First rum advice

[ckdistills]

Inspired by the Badmo tribute rum - I've been sourcing Panela over the last few weeks and now have 60 lbs. I've never made rum - I've filled a couple Badmo's with all grain whiskey and enjoyed some white.

I've already made and run a single 5 gallon batch using 6 lbs of Panela (1.055 SG -> 0.994 FG) in order to start an infected dunder pit. Subsequently reading more and realizing that it's more of a big molasses rum thing. But I do have ~4 gallons of dunder infected with Lacto and whatever's in Moosbacher cheese.

Looking for advice about running this per the tribute rum recipe (panela, water, bakers yeast) or a modified Panela only Hook type generational recipe. I'll be aging it - haven't bought the barrel yet but would either do the L2 as Ben would or maybe an ex-Bourbon barrel. I like flavor and realize that Panela may not be the best choice for that, but it's what I have and I'd rather not purchase additional ingredients.

A modified Hook style recipe would mean multi-generation 5 gallon batches, using the hot fresh dunder from the stripping run for the next ferment. I'd get 6 5.5 gallon 1.070 washes with a 7th @ lower gravity or less volume. I like the idea of building flavor over time using the fresh dunder from the last ferment. And the spirit run(s) could use some infected dunder with the low wines. I'm leaning this direction.

I believe I'll have plenty of yield to fill a Badmo. Thinking about something to keep white and realized I could use the bananas I've been freezing when they get too ripe for our kids to eat. ~13 lbs now and my wife is eager to reclaim freezer space. I'm thinking about saving enough panela for the last wash to be big enough for a 1.5 run with the bananas. I need 4 gallons minimum in my boiler so ~2 gallons low wines with 2 gallons wash. That's about a 10 gallon wash at 9-10%?

Edit to add: I use a pot still, planning 2x for the tribute and 1.5x for the banana concoction.

[NZChris]

I wouldn't advise putting bananas in your first rum. Learn how to make nice rum first, make enough that you can afford to lose a batch, then try experimenting with the bananas.

[Dougmatt]

I make a lot of Panela rum. I age mine in Badmo’s or barrels that were used first on bourbon. Give them a nice rinse and then fill with rum. If you have a fresh dumped badmo, makes a nice aging vessel for rum.

For a new badmo, I use M0 myself. I don’t like new char impact on Panela. It’s too soft of a spirit to take char in my opinion, but it’s all what you are looking for.

[ckdistills]

I wouldn't advise putting bananas in your first rum. Learn how to make nice rum first, make enough that you can afford to lose a batch, then try experimenting with the bananas.

Sage advice. Appreciate it as always! Would you advise to not even mess with hot fresh dunder and just make a single large batch? The total volume is the same either way and will be enough for two double distilled spirit runs, so I'll get two cracks at practicing cuts.

[ckdistills]

I make a lot of Panela rum. I age mine in Badmo’s or barrels that were used first on bourbon. Give them a nice rinse and then fill with rum. If you have a fresh dumped badmo, makes a nice aging vessel for rum.

For a new badmo, I use M0 myself. I don’t like new char impact on Panela. It’s too soft of a spirit to take char in my opinion, but it’s all what you are looking for.

Look forward to having used Badmos but all two of mine are recently filled. And thanks for that re barrel toast & char - it's an adventure figuring this out.

[NZChris]

My first rum was three still charges worth, cut to be drunk white, and I was very happy with it, but that was molasses, not panela.

Panela isn't as flavorsome as molasses, so starting by making dunder may be worth it to boost flavor.

[jonnys_spirit]

You could always add a gallon or two of Molasses for flavor. I think I ordered 44# of panela and 4 gallons of molasses to bump the flavor a bit for some BadMo rum It's gonna take me a minute to get it going though..

Cheers,
j

[Dougmatt]

Good advice from both Johnny and Chris above. A little molasses added to a Panela rum gives a nice touch of flavor.

I use approximately 1/2 gallon feed grade to 9#s Panela for a 6 gal batch myself. I often then use Panela simple syrup to proof down which some will gasp at…. I personally like the no sugar added rum, but the simple syrup proofing wins the taste test with most others,,,,

Edit: probably worth adding for you that I use common bread / bakers yeast. I’ve tried a few others (not the expensive rum yeasts), but found that works best for me.

[Bushman]

You could always add a gallon or two of Molasses for flavor. I think I ordered 44# of panela and 4 gallons of molasses to bump the flavor a bit for some BadMo rum It's gonna take me a minute to get it going though..

Cheers,
j

I will have to go back and look at my recipe for the proportions but I make my rum also with a combination of Panela and blackstrap molasses.

[Bushman]

Here is the recipe I use along with comments on the subject by Dnderhead.

Panela Rum
~4.85 gallons of water
7 lbs panela
1/2 Gallon Black Strap Molasses
1/4 tsp citric acid (with dunder)
1/4 tsp gypsum (see dunder's comments)
1 Tbls red star bakers yeast

1) Bring 2.5 gal of filtered water to 180 F.
2) Remove from heat and add the 7 lbs of panela and 1/2 gallon Black Strap Molasses. Stir vigorously till panela is dissolved.
3) Add gypsum and citric acid. Stir vigorously to aerate.
4) Bring to ~4.85 gallons with cool filtered water (roughly 4.85 with head room for ferment)
5)Pitch yeast and allow to ferment.

Dnderhead wrote:
Both can be found at your home brew shop. and yes the gypsum is food grade.
acid blend is citric,tartaric and malice acids I would say you can use citric acid, (lemon juice etc) gypsum is calcium sulphate,
but calcium carbonate (chalk)will also work Id say I do not know why they want both, acids lowers PH. calcium raises it
I never use any thing in grain mash.

[ckdistills]

Thank you all. I'm going to run two sets of 3 stripping runs for two separate spirit runs. The first will be 100% panela using hot fresh dunder from the previous strip. Then I'll decide if I want to keep that going for the second spirit run or add some molasses. I've got a 5 gallon batch going now, SG 1.070. I'll strip this for the dunder and set aside the low wines for later.

[ckdistills]

Just did my first spirit run from first 3 ferments. Combined 3.5 gallons of low wines with .75 gallons aged & slightly infected dunder (smells fruity). Smelled great coming off, it's airing now and looking forward to making cuts.

I've been slowly doing 5 gallon washes at a time, recycling 25% dunder into the next ferment. 5th generation is ready to strip with spirit run heads. Then onto the 6th generation and next spirit run with gens 4 - 6 and tails from prior spirit. Have enough panela for another 2 generations after that.

The plan is still for this to go into an L2 Badmo. I had a whiskey in it for a couple months before moving it to a more appropriate barrel but hoping that's pulled some of the char.