait to run it?...it was freezing rain last night and I have to run outside.

I'd wait until it stops raining.....or get an umbrella.

When it's time to run it, you'll know when it is. Trust your instincts.
ss

[smokeskrene4207]

I'd like to run tomorrow. Shouldn't be bad. I can fire up the still and convert molasses at the same time.

[BourbonStreet]

I wouldn't worry about puking on a strip run. I don't know why everyone fusses about it. Especially if you're going to add dunder or wash back for the spirit run anyway.

I freaked out the first time I made rum; it puked like crazy. After I did the spirit run, it was nice and clear. It still pukes in the hearts every time I strip it, but the final spirit always turns out clear and smooth.