Would you use this "molasses"?

punkin

@FloridaCracker said: I will check the Ph, Dad. I left it in the garage on Thursday and won't be able to check it until Sunday as I am out of town. I'll report what I find. **If the Ph is acidic, what do you recommend to bring it up? **Total volume is about 25 gallons.

Caution.

Putting any sort of powder into a partially fermented wash is likely to end up in a foamy catastrophe.
Baking soda etc should be dissolved in water before adding.

FloridaCracker

Thanks Punkin, will do. Luckily this wash is in a 55 gallon barrel so I can have some foam but will mix with water anyway. how much baking soda would you add? Guess it depends on how low the Ph is.

dad

calcium carbonate if you can get it...most Mexican & Asian Groceries have it. It's cheap, not as cheap as baking soda but stresses the yeast less.

A teaspoon will raise a gallon of ferment 0.5 PH so if 3.5ph a teaspoon will make it 4.0

Baking Soda will work but takes more.

Like punkin said, dissolve it in warm water and add slowly.

Unsensibel

I think I figured it out. Re-did my math and had enough molasses and super interesting for a potential alcohol of 13%. After splitting the washin half and topping off with water it's running now!

Lloyd

@punkin said: Caution. Putting any sort of powder into a partially fermented wash is likely to end up in a foamy catastrophe.
Baking soda etc should be dissolved in water before adding.

Sounds like a @Kapea moment (for anyone that's seen his volcano pics).

punkin

Yes mate, something to do with nucleation sites for the dissolved Co2

Myles

I usually start all my fermentations the same way. Once everything is mixed in the fermenter I take out 3 pints, add it to 3 pints of water in a gallon demijon and pitch the yeast in that. 24 hours later it is usually working fast on the diluted wash and it gets put into the fermenter.

Kapea

@Lloyd said: Sounds like a @Kapea moment (for anyone that's seen his volcano pics).

Volcano? What volcano? That's my mole asses fermenter.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the leftover mole parts...

FloridaCracker

Pretty sure that this wash if fucked; Can't get an accurate pH reading because of the dark color Tried adding calcium carbonate but don't think that the stuff that I added was worth a crap. Re pitched more yeast. Nothing. Didn't make a difference. Added baking soda; Didn't make a difference. I can see that the yeast is TRYING. Extremely slow ferment. Microscopic bubbles, not enough to make any kind of cap. SG right now is 1.05. Didn't check it when I started. I'm almost sure that the propionic acid is killing or severely hampering the yeast. I'm about to pour this out and just start again WITHOUT any crap added into the molasses.

Any last-ditch ideas to try and kick start this stuff? I've pretty much written it off so extreme ideas are welcome too! The part that really sucks is that I have never had a stalled wash and now I get one on my first rum attempt.

FloridaCracker

Oh, the temp of this was is now 80 degrees.

dad

Boil it...just for short time to release the propionic acid...let it cool and then check ph. Get the ph close and pitch new yeast.

Even if it is slow, it will make ethanol.

Is it 80 F with you adding heat or all on it's own?

punkin

Mollasses is sometimes just slow. 1050 is nearly done. It sounds like it's chewing away.

I think your mollasses is fighting you but it's still working, the stuff i have rarely forms a cap but has small bubbles and makes a fizzing noise at full ferment if you put your ear to the fermenter. It only ferments down to 1030.

I'd leave it for a few days, test again.

FloridaCracker

Thanks guys. Dad, I have a heating blanket on it. Temps here have been cold (36 this AM) for Florida. How do you test pH on this kind of wash? My strips don't like the dark liquid. This would be a monumental pain to boil. It is in a 55 gallon drum with no drain and I can only boil about 4 gallons at a time. That would be 6 separate boils. Punkin, I'll just give it a few more days but according to Buccaneer Bob's recipe, I would be adding brown sugar after initial ferment. Guess I'll play it by ear but hate to throw good sugar after bad.

