Monosaccharides Monosaccharides are simple sugars and there are many
different kinds with each sugar molecule containing 3, 4, 5, or 6 carbon atoms
with each being named after these number of carbon atoms eg. pentose = 5,
hexose = 6. The two main sugars we are concerned with namely glucose and
fructose are hexose monosaccharides. Glucose is the sugar that provides the
sugar for the human body. Fructose as well as being a component of sucrose is
found in many different kinds of fruit and is the principle one in honey.
Fructose is also sometimes known as levulose.
Glucose is the main common
simple sugar and is a part of many different disaccharides and polysaccharides
eg. corn starch (most common source). Disaccharides are composed of 2 simple
sugars combined together which can either be similar or dissimilar sugars eg.
Maltose = 2 glucose molecules (dimer or double molecule of glucose), sugar or
sucrose = 1 glucose + 1 fructose molecule. Normally disaccharide sugars must be
hydrolyzed and split into their simple sugar components before they can be
fermented. In the case of sucrose (sugar) they are split into equal numbers of
glucose and fructose molecules. Glucose has a Relative Sweetness level of 70
while fructose has double that level at 140. By switching a certain amount of
glucose for sucrose it can be seen that it is relatively easy to adjust the
Relative Sweetness level before one starts fermentation. Just try switching a
certain amount of the glucose for the sugar say 20 to 25% initially (probably
kg for kg) and go from there. You should end up with a less sweet alcohol
different kinds with each sugar molecule containing 3, 4, 5, or 6 carbon atoms
with each being named after these number of carbon atoms eg. pentose = 5,
hexose = 6. The two main sugars we are concerned with namely glucose and
fructose are hexose monosaccharides. Glucose is the sugar that provides the
sugar for the human body. Fructose as well as being a component of sucrose is
found in many different kinds of fruit and is the principle one in honey.
Fructose is also sometimes known as levulose.
Glucose is the main common
simple sugar and is a part of many different disaccharides and polysaccharides
eg. corn starch (most common source). Disaccharides are composed of 2 simple
sugars combined together which can either be similar or dissimilar sugars eg.
Maltose = 2 glucose molecules (dimer or double molecule of glucose), sugar or
sucrose = 1 glucose + 1 fructose molecule. Normally disaccharide sugars must be
hydrolyzed and split into their simple sugar components before they can be
fermented. In the case of sucrose (sugar) they are split into equal numbers of
glucose and fructose molecules. Glucose has a Relative Sweetness level of 70
while fructose has double that level at 140. By switching a certain amount of
glucose for sucrose it can be seen that it is relatively easy to adjust the
Relative Sweetness level before one starts fermentation. Just try switching a
certain amount of the glucose for the sugar say 20 to 25% initially (probably
kg for kg) and go from there. You should end up with a less sweet alcohol
PolysaccharidesPolysaccharides are large complex molecules containing 3
or more monosaccharides (and in some cases number more than several thousand
simple sugar molecules) which are used by living organisms to store energy.
They also form part of cell structural fibres. Starch consists of many glucose
monosaccharides hooked together in both linear and branched forms. Pectin,
gums, and cellulose are some of the other main polysaccharide molecules.
Unfortunately cellulose is normally only fermented by xylose fermenting yeasts
or bacteria so at least 30% of any plant materialis is generally always
unfermentable. For polysaccharides to be fermentable they need to be split or
broken down (hydrolyzed) again into simple sugars. This can be acheived by
enzymes, acids, or heat.
Quite often the process is a joint one
combining two or all three of these. The main enzymes used or part of alcohol
fermentation are Alpha amylase, Beta amylase, Glucamylase (Amylogglucosidase),
all of which are used to break down amylose (major component of starch) and
amylopectrin (other major component of starch which is less easily hydrolyzed
due to its large branched chains nature of construction). In addition other
enzymes that are used are Beta glucanase, Lactase (milk sugar enzyme), Maltase,
and Protease. Zymase is the complex of enzymes produced by yeasts which are
responsibler for the fermantation of sugars to ethanol.
Acids that are
involved or used in fermentation are Tartaric, Malic (wine), Succinic, Lactic,
Citric, Proprionic, Sulpheric, and Hydrochloric.
Relative SweetnessChelsea Refinery (NZ Sugar Co. Ltd.) {find
URL} quotes the following Relative Sweetness of the following:
Sucrose
100
Glucose
70
Fructose
140
Invert Sugar
110
Lactose
40
Maltose
50
Hence by switching some dextrose
for sucrose the final product will taste less sweet. A lot of brewers use from
20 to 25% dextrose and some even more. The % used is kept dowm somewhat because
of the slightly higher price. I (DR) myself have been using dextrose
(dry powder form) for some time now and notice I seem to get a less sweet
tasting alcohol. Obviously the difference in finished alcohol is marginal and
nothing like the Relative Sweetness figures quoted.
