Fast Fermenting Molasses Wash

[riverpirate]

Some good info in Harrys library. I had my last rum stuck (2nd try 1st try with dunder).

I ended up having to water down my wash and increase sugars in steps. This seemed to really get things going. Im going to reuse the yeast and try the recipe out again. See if I cant get these little beasties trained up good and propper...

Read some info today saying to use the yeast from the center of the trub as teh bottem they will be dead, the center will be good, and the top will be too active(this is for storing for a breif period between batches. say a few days in fridge)

[minime]

Read some info today saying to use the yeast from the center of the trub as teh bottem they will be dead, the center will be good, and the top will be too active(this is for storing for a breif period between batches. say a few days in fridge)

Should be a good colony no matter where you take it. Most of the yeasties settle to the bottom when there's nothing left to eat............

[Izzy_Britton]

PostPosted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:53 am
Harry posted an interesting comment- to clarify or clean the molasses:

"To clear the molasses, you mix 2 volumes of water (hot) to 1 volume of
molasses. Let it stand overnight, then pour off the clear liquid into
your fermenter. Throw away the tar sludge that's left behind."

I know this is old but i recently picked up a 5 gallon bucket of feed molasses and i am wanting to make some of this.

my first question is specifically about this comment above. has anybody ever done this or are any of you guys who make this recipe on a regular basis cleaning or clarifying your molasses before making your wash?

the second question is targeted at Pinto... i seen your video of the water lock on the 55 gallon plastic drum. as fast and vigorously as this stuff seems to ferment do you have any issues with muck or bubbles or what not going up your air vent tube into the jar or water? how full are you filling your 55 gallon barrel?

3rd question. it seems to ferment quickly, how long can you leave it in the ferment barrel before you worry about it going bad? sometimes i start a ferment of ujssm or sugar wash and dont get to it for a few weeks, some times longer, is this wash something that is more time sensitive and should only be started when i know i can finish it in X days?

last but not least... when cooking this stuff off in your still does it leave a residue in your boiler?

[Rebel_Yell]

PostPosted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:53 am
last but not least... when cooking this stuff off in your still does it leave a residue in your boiler?

Everything that I distill leaves a residue. It's mostly water and tails.

What are you asking here??

[Izzy_Britton]

PostPosted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:53 am
last but not least... when cooking this stuff off in your still does it leave a residue in your boiler?

Everything that I distill leaves a residue. It's mostly water and tails.

What are you asking here??

I was referring to a black nasty sludgy molasses residue. something that cannot simply be rinsed out of the boiler. something that resembles the nasty molasses that went into the wash.

[pintoshine]

I usually have sludge in the bottom of the molasses bottles but I don't bother clearing it before using it.
I fill the 55 gallon barrel up to 39 gallons. That's three stripping runs in a 15.5 keg.
Generally once something is fermented it is preserved. In the beginning it was natures way of preserving. Beer and wine spoils if the alcohol content is too low or the acidity is too low. as long as you re fermenting from 1.080 you sould be fine for months. the worst case is it might mold left open to the air.

[punkin]

I use this recipe/method, although i boost it with raw sugar. I dilute the mollasses with hot water as i do the sugar and stir till it's mixed and thinner before adding to the fermenter. This avoids any thick goop that could harm your boiler. It doesn't raise a huge krausen, more like a bubbly foam on the top of the wash, so a large headspace isn't nessercary. It seems to fizz like coke more than anything.

Let finnish and clear completely (few weeks won't hurt if it's clean) to help avoid boilover and puking.

[Izzy_Britton]

thank you both punkin and pinto that was the exact information i was looking for but had no idea how to put into words.

[Izzy_Britton]

just but water on to boil so i can thin the molasses out a bit and start this wash tonight...

one question that came to mind a while back but i was not ever in the mood to ask, is: how do you age the final spirit?

i am familiar with oak aging ujssm on charred oak sticks or in a barrel, does the same apply here? i was thinking that 'obviously' i would want new char sticks and/or new barrel as a used whiskey/bourbon barrel might make the finished rum taste more like a whiskey or bourbon....

recommendations on aging for a nice dark rum? age for how long?

[bstinga]

my first question is specifically about this comment above. has anybody ever done this or are any of you guys who make this recipe on a regular basis cleaning or clarifying your molasses before making your wash?

I have done it a few times. Feed molasses has a noticble amount of heavier sludge, if it is worth doing I am not sure. I tried it a few times with various grades of molasses and added citric acid etc to 'invert' the sugar. If you are after more flavour or heavier flavour I probably would not bother to clarify as this potentially adds another component of flavour. I haven't bothered with this step for awhile and don't notice any reduction in quality. Add raw sugar ass sugested (molases is generally around 50% fermentables only).

My electric elements don't seem to be adversly affected by the extra fibre etc either but I tend to let the wash settle well as I generally don't have the time to get straight into running the still. I have had washes sit in the carboy for a good six weeks after finishing and they have come out ok. You may noice some changes in the flavour profile if you leave it longer, this also depends on the temperature. I'llnormally put it somewhere cool if I can't run it for awhile.

I sometimes throw some raisens in to age and charred wine barrel staves cut up. Air out for awhile (week or two) with a tissue over top of bottle. The longer you leave it the better (within reason). Months is better than weeks IMO. Keep an eye on it, water it down to bottling strength last. Each time I make some up it's different and I haven't got a fixed formula yet (if ever). You can also add molasses or caramelised sugar if you want to make it darker.

[punkin]

I keep it white and store at 50% odd. I leave to air for a week or so after cutting, then store in beer kegs with an oak stopper. It'll age in glass too if you store it in larger containers and improve markedly in odour and taste as well as getting that magical 'spirit' profile (oily and thickened)

[pintoshine]

if you use glass don't forget to do an air exchange regularly(monthly) by opening the container and waving you hand over it. Yes that is all it takes to develop the tannins from the oak. I learned that doing the green walnut stuff.

[punkin]

The oak is just cut with a hole saw and sanded on a belt sander to roughly fit a taper into the keg mouth. The rough fit enables the keg to 'breath' slightly, but enough.

I do as you say with the glass, as that's where the drinking supply is, so when cutting a bottle it's regularly getting new air till topped back up again from the keg.

[Izzy_Britton]

Punkin... are you saying that it is better to store/age spirit in larger bulk container such as beer kegs than in small bottles or jars? or did i get that backwards?

[punkin]

Nope, i'm not telling anyone what to do, but i only bottle when i need one.


I do think it's better to cut spirit some time before you need it to allow for it to combine into that magic (though it never seems to happen that way round here), but i definately think it ages better in bulk.