Rum Recipe

Prepare molasses must

Warm 10 liters of the dilution water to about 30-35°C (86-95°F). In a sanitized fermentation vessel (at least 40 L capacity), slowly add 5 kg dark molasses while stirring to dissolve. Add remaining 10 L cool water to bring the total to about 20 L. Check gravity with a hydrometer—aim for 1.060–1.080 (approx. 14–18°P). Adjust by adding small amounts of water or molasses to reach target gravity.

Adjust acidity and nutrients

Add 10 g acid blend (or citric acid) to adjust must pH into the 4.5–5.5 range; test with pH strips or meter and adjust as needed. Add 25 g yeast nutrient and stir thoroughly to dissolve and distribute nutrients evenly.

Pitch yeast and ferment

Cool the must to 24–30°C (75–86°F). Rehydrate or prepare the 15 g distiller's/turbo yeast according to the manufacturer's instructions and pitch into the must. Cover the vessel with an airlock or sanitized loose lid to allow CO2 escape. Maintain fermentation temperature in the 24–30°C range. Fermentation should be active within 12–24 hours and generally completes in 3–7 days for turbo strains, longer (5–10+ days) for standard distilling strains. Fermentation is finished when gravity stabilizes near 1.000–1.010 (or no change over 48 hours).

Clean up and prepare for distillation

When fermentation is complete, let the wash settle for 12–24 hours (cold-crash if possible) to clarify. Rack (siphon) the clear wash off heavy lees into a sanitized container to minimize solids entering the still. Optional: filter through a coarse filter to remove remaining particulates.

Setup still and safety checks

Use a licensed, properly installed pot still or column still designed for spirit distillation. Ensure good ventilation and no open flames near solvent vapors. Check all seals, hoses, water cooling for the condenser, and thermometer placement. Never distill to consume without following local laws and safety requirements.

First (stripping) run

Fill the still boiler with the cleared wash, leaving headspace for foaming. Heat slowly to avoid bumping. Collect distillate until the boiler volume is reduced substantially (this run separates bulk alcohol and concentrates congeners). For pot stills, stop the run when the distillate proof drops to around 20–25% ABV. Combine stripping runs if doing multiple batches and return to the still for spirit run if double distillation is your chosen method.

Spirit run (cuts)

Redistill the stripping low wines slowly for better separation. Monitor temperature and use a hydrometer/ABV meter on collected distillate. Make the following cuts: discard foreshots (heads) — the first portion at the highest ABV which contains volatile and toxic compounds (typically the first ~50–200 ml per 20 L wash; amount varies—discard per safety guidelines). Collect hearts — the desirable spirit fraction (this will be the main rum). Make tail cuts when flavor becomes heavier and ABV drops (often when distillate falls below ~40–50% ABV). Keep detailed notes of taste and aroma to refine cuts in future batches.

Polish and dilute

If desired, treat the collected hearts with 20 g activated charcoal per batch to gently polish spirit: mix charcoal with spirit, stir 30–60 minutes, then filter to remove charcoal. This step removes some off-flavors but will also strip subtle character if overused. Dilute the raw spirit with clean water to desired bottling proof (typical rum proofs: 40–50% ABV). Use 5 L water as starting point and adjust gradually, measuring ABV until target is reached.

Oak aging (optional)

Transfer proofed spirit into sanitized glass demijohns or oak barrels/staves. Add 50 g toasted oak chips or a small toasted stave for quicker extraction if no barrel is available. Age at room temperature, tasting periodically. Short-term finishing can take 1–3 months on oak chips; traditional barrel aging takes years. Monitor for desired color and flavor—oak imparts vanillin, tannins, and caramel notes.

Rest and bottle

After aging/finishing, let the rum rest for at least 2 weeks to harmonize flavors. Filter if necessary for clarity, then bottle in sanitized bottles and seal. Label with batch date, ABV, and any notes on cuts/aging. Store bottles upright in a cool, dark place.