Note that whisky is
largely made from barley (simple sugars) and neutral grain alcohol which is
mostly made from corn or maize (corn sugar = glucose). Bourbon likewise is is
almost solely corn or maize. Rum in comparison is almost solely made from sugar
(sucrose). Compare the 2 and you will quickly get the idea. The difference is
minimal rather than profound. After all alcohol is alcohol, is alcohol, is
alcohol. It is just that it gives the finished alcohol a fuller and rounder
profile.
Note also that the majority of New Zealand alcohol made under
licence here is mostly made from lactose which has a sweetness of 40.
Yeast Nutrients for Sugar WashesThe yeast nutrient is necessary because
refined sugar has no additional nutrients in it. If you try using just sugar,
water & yeast, with no nutrients, you will get very little alcohol. Not
much will happen without nutrients present. The alcohol you do make will
contain more of the undesirable byproducts, like aldehydes and higher order
alcohols. To grow, yeast needs amino acids, minerals, and enzymes, so that it
can form the proteins the new cells will need during its "budding" to form
daughter cells. It provides the necessary potassium, nitrogen, and phosphates
needed (that would in other brewing usually be provided by the malt). If it
can't "bud" to form daughter cells, it will still be able to reproduce a couple
of times, but it does so using up its own reserves. The resulting cells aren't
quite so skilled at the job of making ethanol, and tend to do a couple of extra
other things instead.
Use yeast nutrients at the rate of 3 grams per
litre of wash (eg 60 g for 20 L). It is typically made of the following, and/or
similar:
The "Great New Zealand Home Wine Making
Book" suggests to ... "buy some ammonium sulphate or ammonium phosphate, and
some pottassium phosphate or potassium sulphate and add 2g (1/2 teaspoon) of
each to every 4.5 L. Another valuable addition is vitamin B1. You can buy these
as tiny 3 milligram tablets from your local chemist or pharmacy and add one of
these each 4.5 L" ...
This is why sometimes in some recipes you might
see tomato paste or vegemite being touted as a "secret ingredient" that helps
produce cleaner alcohol with less off-flavours to it. This is because they are
acting as a primative mix of nutrients. It is far better however to use the
prepackaged nutrient mixes, as these specifically target the needs of the
yeast, based on quite a bit of laboratory testing & research. See the Turbo
yeast and AllTech company web pages
for more details about yeast and nutrients.
Jack writes ...
or more monosaccharides (and in some cases number more than several thousand
simple sugar molecules) which are used by living organisms to store energy.
They also form part of cell structural fibres. Starch consists of many glucose
monosaccharides hooked together in both linear and branched forms. Pectin,
gums, and cellulose are some of the other main polysaccharide molecules.
Unfortunately cellulose is normally only fermented by xylose fermenting yeasts
or bacteria so at least 30% of any plant materialis is generally always
unfermentable. For polysaccharides to be fermentable they need to be split or
broken down (hydrolyzed) again into simple sugars. This can be acheived by
enzymes, acids, or heat.
Quite often the process is a joint one
combining two or all three of these. The main enzymes used or part of alcohol
fermentation are Alpha amylase, Beta amylase, Glucamylase (Amylogglucosidase),
all of which are used to break down amylose (major component of starch) and
amylopectrin (other major component of starch which is less easily hydrolyzed
due to its large branched chains nature of construction). In addition other
enzymes that are used are Beta glucanase, Lactase (milk sugar enzyme), Maltase,
and Protease. Zymase is the complex of enzymes produced by yeasts which are
responsibler for the fermantation of sugars to ethanol.
Acids that are
involved or used in fermentation are Tartaric, Malic (wine), Succinic, Lactic,
Citric, Proprionic, Sulpheric, and Hydrochloric.
Relative SweetnessChelsea Refinery (NZ Sugar Co. Ltd.) {find
URL} quotes the following Relative Sweetness of the following:
Sucrose
100
Glucose
70
Fructose
140
Invert Sugar
110
Lactose
40
Maltose
50
Hence by switching some dextrose
for sucrose the final product will taste less sweet. A lot of brewers use from
20 to 25% dextrose and some even more. The % used is kept dowm somewhat because
of the slightly higher price. I (DR) myself have been using dextrose
(dry powder form) for some time now and notice I seem to get a less sweet
tasting alcohol. Obviously the difference in finished alcohol is marginal and
nothing like the Relative Sweetness figures quoted.
Note that whisky is
largely made from barley (simple sugars) and neutral grain alcohol which is
mostly made from corn or maize (corn sugar = glucose). Bourbon likewise is is
almost solely corn or maize. Rum in comparison is almost solely made from sugar
(sucrose). Compare the 2 and you will quickly get the idea. The difference is
minimal rather than profound. After all alcohol is alcohol, is alcohol, is
alcohol. It is just that it gives the finished alcohol a fuller and rounder
profile.
Note also that the majority of New Zealand alcohol made under
licence here is mostly made from lactose which has a sweetness of 40.
