Rum Wash Question

[SilverBullet]

Is it normal for a sugar wash rum recipe to go from a starting SG of 1.070 to 1.020 in a 24hr period? It consistently bubbled like a machine for 24hr then stopped. That's why I took the hydrometer reading of 1.020. It's still fermenting though. Presently the temp is 26C but it did get up to 31 on me for a bit.

Wash is a 20L, 4kg of dark brown sugar, 1kg of molasses. 60g yeast nutrients, 1/4 tsp Epsom salt, 70ml of pure lemon juice and 60g of bakers yeast.

I do want to say that this is my first attempt at a beginners rum recipe. All I ran to date was the TPW, and that was nine different 40L batches

[Rastus]

welcome to rum country...

my current rum wash which is just 5 pounds of molasses, and 12 pounds of white cane sugar and about 10-11 gallons of water, i have added yeast nutrient the type i use is called fermax... my yeast is a wine yeast called Premiere Cuvee. on monday morning it was 1.080 SG this nooon time it is already 1.040 thats in 2 days time. usually it is done in a week and a few days to clear out...

when you make your run save the sludge at the bottom and add back to it. sometimes the yeast will keep on a going. and when your done stillin, drain 25% of your next wash from the boiler i use it hot to melt the next round of sugar and molasses.... after a few generations it gets mighty fine. my rums like to ferment a little warm, 75-85f is the temps i have been working in

good luck

[SilverBullet]

Thank you Rastus, I'll be sure to try it your way next time to taste the difference.

In 40 hours the rum wash fermented to 1.000 while the bucket of TPW that I started the same time is still bubbling away through the airlock at 1.030

[Rastus]

I laid out the process i used as a way to see the variables involved....

but as an observation, i noticed rum seems to ferment out much faster, as you too have seen now, than other recipes.

when i had a sweetfeed batch sometimes i had to wait 3 weeks for it to finish.

its nice to have a quicker turnaround time so as to have a little surplus.

cool huh?

best regards

[Monkeyman88]

Yup it's normal. I've had rum washes that I've started Monday morning be ready to run Tuesday night.

[SilverBullet]

Haha I love it! Thanks, guys

[SilverBullet]

Hey there, so I took the sludge from that wash that I stripped and added more bakers yeast with it to make sure, and tossed it in my next wash I have going now. Also I've added 4 litres from the boiler to it. These are 20L batches btw
..

Is this what you do? Also I'd like to know what you would do when this second wash is ready, with the first wash I have stripped?

First 20L run that's stripped now was made of 1kg molasses and 4 kg of brown sugar.

Second wash on the go has dunder from the first plus 4kg of molasses and 4kg of white sugar. Both with yeast nutrients in them.

Any suggestions on where to go with these two batches after the second one ferments
out?

I have a 50L propane boiler and a potstill or a CM reflux still to clamp to it.

[SilverBullet]

Would it be better if I strip the second one too and run both stripped batches together in a spirit run. Or mix the one stripped batch in the wash I have and do one spirit run like that?

This is my first kick at the rum and want to make the best of it.

[Rastus]

if your using A POT STILL then i would run the second batch as a strip run then combine them and do a slow run.
i have in the past done a fast strip on a batch in my pot still and when the next batch was done i added them both into the boiler and ran it through a reflux still.

thats just the way i would do it.

[SilverBullet]

if your using A POT STILL then i would run the second batch as a strip run then combine them and do a slow run.
i have in the past done a fast strip on a batch in my pot still and when the next batch was done i added them both into the boiler and ran it through a reflux still.

thats just the way i would do it.

When you ran it in your reflux, did you run the column condenser too? And was that the one stripped batch mixed with a wash? Thanks

[Rastus]

when i did that, strip run was a Pot still, spirit run was a BOKA 3" and i mixed the low wines of batch #1 with the wash of batch #2 ran em all together.worked fine tasted great

now with a flute i just run it one time and to hell with the rest

[SilverBullet]

Ok, thanks for helping me out Rastus. At least what ever way I try it, I'll know for next time. I'm just scared that if I use my CM Reflux, I'll totally strip it of its flavor. I've only ever done TPW in the reflux, so this wash and the stripping run I did on a pot still is all new.

I have a few days before the second wash is done fermenting to keep on reading about this any how.

[Rastus]

well good luck.
any way you go it will be good and as you roll the next batch in with backset the flavors will develope and grow.