Home Distiller

Update. Got new buckets for fermenting. 2 for fermenting and 2 for racking off. Buckets are expensive! I need some barrels!

Be careful with buckets. There is a temptation to seal the lids and use airlocks. My first ever rum hit the ceiling of the wash house while we were away for the weekend. It was dried on by the time we got back.

NZChris wrote:Be careful with buckets. There is a temptation to seal the lids and use airlocks. My first ever rum hit the ceiling of the wash house while we were away for the weekend. It was dried on by the time we got back.

Thanks for the tip. Got molasses going to do a real rum this time. Popped my 2 gallons of dunder today for the first time (about 8 days old) that I saved from my dark brown sugar "rum" I ran about a week ago and it's got mold growth on top and didn't smell awful so I think I'll use it with the molasses. Boil for 20 mins then use 10-15% of the hot dunder per fermentation vessel correct?

Ever heard of these drops you can add to the ferment to keep from foaming? Ever heard of using it in the boiler for things like rum to prevent hard foam ups? Saw at my local brew ship when purchasing the buckets.

Think you're referring to antifoaming agent from home brew shops . Works very well in the boiler to stop foaming and puking .....but so does a few teaspoons of vegi oil ....some guys even use a knob of butter.

Can't say I've ever heard of it being used in a fermenter though .You might be onto something . But then I don't get big foam ups in the fermenter . Only time I did was when I used sugar and dear I say turbo yeast .

Yummyrum wrote:Think you're referring to antifoaming agent from home brew shops . Works very well in the boiler to stop foaming and puking .....but so does a few teaspoons of vegi oil ....some guys even use a knob of butter.

Can't say I've ever heard of it being used in a fermenter though .You might be onto something . But then I don't get big foam ups in the fermenter . Only time I did was when I used sugar and dear I say turbo yeast .

So rum washes don't foam til they're in the boiler? Are you saying they blow off bucket lids because too much co2 is building and not escaping fast enough? not because of foaming? Should I not put the airlock on for the first 48 hrs? I have fruit flies to worry about so the airlock is important for me. I'm just wondering how this molasses is going to ferment out. Don't wannabe scraping it off the ceiling tomorrow night after I make the rum wash in the morning.

Yes its an antifoaming agent I can't remember exactly what it was.

I have noticed something, and it came from making rum.

I wanted a dedicated rum rum fermenter, because I wasnt sure if rum would mess up my bourbon fermenters. So I went to Walmart and got one of those rectangular storage bins. You know the type, they come in all types. In got a clear one with a grey lid. Holds close to 30 gallons. 15 bucks maybe.

Anyways, I knew that rum was violent, didn't really make an airlock. I just tested the lid, it was loose enough fitting. I rolled the dice.

Turns out, it was the most gentle 'boil'...But lots of little bubbles, finished in 3 days. We don't talk about it enough, but the shape of your fermenter has alot to do with the violence of the wash. A shorter, wider container with more surface area does not build up as much tension as a tall, round, traditional shape. I think it has to do with not building up pressure behind the surface. Either way, happy accident, perfect container for rum.

Keep it in mind.

Have to agree with you shineon about tall narrow fermenters foaming more than shallow ones .
I also used one of those storage bins for a while . I was also worried about flies getting in so I put a few layers of cling wrap over the top and poked a few holes in it with a pin . I have also used a 68 Liter wash tub with a sheet of glass on top .
In both cases the foam up was barely an inch at most just during the initial yeast build up phase and quickly subsided to a pool of fizzing coke .

I abandoned my storage bin as it was near a window and I perished the thought of it braking with UV damage .

Now days I use 60 liter fermenters and fill with 50 iters . There is a higher initial foam up but its still barely 2 inches .
Violent Rum foam ups see to be reported by guys that use yeast bombs or yeast nutrient such as DAP .
I dont use any ofthat stuff with all mollases washs since the molasses has all the nutrients it needs bar epsom salts .

Yummyrum wrote:Have to agree with you shineon about tall narrow fermenters foaming more than shallow ones .
I also used one of those storage bins for a while . I was also worried about flies getting in so I put a few layers of cling wrap over the top and poked a few holes in it with a pin . I have also used a 68 Liter wash tub with a sheet of glass on top .
In both cases the foam up was barely an inch at most just during the initial yeast build up phase and quickly subsided to a pool of fizzing coke .

