Use of gum arabic in spirits

[elriba]

Hi,
I understand that gum arabic is sometimes used to improve the mouthfeel of spirits. Also in wines it's used; I see for example a product called Maxigum which contains "at least 20.5% gum arabic", that is used to improve the mouthfeel of wines.

I was wondering... what is the recommended dosage for gum arabic in spirits?

Thanks!
Edgard

[acfixer69]

I recommend none. If you are trying to change or cover something as little as needed.

[Yonder]

Use oats in the fermentation. Skip the glue.

[contrahead]

what is the recommended dosage for gum arabic in spirits?

Where do you read or hear that gum Arabic is used upon spirits?
Wine, yes. Spirits - doubtful; at least no distiller is bragging about it.

Articles in wine magazines may say that it's OK to use a little gum Arabic here and there, in a wine for the purpose of stabilizing and preserving color, or to halt the formation of sediments in a wine. The same article might acknowledged that by coincidence, this emulsifier can also impart a smoother mouth feel. Glycerin is probably more commonly used to “doctor up” the mouth feel of a lackluster wine. More and more new hobbyist are turning to tricks like gum Arabic and glycerin while a purist would usually frown upon such practice.

[Golly]

I wouldn't bother with gum arabic for most spirits that you personally make - but if you were making cocktails and wanted to adjust the mouthfeel, it's definitely a nice addition.
Here is a simple video using gum syrup with Campari -

[elriba]

Use oats in the fermentation. Skip the glue.

I was wondering about using oats, can it be used when fermenting molasses for rum? Would that have an effect on the rum?

[elriba]

Where do you read or hear that gum Arabic is used upon spirits?
Wine, yes. Spirits - doubtful; at least no distiller is bragging about it.

It's true... there's very scarce information about it. I had really seen just one person comment about it, and started to research this out of curiosity.

Interestingly though, if you ask the different AI engines, you get surprising results. I've put a summary below of the answers I got from three AI engines.
I've seen these engines make up stuff... so, I don't know if really this is "a common practice" as Google AI says, but still, I thought this was interesting...

Google AI:
This is a common practice in spirits production.
Starting Range: A good starting point for rum is 0.5 to 2 grams of gum arabic per liter.
- Subtle smoothing/mellowing: Start with 0.5 grams per liter. This will provide a very slight improvement in mouthfeel.
- Moderate smoothing/rounding: Try 1 gram per liter for a more noticeable difference, which is often a sweet spot.
- More intense effect: You can go up to 2 grams per liter, but use this with caution as more than this can lead to unwanted stickiness or a slight haze.

ChatGPT:
Gum arabic is often used to enhance the mouthfeel, smoothness, and body of spirits like rum, whiskey, or liqueurs. It can help reduce harshness and improve texture without significantly altering flavor.
Recommended Dosage for Spirits: 1 to 5 grams of gum arabic per liter of rum.

Mircrosoft COPILOT:
1 gram per liter: Provides a subtle improvement in texture without significantly altering the drink.
2 grams per liter: Offers a more noticeable effect on smoothness and mouthfeel.

[Yonder]

Use oats in the fermentation. Skip the glue.

I was wondering about using oats, can it be used when fermenting molasses for rum? Would that have an effect on the rum?

I have used it with good effect, tho’ rum must be aged for some time before it tastes rich and flavorful. The oats helped me smooth out the mouth. I do fancy a good rum (or whiskey… or tequila). Give it a try, you won’t lose anything. Admittedly never tried gum arabic. Maybe my next hot season experiment

[quadra]

I would suggest you discard any search results without citation and explore the ones that provide them. Gum arabic is insoluble in alcohol and will precipitate out of solution in high alcohol spirits. It may be and probably is used in some liqueurs based on heavy syrups or cream but there are issues with Sulphur dioxide and long term stability in solution. What bartenders and drinks manufacturers do with it seems less applicable to what most of us are doing here. How are you thinking of using it?

[elriba]

I would suggest you discard any search results without citation and explore the ones that provide them. Gum arabic is insoluble in alcohol and will precipitate out of solution in high alcohol spirits. It may be and probably is used in some liqueurs based on heavy syrups or cream but there are issues with Sulphur dioxide and long term stability in solution. What bartenders and drinks manufacturers do with it seems less applicable to what most of us are doing here. How are you thinking of using it?

Yes.... I think you're right.

I was just curious about this.