Yeast Nutrients for Sugar WashesThe yeast nutrient is necessary because
refined sugar has no additional nutrients in it. If you try using just sugar,
water & yeast, with no nutrients, you will get very little alcohol. Not
much will happen without nutrients present. The alcohol you do make will
contain more of the undesirable byproducts, like aldehydes and higher order
alcohols. To grow, yeast needs amino acids, minerals, and enzymes, so that it
can form the proteins the new cells will need during its "budding" to form
daughter cells. It provides the necessary potassium, nitrogen, and phosphates
needed (that would in other brewing usually be provided by the malt). If it
can't "bud" to form daughter cells, it will still be able to reproduce a couple
of times, but it does so using up its own reserves. The resulting cells aren't
quite so skilled at the job of making ethanol, and tend to do a couple of extra
other things instead.
Use yeast nutrients at the rate of 3 grams per
litre of wash (eg 60 g for 20 L). It is typically made of the following, and/or
similar:
The "Great New Zealand Home Wine Making
Book" suggests to ... "buy some ammonium sulphate or ammonium phosphate, and
some pottassium phosphate or potassium sulphate and add 2g (1/2 teaspoon) of
each to every 4.5 L. Another valuable addition is vitamin B1. You can buy these
as tiny 3 milligram tablets from your local chemist or pharmacy and add one of
these each 4.5 L" ...
This is why sometimes in some recipes you might
see tomato paste or vegemite being touted as a "secret ingredient" that helps
produce cleaner alcohol with less off-flavours to it. This is because they are
acting as a primative mix of nutrients. It is far better however to use the
prepackaged nutrient mixes, as these specifically target the needs of the
yeast, based on quite a bit of laboratory testing & research. See the Turbo
yeast and AllTech company web pages
for more details about yeast and nutrients.
Jack writes ...
- Making sugar only washes isn't as straightforward as it seems- 2 pounds
of sugar, a tablespoon of acid blend, a teaspoon of diammonium phosphate, and a
gallon of water should never fail to ferment out completely- but half the time
I try it (especially in large amounts) it doesn't work. The easiest way I found
to prevent stuck sugar mashes is to just add SOMETHING that I find laying
around the house. Only honey and maple syrup have failed as an "insurance
additive" to otherwise pure sugar washes. Molasses, malt syrup, grains from
beer making, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, and dry malt extract have all been
tried, and all the batches with one or more of these materials prevents the
ferment from sticking. I tend to use the malt extracts and grains the most- a
half pound of malt syrup/dry malt extract, or a pound or two of the cheap
crystal grains from the homebrew shop are enough for 5 gallons (20
liters).
Acidity Requirements for a Sugar WashThe other important thing is the
acidity of the wash. Getting it right should achieve better utilization of the
sugar, a slightly higher alcohol %, and less other alcohol congeners. The wash
should also take less time to ferment. The "Autofuel Manual" recommends that
the optimum pH for mash is between 4.8 and 5.0 to keep the yeast happy, and to
retard the growth of lactic acid micro-organisms. They also state that .. "Most
grain mashes have a naturally acid pH of between 5.4 and 5.6 after malting or
conversion has been accomplished. Other materials, notably saccharine
substances like molasses and fruit pressings, have a naturally alkaline pH and
must be acidified prior to fermentation." For sugar washs, the optimum pH is
more like 4.0 to 4.5
If using citric acid ....
To get a pH of you
need to use grams per litre
ie grams in a L wash to use
James writes ...
..
nutrients in with the Turbo yeasts etc can often contain up to 45% citric acid,
purposely to acidify the sugar washes. I can't confirm this myself, as I can't
even find decent Litmus paper in this wee town ...
Using the new alcohbase yeasts, the mixture can ferment up to
21% alcohol.
acidity of the wash. Getting it right should achieve better utilization of the
sugar, a slightly higher alcohol %, and less other alcohol congeners. The wash
should also take less time to ferment. The "Autofuel Manual" recommends that
the optimum pH for mash is between 4.8 and 5.0 to keep the yeast happy, and to
retard the growth of lactic acid micro-organisms. They also state that .. "Most
grain mashes have a naturally acid pH of between 5.4 and 5.6 after malting or
conversion has been accomplished. Other materials, notably saccharine
substances like molasses and fruit pressings, have a naturally alkaline pH and
must be acidified prior to fermentation." For sugar washs, the optimum pH is
more like 4.0 to 4.5
If using citric acid ....
To get a pH of you
need to use grams per litre
ie grams in a L wash to use
James writes ...
- Wine makers aim for a pH of 3.5 which equates to 0.6% acidity and which
is equivalent to 6g of citric acid/litre of water, or 2 lemons/litre of
water.
(1 lemon is roughly equal to 3g of citric acid or 1/2
tsp.)
A pH of 5.0 equates to 0.4% acidity and is equivalent to 4g of
citric acid/litre of water, or 1 large lemon/litre of water.
1.2g of
citric acid raises the acidity of 1litre by 0.13%.
i.e. 1tsp. (2lemons)
raises acidity of 5litres of mash by 0.13%
..
