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I'm having difficulty trying to figure out how best to get my nuetral spirits to resemble spiced rum. I use a sugar based wash and distill in a reflux column to about 150 proof. No off flavors. I am open to using an essence, but I'd like to know if anybody else has had success using anything else. Thanks!

better to just make rum. Save that neutral for infusions or whatever.

Basic rum is easy... Just get some molasses into your plans...

+1 on JD.

If you want to make rum? Make some rum. Then spice it up yourself. A rum should come off good at 150 proof. And some good recipes in the tried and true section.

Turning a neutral into rum is kinda like a sex change operation, it doesn't work out to well.

Like everyone else said just do a hook rum, or my rum, or whatever rum and spice it up.

Ok after reading your other thread about pretty much the same thing.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=32638

I"m making some pretty good 150p nuetral spirits from a sugar and mollases wash. She basically uses the 150p to mix up flavors for our friends like apple pie, peach, and watermellon.

Sounds like your already making a rum of sorts. Not exactly the best neutral wash there is. And I can't imagine the molasses doesn't come through? And it also seams like your running it off higher ABV then diluting to 150 proof? So this brings me to a round of questions.

What kind of reflux still are you using? How are you running it? What is the recipe you are using for your wash? And what made you go with a molasses wash for neutral?

One last question. Have you posted these same exact questions under another user name before?
I know I have read these exact same two questions in two separate posts by the same person before. I just know it. I will have to find them.

I'm sorry, I was wrong on my still type. It"s a fractionating column packed with copper pot scrubbers atop a beer keg. My cooling water is circulated through 20' of 1/4" copper tube. My boiler is a Banjo cooker fed by propane. My wash recipie is a "tried and true" I found on here. Basically 65lb sugar, 1/2 gallon blackstrap molasses, yeast, DAP, Fermaid K.....etc. in 23 gallons of water.
I assume that's pretty close to a rum wash, am I wrong? After pitching the heads, I average about 4 gallons of 150p, although I'm likely to start collecting my tails earlier than completely neccesary for fear of cloudy or off-tasting product. I also always re run my tails on the next run.

Other than a similar post in the Novice section, I don't recall ever posting this question before, but I've been wrong before..lol

lacks a lot in the molasses department

Keeping in mind I'm just a notch above "noobie", I just used that recipie starting out and haven't deviated from it much. I will look around more for rum wash ideas on a smaller scale.
One question though, don't the copper pot scrubbers strip the flavor I'd achieve by adding more molasses?

griller95 wrote:One question though, don't the copper pot scrubbers strip the flavor I'd achieve by adding more molasses?

Yes and no, the reflux action is what is stripping out the flavor of the product, using the copper as the reflux material. You could run it without much reflux and it would act like a detuned reflux or almost like a pot still where the vapours just pass through the copper mesh and don't really reflux too much. easier with a straight pot still but can still work.

Sory not to be a pain. But this doesn't really tell us what kind of still you have.

I'm sorry, I was wrong on my still type. It"s a fractionating column packed with copper pot scrubbers atop a beer keg. My cooling water is circulated through 20' of 1/4" copper tube.

Have a look through this thread and see if you can let us know which one of these designs you have.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13360
This one is helpful too.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 46&t=13342

Knowing what type of still you have will give us a better idea how to help you. A pic of the still would be helpful.

first if you want rum make rum its as easy as making a sugar wash.
next if you use a reflux still your going to git a light rum no matter the flavor of the wash.

For me I have had great full bodied rum numerous times .
for 10 gal wash
4 multi vitamins crushed 10 tsp DAP
3 tsp nutient nutrient booster
10 gram acid blend
1/2 cup yeast
10 lb dark brown sugar
10 lb cane sugar
5 12 oz jars gramas molasses(table molasses)
1/2 gl dunder
1 quart fresh wash
SG 1.090
several stripping runs collect to 30% ABV
sprit run collect low and slow down to 505ABV
age in pot with loose fitting lid for several days and flavor as desired
I like adding a vanila bean and a handful of rasins to a litre of unoaked white dog rum for a couple months and then lookout
enjoy

"For me I have had great full bodied rum numerous times "
molasses/water /yeast..
ferment "hot",,, bakers yeast works,,others mite be better?..
,for navel rum run once in a pot still,,the more you run the lighter it will be.
if you want silver rum ,age in glass / stainless or oak and filter,,,dark rum age in oak.

iv tried other recipes,,they seem to reuse "dunder" to recover flavor that is lacking,because they are not using enough molasses to start with.sort of like "chicken run soup"

griller95 wrote:My cooling water is circulated through 20' of 1/4" copper tube.

You guys didn't catch this?

1/4" is way too small. Up to 3/8" or better yet 1/2". If that outlet clogs, you'll be in big trouble.

tp

T-Pee wrote:

griller95 wrote:My cooling water is circulated through 20' of 1/4" copper tube.

You guys didn't catch this?

1/4" is way too small. Up to 3/8" or better yet 1/2". If that outlet clogs, you'll be in big trouble.

tp

Pretty sure he's talking about his reflux condenser.

Kinda late to the dance, aren't you, T-Pee...???