I abandoned my storage bin as it was near a window and I perished the thought of it braking with UV damage .

Now days I use 60 liter fermenters and fill with 50 iters . There is a higher initial foam up but its still barely 2 inches .
Violent Rum foam ups see to be reported by guys that use yeast bombs or yeast nutrient such as DAP .
I dont use any ofthat stuff with all mollases washs since the molasses has all the nutrients it needs bar epsom salts .

Do you think a wider opposed to a taller vessel would allow better/faster clearing times or more efficient clearing because of the extended surface area? I may just have to switch a a large rubbermaid container as suggested til I can find/afford a few good large barrels.

There is no need to clear it unless you are running a continuous column 24 hrs a day for weeks on end, making rum that you probably wouldn't like.

My 96 gallon fermenter is about 3' x 3' at the top.
I get roiling boiling fermentation but no foam up.

NZChris wrote:There is no need to clear it unless you are running a continuous column 24 hrs a day for weeks on end, making rum that you probably wouldn't like.

Isn't harmful to flavor profiles to cookoff that much yeast in the boiler via no letting it settle?

I'm not suggesting stirring up the trub and putting everything in the still. That might make a noticeable difference, but I don't know and I'm not interested enough to try it to find out. I siphon, leaving as much trub in the fermenter as I can, then put the next generation on that trub. If a bit of yeast gets into the boiler, I don't worry about it and I've never noticed a yeast flavor.

Many commercials whiskey distillers distil on the grain and I've never heard anyone complain about off flavors from the yeast that must have been in the mash when it went into the stills.

Many commercial rum distillers wait 24 hrs after it goes dead, some wait up to six days for extra flavors. Either way, most of the yeast will be settled out, but the wash will not be clear unless they have resorted to some trickery preparing the molasses or cane juice to get it clear before it goes into the fermenters. I'll bet not many home distillers go to the trouble. I never have.

Should I cook or filter the molasses before ferment?

rain distillate wrote:Should I cook or filter the molasses before ferment?

I can only tell you how I do it.
I heat molly up with water in a 25 gallon pot to just about boiling (it gets very foamy that's when I shut off the heat) and then use a chiller to bring it down below 150 F then pump into my fermenter and repeat until it's all in then fill with cold water until I reach desired volume, temperature and original gravity.

That's exactly what I do when I use Panela as well, obviously the panela has to be dissolved in water before it goes in the fermenter.

Others may fill in about clarifying and possibly other things but I don't bother with any of that and my rum is tasty and nutritious.

NZChris wrote:I'm not suggesting stirring up the trub and putting everything in the still. That might make a noticeable difference, but I don't know and I'm not interested enough to try it to find out. I siphon, leaving as much trub in the fermenter as I can, then put the next generation on that trub. If a bit of yeast gets into the boiler, I don't worry about it and I've never noticed a yeast flavor.

Many commercials whiskey distillers distil on the grain and I've never heard anyone complain about off flavors from the yeast that must have been in the mash when it went into the stills.

Many commercial rum distillers wait 24 hrs after it goes dead, some wait up to six days for extra flavors. Either way, most of the yeast will be settled out, but the wash will not be clear unless they have resorted to some trickery preparing the molasses or cane juice to get it clear before it goes into the fermenters. I'll bet not many home distillers go to the trouble. I never have.

100% agree with NZ here, I just pump it out of the fermenter into the boiler being careful not to disturb the trub (thick layer of yeast and sediment at the bottom).
I've found that waiting a week after it goes dormant does help with less tendency to puking and a little cleaner product (just my feeling as I compare, not based on any scientific measurements).

nerdybrewer wrote:

NZChris wrote:I'm not suggesting stirring up the trub and putting everything in the still. That might make a noticeable difference, but I don't know and I'm not interested enough to try it to find out. I siphon, leaving as much trub in the fermenter as I can, then put the next generation on that trub. If a bit of yeast gets into the boiler, I don't worry about it and I've never noticed a yeast flavor.