- for acidifying the mash, I've always used lactic acid (88%) that I bought
at the local brewshop. Use it sparingly though. In a sugar/water mash there is
practically nothing to buffer the acid, so a little goes a long way. I can
recall acidifying only water (about 16l or so) in to the appropriate range with
only about 1/4 of a teaspoon.
- ..... as an amature wine maker I always test the must just before
pitching the yeast, and adjust it to .6% using acid blend (a combination of
malac and tartaric acids) available at most brewing supply places. During
fermentation the acid level will usually increase by about .1% which is where I
like my finished product (.7% acid). I understand a slightly acid environment
gives the best results from the yeast and is a mild preservative, and have
always had good results, so when I do a batch of sugar/water I balance it to a
pH of .5% (using the ratio of 4 oz. acid to 30 Imp. Gal = .1% increase) as the
basis for calculating how much to add. On a number of occasions when I was out
of acid blend I've used canned frozen orange juice which seemed to work just as
well, and once I even resorted to vitimin C, but this was when the stuff was
dirt cheap. LOL Buying acid blend in bulk makes it very inexpensive, so I never
brew anything without it, but this is just my way of doing
it.
nutrients in with the Turbo yeasts etc can often contain up to 45% citric acid,
purposely to acidify the sugar washes. I can't confirm this myself, as I can't
even find decent Litmus paper in this wee town ...
Using the new alcohbase yeasts, the mixture can ferment up to
21% alcohol.
Inverting SugarSome people "invert" their sugar, saying that it makes
it easier for the yeast to ferment it. Others reckon that it makes no
difference at all. For more details see the Sugar page. Wal writes ...
:
Alcohol Yield from Sugar WashesHow much alcohol can you expect to make,
knowing how much sugar you put in ? Easy. The theoretical yield is 51.1%, but
you will get less than this, around 48% because you lose some of the sugars to
forming the small amounts of other alcohols, esters, etc (eg 480 g (610 mL) of
ethanol for every 1 kg sugar). All going well, you should be able to capture
approx 90% of this, ie 550 mL pure (100%) ethanol per kg of sugar. So ... for
say 5 kg of sugar, you should be able to get 0.55 x 5 = 2.75 L of pure ethanol.
I collect mine at 75% strength, ie I get around 2.75 / 0.75 = 3.7 L of
distillate . If you run a pot still at 40%, this means you will get around 6.9
L of distillate. Knowing how much alcohol is present then lets you know when
your run is about to finish.
If start with kg lb
sugar and the still makes % alcohol
You should collect around
L US
fl oz US cups US
pints US qt US US gal of Distillate
Bakers yeast will produce a maximum of around 14% alcohol, whereas
the "turbos" can generate up to 20% alcohol. Obviously you'd use different
amounts of sugar for either case. To estimate the sugar you need, multiply the
wash % alcohol by the volume and by 17 grams, eg to make 20L at 13% you'd use
20 x 13 x 17 = 4400 g = 4.4 kg.
To make L of wash
at % alcohol
Use kg of sugar
Glucose (dextrose) can be used instead of sugar, and is sometimes said to
produce a "cleaner" wash. You will need to use slightly more (12.5%) by weight
to get the same result as using sugar (eg use 1.25kg of glucose for every 1kg
of sugar needed).
To get the same result as using kg
of sugar,
use kg of dextrose (glucose)
it easier for the yeast to ferment it. Others reckon that it makes no
difference at all. For more details see the Sugar page. Wal writes ...
- Some recommend to turn the sucrose syrup into an invert sugar syrup by
adding an acid such as citric, tartaric or cream of tartar (potassium hydrogen
tartrate).
For 2 lbs of sugar (1 kg.), 1 pint of water (500 ml.), add
1/4 tsp. (1 g.) acid (or juice of 1/2 lemon). Bring to boil and simmer for 15
minutes. Cool.
There is a relationship between pH, temperature and time.
At 100C, and a pH of 3.6 (6g acid/litre) you need to simmer for 15
minutes.
:
Alcohol Yield from Sugar WashesHow much alcohol can you expect to make,
knowing how much sugar you put in ? Easy. The theoretical yield is 51.1%, but
you will get less than this, around 48% because you lose some of the sugars to
forming the small amounts of other alcohols, esters, etc (eg 480 g (610 mL) of
ethanol for every 1 kg sugar). All going well, you should be able to capture
approx 90% of this, ie 550 mL pure (100%) ethanol per kg of sugar. So ... for
say 5 kg of sugar, you should be able to get 0.55 x 5 = 2.75 L of pure ethanol.
I collect mine at 75% strength, ie I get around 2.75 / 0.75 = 3.7 L of
distillate . If you run a pot still at 40%, this means you will get around 6.9
L of distillate. Knowing how much alcohol is present then lets you know when
your run is about to finish.
