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Rum Taste?

I did a couple of stripping runs of fermented molasses and raw sugar in my pot still configuration then run both lots of spirit plus about 6 litres of the none stripped wash through the Baby CD and run slowly as advised. It all appeared to work very well and seemed very controlled with no apparent problems. The problem was it had no taste of Rum what so ever. By the way the equipment I purchased from @punkin at StillDragon Australia is terrific!

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Comments

  • Rerun it but run it much faster.

  • read lots and lots... then do what @jacksonbrown said..

    I do not want to link external to SD, so google this for some reading material: Buccaneer Bob's Silver, Gold, and Black Rum Recipe

    download his 6 page PDF and read it about 100 times...

  • edited March 2016

    Interested to know what you final distillate proof was - where you started collecting, and where you ended. What was the proof of the strip? Was it watered down?

  • A few things to remember about rum; What you taste right off of the still is not going to be anything like the finished, aged product. This really applies to rum aged on wood, be it SD dominoes or in barrels. I was discouraged for a long time with this fact since other spirits can kinda be judged off the still. There is a sweet spot in the aging of rum that happens and when it does, you will know it.

    Point # 2. Each successive generation of rum will improve the taste and add complexity assuming that your technique and ingredients are OK. GIGO applies. Crappy first generation, crappy from there on out.

    Point # 3. Dunder. Backset, etc could be the most important parts of your final product. Way too much info to post here but you can refer to the Big Dunder Thread. Tread lightly though, Punkin will be watchin'.

    This forum has quite a few rum heads who know a shit-load more than I do. Reference Smaug and Grim.

  • New born rum is just not that impressive.

    Some historical descriptions of rum almost make you wonder why people even drink it.

    It will get better. Practice make perfect.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • I find rum opens up and deepens with age. At the moment I am drinking a lighter rum that has been given a gentle oaking. When I took it of the still it seemed very light, now its near on perfect. If rum is your drink of choice I recommend you find a good dunder protocal. I use the dunder to kickstart my next wash, alternatively I cold cube it. If you are a chef then dunder is your restaurants master stock.

  • The three posts above mine have it. Rum is a funny animal. My favourite was fermented with no backset and stripped in a pot still then run through a VM column as neutral. No doubting it was rum even though pulled off at 95+%.

    Dark rum would probably be better run once through your Ace.

    And finally, put it on one or two dominoes and come back and tell us if it tastes like rum in 9 months.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Play around with the reflux you're generating. If it's to "clean" reduce

  • Baby CD just too good, shame on you guys for making such an good column. :))

  • I don't know if there is a manual for the baby, but at the end of the manual for the dash, there are sheets you can print and fill out for each run...

    I can 100% guarantee that a year or three from now, you will not be sorry you filled them out... as a bonus, you can scan or take a picture and posted and we do not have to come back with a bunch of questions!

  • My final finished product was 92%. It maintained a high reading during almost the whole run but dropped away very rapidly and became a little cloudy... so I ended it. I think I made the cut's OK, it's very smooth but not much flavour. I have already added domino's and I thought I try it from time to time. Thank you for all your comments they have been great.

  • Oh! I should mention that I not sure I can wait a year or three each time I make a batch... I'm 72 next birthday.

  • You should plan on having a sip in 10 of your first batch then!

    92% seems high for the combined rum. You're more in neutral territory. After head compression, reduce your reflux so the ABV drops and you'll get lots more flavor

  • 92 still has quite a bit of flavor I'd say.

    Are you a smoker Mike?

    Put it away in a jar with some head space for at least a month. You should notice some change.

    Also are you diluting down to drinking proof first?

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Could also ditch the sugar

  • @minimike

    You may want to read my Nuking thread and see what that does for you sir... does speed up the drinking process ...

  • @FullySilenced said: minimike

    You may want to read my Nuking thread and see what that does for you sir... does speed up the drinking process ...

    The WHOLE thread?

    Better take some vacation time :))

  • Stick some oak in it and pressurise it for 6 days. Done deal. All nicely coloured.

  • 6 days :))

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @punkin said: The three posts above mine have it. Rum is a funny animal. My favourite was fermented with no backset and stripped in a pot still then run through a VM column as neutral. No doubting it was rum even though pulled off at 95+%.

    Dark rum would probably be better run once through your Ace.

    And finally, put it on one or two dominoes and come back and tell us if it tastes like rum in 9 months.

    @punkin, are you saying to leave it on dominoes for the full 9 months?

  • edited March 2016

    At least. I do use barrels as well, but if I didnt I'happily use the dominoes only.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Smaug asked if I was a smoker... No, well not for last 18 years. I had put a small jar of finish spirit (diluted to 40%) aside and stuffed it with domino's, I tasted a sip today (6 days later) and there is an improvement in the favour, so maybe in a few weeks the main part of the run will improve?

  • Careful on the amount of oak you use. If you over do it all you will taste is wood ;)

  • @FloridaCracker said: A few things to remember about rum; What you taste right off of the still is not going to be anything like the finished, aged product.

    If only I'd read that many years ago when I made my first rum after having only ever made neutrals.
    I was so pissed off with what I made I stripped it all bar a few litres I put on oak and gave away...6months later and it was a world away from where it started. I learnt my lesson that day.

  • Barney always used to talk about the over oaking thing. Though his assertions were on the opposite end of the spectrum.

    He used to preach that folks simply didn't leave in on wood or allow it to age long enough....Though it's clear that abv and amount of wood can determine how one feels about that way of thinking.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • @TheMechWarrior said: I was so pissed off with what I made I stripped it all bar a few litres I put on oak and gave away...6months later and it was a world away from where it started. I learnt my lesson that day.

    Which make the cutting process even harder for me on the backside. Dealing with the heads part is easy (I toss 100%) but when very little of what's left appears to be of quality, it makes the decision difficult. I know that some guys on other forums keep all of their tails and re-evaluate after months. That probably is the way to go but I have limited space. I am also lucky that I have the ability to toss large amounts that I don't think will come around. I will occasionally find a jar of tails that is really nice so of course I save those. It all is kind of a gamble as to what goes into the jar or barrel but more than likely, time will help it unless it is just nasty going in.

  • Thank you all of your comments it's made interesting reading.

  • edited March 2016

    After doing exclusively neutral for such a long time I can smell tails in almost everything. It was a very hard learning curve working out what tails would translate nicely over oak... as it turns out almost everything! YaY As for heads I am usually ruthless.

  • I have a rum wash ready to go into the kettle 15% ABV, I can't decide if I should strip it first, or just run it in the Pot still with a 2" x 2' packed column ( with copper mesh & ceramics). I plan on aging on oak. Any ideas would be appreciated, Thanks.

  • edited May 2016

    What is your target drink? If you like a light rum with subtle nuance then strip and spirit run for sure. If you like a strong navy rum then you may like it single run or run 1.5.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

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