FloridaCracker

OK, this is the deal:

Decided to give this wash ONE MORE CHANCE to behave before I poured it on the gardenias. I moved it to a more manageable barrel (30 gal) that has a drain and an airlock on top. Added the sugar (light brown) that is called for in BB's recipe. 28lbs of brown sugar. SG went to 1.07, temp to 88 degrees and within 10 minutes it was fermenting nicely. The airlock is bubbling about every one or two seconds. Looks like this story is heading for a happy ending. That is, of course, if the final product doesn't taste like ass.

What I think might have happened:

I was looking for an insane initial ferment that didn't happen. My molasses didn't have a high sugar content and the yeast took it's time with what it had to deal with. Even though I had already added nutes, I think that the yeast needed more to eat. The whole idea of adding the sugars at different times is to put less stress on the yeast and allow them to withstand a higher ABV level. I am curious as to whether this will happen or not with this wash since it didn't go down as planned.

I still think that the propionic acids hindered things but it is possible that it was fermenting along the whole time like you guys suggested. Also, the increased temp hasn't hurt things either.

popcorn

I find myself panicking a lot when I restart my Rum wash back up thinking something isn't right, when all along its fine, just doesn't seem to ferment crazy till third or fourth generation.

FloridaCracker

Just checked it and it is threatening to blow the airlock off of the top. To look at the surface, you can't tell that it is fermenting like on a corn ferment with big bubbles. This one is just kind of fizzing away. If I would have had an airlock on the first container I probably would have seen the same thing early on.

FloridaCracker

This wash stopped bubbling days ago so I racked off enough for a run and am cold crashing it in the fridge. Hopefully run it this weekend and put an end to the question. Sure did smell nice coming out of the fermenter; no sulfur smell at all. Might just luck out on it after all.

FloridaCracker

BTW, it only fermented down to 1.046. No sweetness detected. We'll see.

Kapea

@FloridaCracker said: BTW, it only fermented down to 1.046. No sweetness detected. We'll see.

Sounds like it's gonna have a lot of flavor.

FloridaCracker

Yeah, I hope so but my still really strips a lot of flavor from a wash. Can't wait for May when I give @Smaug a visit :D

Kapea

With that final gravity there should be plenty of flavor.

@Smaug is your neighbor- a quick shot down I-95, no?

FloridaCracker

Yep. He's about 2 1/2 hours from me. When we wrap up our crazy season, I will make the road trip with a pocket full of cash. Do you think he will let me in?

Kapea

2 1/2 hours?! I hope you stay over in the right lane! :))

@Smaug is a good guy. Bring some omiyage (homemade kine) and I'll bet you stand a good chance...

Crazy season? Yankee tourists and snowbirds?

FloridaCracker

No, I have a farm and harvest season is coming up. If my wife drives we could probably cut that time in half.

punkin

Pocket full of cash?

He'll let you in. :D

FloridaCracker

OK, probably going to run the first half of this tomorrow.

Big question; Do you guys air your rum? Buccaneer Bob recommends against it. What say you?

Smaug

Airing can help the newbie more easily find the transitional jar.

So airing can be employed as a learning tool. Does not have to be a long term strategy.

Leaving a bit of head space in your non wood vessel also helps with smoothing....Is that airing too? Is storing product in a barrel airing too?

Not trying to split hairs but oxygen can be useful to a distiller.

FloridaCracker

Thanks @Smaug. Since this is my first time with a rum, I will put myself down as a newb on this one. I'm actually really excited about this one. Ran my first sugar and whiskey back in 1999 and have done dozens of those but never any rum. Funny, I don't typically drink rum but if it is there.....
I usually let the jars sit out for 24 hours on neutrals and whiskeys but pretty much know what the cuts will be before I smell/taste them. The further I get into UJSSM generations, the more I am in new territory. Each generation REALLY DOES GET BETTER. I plan to do the same with the rum. Starting my first dunder pit right after the rum run.

punkin

Bourbon Girl airs aged spirits for a few hours after she cuts and bottles them. She says it dissipates the 'spirity bite' and headsy smell.

I don't know why anyone would recommend against airing rum, it makes no sense to me.

Kapea

@punkin said: I don't know why anyone would recommend against airing rum, it makes no sense to me.

The smell attracts pirates! (especially if you live in Gasparilla country) :ar!