If start with kg lb
sugar and the still makes % alcohol
You should collect around
L US
fl oz US cups US
pints US qt US US gal of Distillate
Bakers yeast will produce a maximum of around 14% alcohol, whereas
the "turbos" can generate up to 20% alcohol. Obviously you'd use different
amounts of sugar for either case. To estimate the sugar you need, multiply the
wash % alcohol by the volume and by 17 grams, eg to make 20L at 13% you'd use
20 x 13 x 17 = 4400 g = 4.4 kg.
To make L of wash
at % alcohol
Use kg of sugar
Glucose (dextrose) can be used instead of sugar, and is sometimes said to
produce a "cleaner" wash. You will need to use slightly more (12.5%) by weight
to get the same result as using sugar (eg use 1.25kg of glucose for every 1kg
of sugar needed).
To get the same result as using kg
of sugar,
use kg of dextrose (glucose)
Maximum Sugar ConcentrationWhy not just add heaps of sugar ? Because
the yeast won't be able to handle it, and will burst. The better yeasts (ie
alcobase) can take up to 0.35 kg of sugar per litre of water, but most other
mortal yeasts won't. Keep it to around 0.20 to 0.25 kg/L unless otherwise
specified on the packet.
the yeast won't be able to handle it, and will burst. The better yeasts (ie
alcobase) can take up to 0.35 kg of sugar per litre of water, but most other
mortal yeasts won't. Keep it to around 0.20 to 0.25 kg/L unless otherwise
specified on the packet.
- When making thin worts for distillation achieve higher alcohol yields by
"stepping up" the fermentation, usuing yeast nutrient and real distilers yeast.
To "step up" simply add (50%-100%) more fermetables after primary fermentation
and repeat until yeast is maxed out. Do not use this procedure if you want to
re-use yeast. You may however, harvest enough yeast (1/4 of total) to re-ptich
then step up the rest.
ie .. so start out with the regular routine
of say 5 kg sugar in 20L of water, to get an SG of around 1.07. Ferment down
until about 1.0 or 1.1 (ie starting to slow down), then add another 3-5 kg and
see what happens ? (me asking) Yes, but keep those yeast nutrients in there
& make sure it includes diamonium phoshate.
With proper yeast strain
& yeast nutrient a complete end fermentation is common past 20% so getting
17%-20% at home is only a matter of watching the hydrometer. Adding too much
sugar or adding too much all at once will result in the wash foaming up when
distilling, or burning onto the element.
How to make Rum out of Molasses and Brown sugar.
Take 4 gals
molasses and 10 lbs sugar. Mix these together in 16 gals water. Now you
commence setting mash in large wooden casks (not in any tin vessels) - only a
wooden cask for good results. Put the above in cask the 1st day then when
nearly cool add 1 ale bottle full of yeast (which is to start mask working).
Remember when you put in the 4 gals molasses and the 10 lbs sugar into cask -
have a little paddle made for stirring and stir constantly for fully 1/4 of an
hour to blend things together, these will be mixed in hot water (not boiling)
but just so as you can put your fingers in it without getting scalded. The hot
water will melt the sugar and molasses splendidly and will give you more
spirits and better rum. After you're finished stirring the 1st days lot also
boil 8 lbs of old potatoes in muslin bag and put into the mash with yeast. And
also with the yeast and 8 lbs potatoes you boil about 3/4 of a milk bucket of
old maize in a sugar bag tied like a pudding and dont forget to drop this in
the 1st days mash with the potatoes and yeast and again stirr well. This
finishes the 1st days mash and dont take them out till the mash is fit to go
into the boiler on the fire for distilling.
Second days setting. Put
another 4 gals molasses and 10 lbs sugar into cask on top of the 1st days
setting and stir well for fully ten minutes. This finishes the 2nd days
setting.
Third days setting. Add another 4 gals molasses and 16 gallons
water (no sugar) and again stir well (this finishes the setting of the mash).
To know when this is fit to put through you will see a little scum of
bubbles will come to the top now and again. This will continue for two days
sometimes three days then when scum is at its highest and starts to drop (Brew
it). Don't forget when you finish the 3rd days setting to put a bag over the
top of the cask then the lid belonging to cask on top of bag and a weight on
top of it to keep warm and airtight. Have an occasional look at the cask when
you finish setting the 3rd day because it works sometimes in 36 hours according
to the hot or cold weather. In summer time it works a lot quicker than winter
so a good idea is to brew in the summer time and stow away to get a bit of age
so as it will not be too new to the taste, then sell in winter time when rum is
more freely drank.
Now to make good rum to sell you want to know when
distilling when to cut off the good rum from the second class stuff and the
only way to do this is to get a hydrometer. (High means good spirits, low means
poor spirits). You place this under the end of the worm in whatever you are
catching the spirits in and as this vessel starts to get more than 1/2 full
this hydrometer will start to float and register whatever proof the spirits is
that you are making.
