StillSmart

Hi Guys

I was just searching molasses and you can get it as a horse food supplement

Like here http://www.viovet.co.uk/Gold_Label_Mola ... edesktop=1

Is this stuff ok to make rum with or should I be looking for a human version?

The Q&A has this:
"I believe that unsulphured molasses is more expensive to produce, so tends to be found in the higher quality, human grade products bought from health food shops. As far as we know, the molasses normally sold for horses has all had sulphur dioxide used in its manufacture. This is generally regarded as safe, but one can certainly question to what degree that is true."

My recollection is that this may interfere with fermentation. I'd look into that first.

Chuck

Anavin...I was looking at molasses last Feb....Link here Hope this helps..

BJ

http://www.pegasushealth.com/product/Lincoln_Molasses


contact viovet and ask if its sulfured or unsulfured ..

ask for a full spec sheet then you know if oil or anything else was added ...

check with you baking supply warehouses to find baking molasses or syrups in bulk...


FS

I've been using horse feed molasses for about 3 years now not had any problems with it.
Alan

As I understand it, besides the question of sulphur content, there is the matter of which pressing the molasses come from.

The sugar content rapidly drops across the number of boils the cane is subjected to.

The resulting molasses range from the sweetest, 'Cane Syrup' down to the far less sweet 'