This is a detailed article containing instructions on how to make rum at home. It takes 4 to 8 days. In addition to instructions on how to make rum, the article also includes a link indicating how to build a reflux still and a second link for diluting the final product. Rum production began in the 17th century in the Caribbean, where most of the production still takes place today. It was originally produced from the juice of sugar cane, but today molasses or cane sugar are used.
This recipe will make you about 2-3 liters.
Ingrediants
- 2, 5 kg of molasses
- 2, 5 kg of refined sugar
- 20 liters of distilled water
- 42.5 g of traditional brewer's yeast (40 g)
- Distilled water to dilute the final solution
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparation
Step 1. Put 20 liters of water in a clean pot
The watchword is "cleanliness". Even the smallest particle of contaminants can ruin the rum entirely. Before starting, make sure the ingredients are as pure as possible and the work area sanitized.
Clean and then immerse any utensils you intend to use in boiling water. Turn off the stove and soak the pot or barrel in the water that has almost reached boiling point. Then throw the water. By doing so, you have killed all potentially dangerous bacteria
Step 2. Dissolve the sugar and molasses in 20 liters of water over medium heat
The sugar will dissolve easily but the molasses will resist more as it is denser. Try not to boil the mixture. Keep heating it until the first bubbles appear, at which point turn off the heat.
Step 3. Bring the solution to 28 ° C and then add the yeast
It might be useful to put 1 liter of mixture in a jug in which to dissolve the yeast. When the mixture begins to foam you can incorporate it into the rest of the mixture.
Part 2 of 4: Fermentation
Step 1. Let the mixture ferment at 25 ° C until the air lock valve on the pot stops making bubbles
Yeast needs heat to convert sugar into alcohol. So be sure to store the mixture in a warm room or keep the temperature artificially. The valve on the pot will release the carbon dioxide without letting the oxygen in. The process takes 24-48 hours.
- The valve is a very important tool during the fermentation process. You can build one yourself, or buy it (it's not very expensive).
- In any case, make sure that the valve fits perfectly to the pot, so that it does not allow air to enter. Why is it so important that the mixture does not come into contact with other oxygen? The yeasts obtain the necessary oxygen from the sugar by releasing molecules of ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. If the yeasts continue to have oxygen available they do not "eat" the sugar and therefore do not transform it into alcohol.
Step 2. When the valve no longer emits any bubbles let the mixture rest for 3-7 days
Use a hydrometer to test the mixture and know when it's ready. Take a survey every day starting with when the mixture should be ready. Take a small sample with a measuring cup. Put the hydrometer in the sample, shake the solution slightly to release the bubbles and measure the ratio between the density of the liquid and that of the water. When you get identical readings for 3 consecutive days, the solution is ready to be distilled.
Step 3. Stop fermentation by lowering the temperature
At this point the yeasts should be on the surface of the mixture; if you allow them to remain in the liquid during distillation, an unpleasant taste and smell will form. To stop the fermentation and let the yeasts settle on the bottom you have to put the pot in a cool room (10-14 ° C) and wait 2 days. Now you can suck the mixture directly into the still with a siphon, or collect the yeast part and store them in the refrigerator for another batch of rum.
Part 3 of 4: Distillation
Step 1. Place a collection container under the distillation valve to collect the alcohol solution
It is very important that all pipelines are well sealed and closed.
Step 2. Connect the water source to the inlet of the cooling system
The water cools the evaporated alcohol. As the alcohol evaporates, it condenses into liquid ethanol and then drips from the condenser into the collection container.
Step 3. Now with a siphon transfer the solution to the still
Be sure to vacuum the mixture very carefully to avoid the bottom of the container where the yeasts have collected.
A siphon is a tube folded into two segments of different lengths that serves to transfer a liquid from one container located at a lower level to another. The siphon works by inserting the shortest segment into the uppermost container and the longer segment into the lower container. The liquid is then forced into the siphon thanks to the atmospheric pressure
Step 4. Bring the mixture to a boil
For rum it is better that it is a gentle boil, there is no need to shake the liquid too much. When it reaches 50-60 ° C, open cold running water. The solution begins the distillation process and a clear liquid begins to drip into the collection container.
Step 5. Discard the first 100ml of clear liquid
He is the "head" of the distillation process and is thrown away for safety reasons. The head often contains volatile methanol residues that can be fatal if ingested. Better safe than sorry, especially when you're distilling three liters of alcohol.
Step 6. Collect the next 2-3 liters of distillate that come out of the still
Stop when the mixture temperature reaches 96 ° C.
Step 7. Turn off the heat and cold water
Step 8. Open the lid of the still to prevent a vacuum from being created inside
Part 4 of 4: Aging
Step 1. Age the rum in oak or smoked oak barrels (optional)
Rum is often left to age for 10 years (or more) in smoked oak barrels to give it a more intense flavor and color. If you can't afford the luxury of these barrels or 10 years of time, you can safely dip smoked oak "pellets" in rum for three weeks, so that they release the aroma. Filter the rum with cheesecloth or clean cotton to remove any wood particles.
Step 2. Use water to dilute the alcohol to the desired strength
Depending on the type of reflux still, your pure rum could be 95% alcohol, far too dangerous for human consumption. Do some dilution calculations to bring your rum to about 45% alcohol and enjoy it at its best.
Step 3. Add flavorings or other additives to enhance the flavor
You can make a spiced rum by adding cinnamon, ginger and cloves to the final blend and letting it sit for 1-2 weeks. Some prefer a small amount of caramelized sugar.
Advice
- Fractional distillation (the type of still indicated in this article, the reflux still, allows this distillation process) is normally required to reach percentages of 95%, and is very common to produce rum. The distillation with the "pot still" technique, used in the production of whiskey, other spirits and for the so-called full-flavored rums, has a yield of 70% (in a process with a double distiller) or equal to 80-88% with the triple distillation.
- Try using a larger pot next time. Otherwise you will end up with a sticky mess in the kitchen. A funnel is very useful for pouring liquids into containers.
- If you do age it at home, it is excellent to put it in the garage or some other place away from the sun as long as it is outdoors, starting from spring until the first cold. The evaporation rate (called 'the part of the angel') ranges from about 2% (in Scotland) to about 8-12% (in Puerto Rico up to the equatorial belt). Aging with a small amount of glycerin (5 ml per liter), used to preserve and sweeten foods, improves the aroma. If the aging was done in a steel drum, there is no need to dilute the alcohol with mineral water (some may feel an aftertaste in distilled water, due to the lack of mineral salts; in addition, the water of the tap is healthier), but if you dilute it, make sure the alcohol is strong enough in the aftertaste, so that you can appreciate it in aroma.
- The flavors commonly used in rum are: coconut extract and sugar cane juice. Perhaps the most common is molasses, which is not used for white rums. The flavoring of amber and spiced rums is often caramel. In addition, spiced rum may contain cinnamon extracts (it certainly contains minimal amounts) or honey. For Haitian-type rums, you can use nutmeg or basil flowers.
- The yeast that produces the alcohol will not produce methanol. However, the product may be contaminated with environmental bacteria capable of producing it. A clean work environment, sterile gloves, clean containers and pure raw materials are essential to ensure product safety. Cleaning the still and dry sterilization between cycles is also required. Professional production can proceed by replacing the air in the still and aging vessel with nitrogen (an inert gas, which retards the flame) to further limit the risks, but this is neither an inexpensive technique nor feasible at home.. Discarding the first part of the production is used to eliminate unpleasant aromas, but in a professional plant this is avoided by a safety preheating close to the boiling point of ethanol (which is 80 ° C, preheating takes place around 60 ° C) as long as the product is still in the aging container (open to the air to allow the escape of these unpleasant substances).
- The liqueur produced illegally or Moonshine is certainly not famous for its aroma, although, if you reach an alcohol content of 95%, the solution should be almost odorless. The aroma is formed during aging in a non-colored steel barrel (steel barrels are normal for white rums and some spicy rums, oak barrels are used for amber and very spicy rums, while barrels of oak with a charred interior are reserved for dark rums, but barrel aging has some scientific aspect). Virtually all liqueurs are aged for 1-2 years (a famous exception is corn whiskey, like bourbon, which can be flavored with corn syrup) and, among these, some for much longer. Filtration through charcoal can be helpful in removing unpleasant tasting impurities, although this process is applied to vodka and not rum.