Now you always want two vessels one to catch the
good 1st class spirits and immediately the hydrometer begins to register too
low a reading pull the 1st class vessel away and pop the 2nd vessel under in
its place to catch the 2nd class spirits. After a good while just have a
teaspoon with you and dip same into the the 2nd class and throw a spoon full
now and again into the fire and if it flares up like kero or meths that would
be thrown in keep on as this is a sign there is still good 2nd hand spirits in
the brew but after a while when what you throw in fire quenches the fire like
water stop as this is the sign that you have taken all the spirits out of the
mash. Anyhow you can taste it and if it has an alumny taste draw the charge
from boiler and fill up again for another boil up.
Now the 2nd's have
to be stowed away to themselves in a vessel and all the good 1st class stuff
put to themselves as this 1st class brew is ready for sale without further
distilling but in order to bring the 2nd class stuff to 1st class you have to
put it through the still the 2nd time then it is 1st class and can now be
stowed away with the other 1st class brew.
Now the next thing to know
is how to do up your white spirits and tone it up for sale. Here is the rinkle.
Aways put your spirits away in a large cask, or a wine cask is the best as rum
and wine taste alike. Never put rum in a cask that beer has been in or you will
spoil its taste. When you put it in the wine cask leave the bung hole open for
24 hours and as soon as you put it in the cask make a small curtain bag and put
about a match box full of cloves in it and let down the bung hole tied with
long piece of string so as you can lift it out. Then get a good well ripened
pineapple and peel it and cut it in narrow strips about the length of a cigar
and twice as thick and poke these down the bung hole, then get about 3/4 of an
ordinary teacup full of seeded raisins and put these down the bung of cask into
the spirits with the others, then put the bung back in cask and stow it away.
Then when you are ready to sell your rum it is in its natural white state. Now
you have to colour it for sale. Now to properly colour rum use white sugar not
brown because it will make the rum too cloudy and dull and dark looking.
So in order to have a good clear clean bright looking spirit in a glass
for drinking always use white sugar for colouring purposes. Buy a small frying
pan for this purpose and dont use it for any other means because any greasy
sediment will show in the coloured spirit. To colour say 5 gals rum put about
1/2 teacup of white sugar to start with in the pan, not over a blazing fire but
on red hot coals; these should not be too strong to overburn the sugar or your
rum will have a bad burnt taste so be careful and burn sugar to a good clean
dark brown bubble. Keep moving the sugar in the pan with a long stirrer so as
to evenly brown every grain then pour a cup of cold water in the pan on top of
sugar at the same time stirring. When sufficiently stirred pour into a good
clean bright quart bottle for colouring with. Of course you keep on burning
sugar making bottles of the colouring till you have sufficient to colour your
rum as it will keep in a bottle for a long time. The best guide is to buy a few
shillings worth of good rum in a bright bottle and have this alongside of yours
when you are colouring and you can compare the two so as you will not overdo
things in the colouring or not give it enough colour.
Now everything is
ready & OK for sale.
Finally i nearly forgot to mention when you
are taking the rum out of the cask for colouring. When you colour, strain
thoroughly before you put away for sale as the pineapple and cloves and raisins
always leave a sediment and you in order to have a real clean article must
strain real well.
Don't forget to get fully 22 feet of pure tin piping
for the worm and 1 inch which means 7/8 waterway and when the worm is made must
be coiled so as a gradual incline to lead the spirits through and no uphill
position in the making as this means a blockage in flow and cause the mash to
boil over. Get a good plumber to make the worm for you, should you not be able
to get the pure tin you will have to get copper. But tin is more easy to clean
all you have to do with tin after you finish each grew is to pour a bucket of
cold water through it and it is always bright and clean. Understand when you
are setting worm in cask at bottom it sticks out about fully 3 or 4 inches on a
slight slope through a watertight hole through cask into catching vessel.
When distilling the 2nds in the white spirits state be careful not to
have too strong a fire as this is very inflammable and will blow up so be
carefull.
Say you have 5 gals of 2nd class brew cut off from the 1st
class. When you put this into the boiler to distil put about 1/2 gal clean
water in with it and it wont blow up, the water wont harm the brew, it will be
of benefit to it and the rum wont be so fiery to taste.
For any second
treatment the putting through of white spirits a person really wants a very
much smaller boiler as the 50 gal boiler is too big. You only really need about
a 10 gal boiler and you can have one made at the same time to just have the
same size neck so as to fit the lid & pipe & worm & all and when
boiling a mash use the 50 gal boiler, you never want to fill the boiler with
mash - only slightly over 1/2 full or it will boil over in spite of you as it
is just as hard to keep from boiling over as milk
One great sucess I've had is making my own "smokey peat" flavour for
trying to imitate those strong Islay Scotch whiskies like Laguvulin. To make my
"essence of compost", all I did was get a handfull of peat (sold at gardening
shops as compost - yeah - they look at you strange when you only ask for a
handful, not a trailor load, then explain why), put it a a can with a lid, then
heat up the can over a flame for 15 minutes. Don't have the lid tight (or else
the whole thing can blow up), but just sitting lightly in place. It may smoke a
little, so have the fume extraction on, or do it outside. Leave the lid on
while it cools, so that the smoke will cool & collect on the peat. Once
cool, soak it in some 75%+ alcohol. Distil it off sometime later, to make a
fantastic smokey peat essence.