Many commercials whiskey distillers distil on the grain and I've never heard anyone complain about off flavors from the yeast that must have been in the mash when it went into the stills.

Many commercial rum distillers wait 24 hrs after it goes dead, some wait up to six days for extra flavors. Either way, most of the yeast will be settled out, but the wash will not be clear unless they have resorted to some trickery preparing the molasses or cane juice to get it clear before it goes into the fermenters. I'll bet not many home distillers go to the trouble. I never have.

100% agree with NZ here, I just pump it out of the fermenter into the boiler being careful not to disturb the trub (thick layer of yeast and sediment at the bottom).
I've found that waiting a week after it goes dormant does help with less tendency to puking and a little cleaner product (just my feeling as I compare, not based on any scientific measurements).

Noted will allow solids to settle for a couple days but your right rum will never "clear" like a sugar wash will. Still need a solid method on how to navigate through the mold to get to the dunder. I will be installing a spigot for next time but this time will require finesse. Any tips? Scoop out the majority and boil it?

No need to over complicate it. If you are concerned about the mold scoop it off. I just gently punch through it and siphon underneath. No boiling. The nasties are where the unique flavors come from. Boiling happens in the boiler when distilling.

I've never had an aged dunder that I felt was fit to put in my rum, so I've always used fresh and my dunder pits have always ended up in the compost. Forum and Youtube style 'aged dunder', isn't what industry uses anyway. It is a complex subject and industry keeps what they do to themselves.

https://www.google.co.nz/search?rls=en- ... dunder+pit

My dunder never lasts long enough to be considered "aged" before it gets used up. But it will get a thin layer on the surface. Hot dunder from a run goes Into next generation ferment. Whats left goes my dunder barrel, dumping it in hot. I use the "aged" dunder to dilute the low and high wine thumper charges.

I poured a splash of some neutral into the hot dunder bucket before i had sealed it up...will it be okay in the new rum ferment I want to start. I want to do this right now but I'm over thinking it I think.

rain distillate wrote:I poured a splash of some neutral into the hot dunder bucket before i had sealed it up...will it be okay in the new rum ferment I want to start. I want to do this right now but I'm over thinking it I think.

Impossible to say for sure, can't know what's in yours from here.
I'd go by nose more than sight, if it has a real bad smell then skip it - you can make good rum without it.
It will be acidic so plan for that in your wash, have oyster shells?
I always put crushed oyster shells in at the beginning and sometimes more during a ferment.
Self regulates the PH a bit.

Will fresh water muscle shells work?

Any shell will do, but I don't use crushed because of the large surface area. If that is all you can get, put it in a bag so that you can easily retrieve it if your pH goes high. There is an internet myth being propagated that shells can't take the pH too high, but they can, have, and will if you use too much.

So just one shell? One whole shell or half the shell?

It's not very critical if you're using whole shells. Keep an eye on the pH and learn from what happens.

I weigh mine before and after the ferments and note it in my records for future reference. If the pH is already low, I'll put more than usual in.

Stopped by the lake. Walked in and grabbed a bunch of fresh water muscle shells. Water was coooold. Do I need to wash them or rinse them first? You said you weigh yours how many shells per 6.5 gallon fermenter does it take to make a difference in the pH typically?

rain distillate wrote:Stopped by the lake. Walked in and grabbed a bunch of fresh water muscle shells. Water was coooold. Do I need to wash them or rinse them first? You said you weigh yours how many shells per 6.5 gallon fermenter does it take to make a difference in the pH typically?

Holy %$#@&!. . Don't ask for fresh beef around here! Drag the bull in by the nuts, this one would...

I eat them first. You do what you like.

If they're dirty I give them a scrub and pour boiling water over them. I weigh them wet, so that I don't have to dry them to reweigh them.

rain distillate wrote:Stopped by the lake. Walked in and grabbed a bunch of fresh water muscle shells. Water was coooold. Do I need to wash them or rinse them first? You said you weigh yours how many shells per 6.5 gallon fermenter does it take to make a difference in the pH typically?

Should go without saying but...

Make sure you don't have any fleshy bits on or in those shells.
If it were me I'd boil them for at least 15 minutes and let them cool down and scrub them clean.