Short SPP Column for Light Rum?

Has anyone tried using a short SPP-packed column to produce a light rum? (molasses + white sugar wash with no dunder).

I realise that a tall SPP column will produce azeo with little or no rum flavours left. I'm wondering if a shorter column might work -- and if so, how short, and does the type of head make much of a difference?

I plan to (slowly) add plates to my setup, but I'm hoping to get some decent rum before then....

Another alternative for me might be to add a single plate to a pot still and make multiple runs. If a short column would work, though, I'm hoping that might also reduce the total run time in comparison.

Comments

  • I've used SPP in 3" column from 36" and down to 12". At 12" I can fly at over a gallon an hour and average 85%. I've also run with 20" in a 4" and makes 90%.

    I didn't make a short 3" column, I just change the level of SPP in the existing column 36" column.

    But how about the Pure Whiskey Method...run it off as the column wants (azeo or below) and mix good tails back to get the ABV and Flavor you want.

    DAD... not yours.. ah, hell... I don't know...

  • @dad said: I've used SPP in 3" column from 36" and down to 12". At 12" I can fly at over a gallon an hour and average 85%. I've also run with 20" in a 4" and makes 90%.

    I didn't make a short 3" column, I just change the level of SPP in the existing column 36" column.

    But how about the Pure Whiskey Method...run it off as the column wants (azeo or below) and mix good tails back to get the ABV and Flavor you want.

    Have you used the column with 12" of SPP to make flavored spirits, such as rum?

    While mixing back some heads or tails is possible, my concern is that a packed column works fundamentally differently from a pot still; the mix of congeners, their concentration from compression and so on, will be different -- which makes me wonder whether it's possible to mix back and achieve a reasonable flavor profile. I suspect that less SPP will mitigate this issue, and was hoping someone here might have tried such a thing.

  • Not had the opportunity to run it yet, but i have a hybrid pot still that has 6" of SPP. It was intended for rum.

  • Yes, flavors come through. It isn't like filtering through carbon. I have no problem retaining the flavor and mouth feel of rum, AG whiskey,...

    When I change recipes or grains you would have no trouble telling which is what, even at high ABV.

    DAD... not yours.. ah, hell... I don't know...

  • I've never used SPP but i will wager that you can't get the rum out of rum with any reasonable home grade apparatus.
    I base this on my method of making a mid flavoured white rum by stripping mollasses wash with no backset in a pot still and then feeding into a packed column VM at 40% abv in the boiler.
    The VM was 3", it has 1500 mm (59 inches) of structured copper packing and it was run in the same method i used to get neutral and producing 95+%.

    The only difference is the base wash. There is no need to add back tails, although you can if you want, but some of the very late sweet heads can add a highlight and complexity that is missing other wise.

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

  • @punkin Interesting; thanks for that.

    I've heard others say when they followed a similar procedure that the resulting product lost all of its rum character. Maybe mixing back the late heads is the key?

    Yet another variable to experiment with. Yay! 8-|

  • Assuming you are not carbon filtering, I bet you can't lose the rum. :D

    NoMatterWhatYouDoPunkin

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

  • edited May 2015

    @punkin said: Assuming you are not carbon filtering, I bet you can't lose the rum. :D

    NoMatterWhatYouDoPunkin

    +1 @punkin
    I've made gallons of rum in my SPP column and never had an issue with loosing flavor. I run with low wines at 40% and 40 inches of SPP in a 3inch VM column. I collect at 94% or higher and run out tails when my bottom probe hits 85F. For extra richness I like adding a liter of molasses and a liter of maple syrup to the spirit run. A healthy dose of anti foaming agent if the boiler is more than 3/4 full.

    It'sDeliciousAndNutritiousMiniMe

  • Good to see you little one... you have been missed

    FS

  • Almost makes me want to start drinking spirits again.

    ThenIRememberTheBurnsPunkin

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

  • Just stay the hell away from burny things is all you need to do.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • edited May 2015

    Nah, i still fall down and get dirty looks.

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

  • Then drink more so that you can't see what kind of faces they are making

  • That is the first post by Minnie that I have seen in probably a year and ahalf

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