For more about peat, see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/bryophyta/sphagnointro.html
Motie
elaborates ...
Take 4 gals
molasses and 10 lbs sugar. Mix these together in 16 gals water. Now you
commence setting mash in large wooden casks (not in any tin vessels) - only a
wooden cask for good results. Put the above in cask the 1st day then when
nearly cool add 1 ale bottle full of yeast (which is to start mask working).
Remember when you put in the 4 gals molasses and the 10 lbs sugar into cask -
have a little paddle made for stirring and stir constantly for fully 1/4 of an
hour to blend things together, these will be mixed in hot water (not boiling)
but just so as you can put your fingers in it without getting scalded. The hot
water will melt the sugar and molasses splendidly and will give you more
spirits and better rum. After you're finished stirring the 1st days lot also
boil 8 lbs of old potatoes in muslin bag and put into the mash with yeast. And
also with the yeast and 8 lbs potatoes you boil about 3/4 of a milk bucket of
old maize in a sugar bag tied like a pudding and dont forget to drop this in
the 1st days mash with the potatoes and yeast and again stirr well. This
finishes the 1st days mash and dont take them out till the mash is fit to go
into the boiler on the fire for distilling.
Second days setting. Put
another 4 gals molasses and 10 lbs sugar into cask on top of the 1st days
setting and stir well for fully ten minutes. This finishes the 2nd days
setting.
Third days setting. Add another 4 gals molasses and 16 gallons
water (no sugar) and again stir well (this finishes the setting of the mash).
To know when this is fit to put through you will see a little scum of
bubbles will come to the top now and again. This will continue for two days
sometimes three days then when scum is at its highest and starts to drop (Brew
it). Don't forget when you finish the 3rd days setting to put a bag over the
top of the cask then the lid belonging to cask on top of bag and a weight on
top of it to keep warm and airtight. Have an occasional look at the cask when
you finish setting the 3rd day because it works sometimes in 36 hours according
to the hot or cold weather. In summer time it works a lot quicker than winter
so a good idea is to brew in the summer time and stow away to get a bit of age
so as it will not be too new to the taste, then sell in winter time when rum is
more freely drank.
Now to make good rum to sell you want to know when
distilling when to cut off the good rum from the second class stuff and the
only way to do this is to get a hydrometer. (High means good spirits, low means
poor spirits). You place this under the end of the worm in whatever you are
catching the spirits in and as this vessel starts to get more than 1/2 full
this hydrometer will start to float and register whatever proof the spirits is
that you are making.
Now you always want two vessels one to catch the
good 1st class spirits and immediately the hydrometer begins to register too
low a reading pull the 1st class vessel away and pop the 2nd vessel under in
its place to catch the 2nd class spirits. After a good while just have a
teaspoon with you and dip same into the the 2nd class and throw a spoon full
now and again into the fire and if it flares up like kero or meths that would
be thrown in keep on as this is a sign there is still good 2nd hand spirits in
the brew but after a while when what you throw in fire quenches the fire like
water stop as this is the sign that you have taken all the spirits out of the
mash. Anyhow you can taste it and if it has an alumny taste draw the charge
from boiler and fill up again for another boil up.
Now the 2nd's have
to be stowed away to themselves in a vessel and all the good 1st class stuff
put to themselves as this 1st class brew is ready for sale without further
distilling but in order to bring the 2nd class stuff to 1st class you have to
put it through the still the 2nd time then it is 1st class and can now be
stowed away with the other 1st class brew.
Now the next thing to know
is how to do up your white spirits and tone it up for sale. Here is the rinkle.
Aways put your spirits away in a large cask, or a wine cask is the best as rum
and wine taste alike. Never put rum in a cask that beer has been in or you will
spoil its taste. When you put it in the wine cask leave the bung hole open for
24 hours and as soon as you put it in the cask make a small curtain bag and put
about a match box full of cloves in it and let down the bung hole tied with
long piece of string so as you can lift it out. Then get a good well ripened
pineapple and peel it and cut it in narrow strips about the length of a cigar
and twice as thick and poke these down the bung hole, then get about 3/4 of an
ordinary teacup full of seeded raisins and put these down the bung of cask into
the spirits with the others, then put the bung back in cask and stow it away.
Then when you are ready to sell your rum it is in its natural white state. Now
you have to colour it for sale. Now to properly colour rum use white sugar not
brown because it will make the rum too cloudy and dull and dark looking.
