Northern Rum

[jonnys_spirit]

I didn’t measure pH oops! I did put a small sack of oyster shells in there though. Opened the top to vent a little heat.

EDIT: pH is now about 3.50. Gonna let it roll with that unless it stalls since it’s close to done.

[jonnys_spirit]

Seems like it’s stuck around 1.010 and tastes a little sweet still. I added 3 TBSP of calcium hydroxide slurry yesterday. Temp is slowly dropping and about 89*F this am. Pitched some more yeasties this morning too. I’ll run it if I have to but would like to get it dry if I can so no big hurry yet.

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

Here’s a sample of unfermented sorghum juice that I kept in the fridge. Notice the stratification layers and the rather deep (relatively about 1/10th volume or one order of magnitude) of the “sorghum oil” floating on top.

I’m wondering whether this layer of lighter material may be affecting my SG reading on the fermented juice. I’m going to take a sample of the fermented and cold crash to see how that stratifies and whether I can get a sample of the separated/fermented juice to measure SG.

Theory is that it’s fermented out dry and the SG 1.010 is due to this un-fermentable oil component.

Cheers!
-j

[8Ball]

I agree that it is most likely finished at 1.010, similar to a molasses wash.

[jonnys_spirit]

I agree that it is most likely finished at 1.010, similar to a molasses wash.

Yeah looks like it and that makes the abv a little lower than I wanted so I ordered about 15# panela to bump it a couple abv points to get me into the 9-10%abv range - I know I'm not sticking to the original plan but the panela will be here tomorrow and i'll have a hybrid sorghum/panela that i'll double distill and probably shoot to keep white...

Surprised that this fermented out in basically 24h.

I'll update later in any case with the stratification on the fermented sample.

Cheers!
-j

[8Ball]

I agree that it is most likely finished at 1.010, similar to a molasses wash.

Yeah looks like it and that makes the abv a little lower than I wanted so I ordered about 15# panela to bump it a couple abv points to get me into the 9-10%abv range - I know I'm not sticking to the original plan but the panela will be here tomorrow and i'll have a hybrid sorghum/panela that i'll double distill and probably shoot to keep white...

Surprised that this fermented out in basically 24h.

I'll update later in any case with the stratification on the fermented sample.

Cheers!
-j

I’d keep the panela separate! You can always blend later. Find out what the sorghum is like.

[NZChris]

I ferment and distill all my rums separately so that I can learn from each, then blend after aging, if at all.

[jonnys_spirit]

You guys are right. The fresh juice is limited to harvest season and I can get panela/molasses anytime or even sorghum syrup for that matter.

Very interesting - Left is refrigerated unfermented juice, right is refrigerated after fermentation.

Cheers!
-j

[subbrew]

when making syrup there is a lot of foam that forms on the top. That is all skimmed off. I wonder if that upper layer is what forms the foam and is removed. Thus you would not have the issue when using syrup. Just a thought.

[NZChris]

One name for it is scummings and it is useful for creating Hogo for high ester rums. I think they use it in the trash cistern.

[Corsaire]

What I make out of this Charles Allan text it's added to the fermenter:

Capacity of fermenting cistern 2,000 gallons.

Skimmings (fresh) 620 gallons at 12 brix
Dunder 760 gallons at 24 brix
Acid 220 gallons at 8 brix
Molasses 200 gallons
Flavour 160 gallons at 8 brix

Where flavour is aged dunder or muck and acid is cane vinegar.

But I've always found those weird proportions, and lacking in water. Seems like it should make a very difficult ferment, but then again that is probably exactly the point in high ester rums. Low yield, but highly flavored.

High ester sorghum rum?

Unfortunately there are no commercial growers around me (that I could find)

[jonnys_spirit]

One name for it is scummings and it is useful for creating Hogo for high ester rums. I think they use it in the trash cistern.

My thought was to potentially harvest the stratified layer and add it to a spirit run or something.. Seems like the yeast eat it up though and it's gone after fermentation..

[jonnys_spirit]

I got two stripping runs out of three finished today. Probably 14-15g charge for each. Netted somewhere between 7-8 gallons of low wines in the 25%abv range. I’ll have to check abv when it’s all cooled down but I was surprised at the volume. Next strip i’ll save a bit of the fermented juice to top up the spirit run if I can. The early take off smelled very grassy. Pretty much just like the field it came from. Looking forward to sipping on this unique spirit!

Next week is busy @ work so hope I can do the last strip one evening.

Cheers,
-j

[subbrew]

Interesting that the grassy came over. That has always been the part I didn't like about the syrup as far as using on pancakes or something, it had a grassy flavor. I was hoping fermentation or distillation would leave that behind. Perhaps when you do the spirit run you can leave it behind in the cuts.

[NZChris]

It might be why there isn't a bottle of Sorghum rum in every bar.

[jonnys_spirit]

I wouldn’t describe it as a defect by any stretch of the imagination. Fresh earth, cut grass, a hint of floral and funky - slight citrus. I’m a fan of sipping Cachaca neat and this is similar. The cooked syrup versions of this spirit (same terrior) are quite different from memory so i’ll have to restock on those to compare side by side.

Cheers!
-j

[Saltbush Bill]

I wouldn’t describe it as a defect by any stretch of the imagination. Fresh earth, cut grass, a hint of floral and funky - slight citrus. I’m a fan of sipping Cachaca neat and this is similar.

Gotta agree there Jonny, a local distillery makes a fine Cachaca, the times Ive tried it I though it carried those attributed, I quite like it, have been tempted to buy a bottle more than once.