So in order to have a good clear clean bright looking spirit in a glass
for drinking always use white sugar for colouring purposes. Buy a small frying
pan for this purpose and dont use it for any other means because any greasy
sediment will show in the coloured spirit. To colour say 5 gals rum put about
1/2 teacup of white sugar to start with in the pan, not over a blazing fire but
on red hot coals; these should not be too strong to overburn the sugar or your
rum will have a bad burnt taste so be careful and burn sugar to a good clean
dark brown bubble. Keep moving the sugar in the pan with a long stirrer so as
to evenly brown every grain then pour a cup of cold water in the pan on top of
sugar at the same time stirring. When sufficiently stirred pour into a good
clean bright quart bottle for colouring with. Of course you keep on burning
sugar making bottles of the colouring till you have sufficient to colour your
rum as it will keep in a bottle for a long time. The best guide is to buy a few
shillings worth of good rum in a bright bottle and have this alongside of yours
when you are colouring and you can compare the two so as you will not overdo
things in the colouring or not give it enough colour.
Now everything is
ready & OK for sale.
Finally i nearly forgot to mention when you
are taking the rum out of the cask for colouring. When you colour, strain
thoroughly before you put away for sale as the pineapple and cloves and raisins
always leave a sediment and you in order to have a real clean article must
strain real well.
Don't forget to get fully 22 feet of pure tin piping
for the worm and 1 inch which means 7/8 waterway and when the worm is made must
be coiled so as a gradual incline to lead the spirits through and no uphill
position in the making as this means a blockage in flow and cause the mash to
boil over. Get a good plumber to make the worm for you, should you not be able
to get the pure tin you will have to get copper. But tin is more easy to clean
all you have to do with tin after you finish each grew is to pour a bucket of
cold water through it and it is always bright and clean. Understand when you
are setting worm in cask at bottom it sticks out about fully 3 or 4 inches on a
slight slope through a watertight hole through cask into catching vessel.
When distilling the 2nds in the white spirits state be careful not to
have too strong a fire as this is very inflammable and will blow up so be
carefull.
Say you have 5 gals of 2nd class brew cut off from the 1st
class. When you put this into the boiler to distil put about 1/2 gal clean
water in with it and it wont blow up, the water wont harm the brew, it will be
of benefit to it and the rum wont be so fiery to taste.
For any second
treatment the putting through of white spirits a person really wants a very
much smaller boiler as the 50 gal boiler is too big. You only really need about
a 10 gal boiler and you can have one made at the same time to just have the
same size neck so as to fit the lid & pipe & worm & all and when
boiling a mash use the 50 gal boiler, you never want to fill the boiler with
mash - only slightly over 1/2 full or it will boil over in spite of you as it
is just as hard to keep from boiling over as milk
One great sucess I've had is making my own "smokey peat" flavour for
trying to imitate those strong Islay Scotch whiskies like Laguvulin. To make my
"essence of compost", all I did was get a handfull of peat (sold at gardening
shops as compost - yeah - they look at you strange when you only ask for a
handful, not a trailor load, then explain why), put it a a can with a lid, then
heat up the can over a flame for 15 minutes. Don't have the lid tight (or else
the whole thing can blow up), but just sitting lightly in place. It may smoke a
little, so have the fume extraction on, or do it outside. Leave the lid on
while it cools, so that the smoke will cool & collect on the peat. Once
cool, soak it in some 75%+ alcohol. Distil it off sometime later, to make a
fantastic smokey peat essence.
For more about peat, see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/bryophyta/sphagnointro.html
Motie
elaborates ...
- The stuff you want is Peat potting soil. Don't try it in a small
container. It will explode. Think of it as a very crude distilation. Your still
won't run without a venting of pressure. It's more like the creosote from a
very smokey wood fire. If you are familiar with gasification, you will
understand the explosion part. When heated in the absence of air, it will give
off Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Gas, along with the smokey stuff and water
vapor. These are very poisonous gases to breath, and explosive besides. I'm not
experienced at what you are attempting to do, but I do smoke fish and make
jerky in a smokehouse.
If I were to attempt to make a liquid smoke
flavoring, I would definitely do it outside. I would build a small enclosed
fire in a bucket or something similar, using charcoal or wood. Burn it to a bed
of coals. The very damp Peat potting soil would go on top of the coals. A
container of some type would go on top of the Peat, and a roundbottom pot full
of very cold water suspended just above that. The wet Peat smoke and steam
would pass by the container, up to the cold round bottom of the pot above, and
condense on it. Hopefully, the drops would follow the bottom of the condenser
pot, and drop into the container below. I can't guarantee the method, but that
is how I would make my first attempt. This gets away from the pressure issues
of a closed, heated container, and away from the production of Carbon Monoxide
Gas. Any Hydrogen Gas produced can burn in the fire and be
eliminated.
The moss you have is NOT Peat. If you can't get Peat potting
soil, sometimes planting pots are made of compressed Peat. Dry cowpies are what
it looks like. Brown, slightly fibrous. Moisture content can vary widely, and
is adjustable by you. If you make a slurry, it looks like fresh cowpie without
the odor.(Or bits of corn! LOL)