[Corsaire]

It might be why there isn't a bottle of Sorghum rum in every bar.

But rhum agricole is pretty easy to find in Europe, and especially in France.

I like the funky grassiness of rhum agricole and cachaca. Although the aged ones age very well they lose that fresh cut grass smell. Jonny, I don't know if you intend to age this on wood but I'd keep some white.

Unfortunately the seller I found for sorghum seeds just went out of business :-(

[jonnys_spirit]

It might be why there isn't a bottle of Sorghum rum in every bar.

But rhum agricole is pretty easy to find in Europe, and especially in France.

I like the funky grassiness of rhum agricole and cachaca. Although the aged ones age very well they lose that fresh cut grass smell. Jonny, I don't know if you intend to age this on wood but I'd keep some white.

Unfortunately the seller I found for sorghum seeds just went out of business :-(

I'm definitely a fan of Cachaca and haven't had Rhum Agricole yet (research excuse to purchase commercial likker)!

I'm planning to make a barrel cut and a white cut for this and maybe save a feints cur for next years sorghum cane harvest / sorghum agricole. Probably won't save any sorghum cane dunder...

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

Last strip run this afternoon on the sorghum juice. A little bit of sediment and liquid left in the barrel. Figure I’ll rack this out into a carboy and see what settles out. Maybe I can get a bit to top up the spirit run. My GF did buy a jug of the sorghum syrup while we were at the farm so might ferment some of that out added into this with some water for top up on the spirit run.. once I see total volume of low wines i’ll know how much fresh fermented wash/juice I need.

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

About 12 gallons 25%’ish low wines and the grassy barrel dregs topped up with a little water and sorghum syrup to ferment out and drop sediment. I’ll rack that in a week or three to top up the spirit run.

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

This last remaining bit of fermented sorghum juice topped up with sorghum syrup and water to estimated 1.070 range is dropping sediment and i recon i’ll get 2.5-3gallons of fresh ferment to top up the spirit run charge to “just about full”.

Plan to spirit run this and some straight up all melter honey shine next week to broaden the white section of the cabinet. Will update with notes on cuts and all that and prolly plan to do this again next year when in season again.

Cheers!
-j

[subbrew]

Would love to hear about the honey shine as well. I assume by all melter you are talking about honey collected when the caps are melted. I have about 4 gallons of that I was planning on a honey shine so would like to hear all about your experience.

[jonnys_spirit]

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I collected 12x 800ml fractions. Started louching a bit around jars 10&11. Combined jars 5, 6, 7, and 8 for almost a gallon of 142 proof white sorghum. Grassy and slight citrus on the nose. Goes down smooth with a nice warmth spreading from the belly outward. I might mix in some of the other fractions over the next day or so but really liking this as is and quite unique. I’ll do it again if I can get the juice next year but maybe more.

I’ll post more in another thread more about the melter honey in the next couple months once I work through and compare a few batches recycling dunder and feints but first spirit run is very promising. Smells and tastes wonderfully like honey without the sweetness and a velvety rich viscosity. Getting ready to move the second melter honey ferment into carboys to finish out and have a second spirit run to do later this week that I topped up with feints from last spirit run. It’ll probably take a month to six weeks for the mead to clear up to where I want it. 1/2 gallon of melter shine is sitting on two small fingers of used bourbon oak now - shooting for a light golden hue and minimal but slight oak contribution then solera the eight or so melter spirit runs to get the oak just right.

Cheers!
-j

[jonnys_spirit]

If any get the chance to do a batch of rhum agricole or sorghum agricole I highly recommend this cocktail 'ti punch. I used sorghum syrup in mine instead of cane syrup (and fresh lime).. By the third glass I heated a bit of the spirit and syrup in the micro to mix it in then topped up with fresh spirit to and lime cool it down... Wow this is very good and I'm not normally a cocktail kinda guy!

https://www.rhuminations.com/blog/ti-pu ... unch-vieux

Cheers,
j

[Twisted Brick]

A 10:1 reduction to syrup prices out to $33.33 per gallon vs $25 per gallon for pure cane syrup. I don’t know enough about sorghum to understand why it demands the higher price over sugar cane. Interested in following this thread.

I just came across this thread, inspires one to put down a sorghum ferment.

Azure Standard currently has sorghum syrup for $27/gal. 8Ball, Azure Standard has two drops pretty close to you.

Sweet Sorghum

[Stonecutter]

Yeah nice Bump Twisted.
I like the idea of smoking brisket, drinking beer and crushing some sorghum on a sunny day somewhere down south.

Interesting about them grassy notes

[Twisted Brick]

Yeah nice Bump Twisted.
I like the idea of smoking brisket, drinking beer and crushing some sorghum on a sunny day somewhere down south.

Or yer backyard?

[8Ball]

A 10:1 reduction to syrup prices out to $33.33 per gallon vs $25 per gallon for pure cane syrup. I don’t know enough about sorghum to understand why it demands the higher price over sugar cane. Interested in following this thread.

I just came across this thread, inspires one to put down a sorghum ferment.

Azure Standard currently has sorghum syrup for $27/gal. 8Ball, Azure Standard has two drops pretty close to you.

Sweet Sorghum

Sounds good, Twisted. Thanks for the resource link. The price for sorghum from Azure is consistent with my sources pure cane syrup. I went ahead and created an account and you are correct, they have a drop about 15 minutes from my house. I might get some of the sorghum when things warm up this summer.

[Twisted Brick]

Sure thing. This summer I would like to make a go at it as well.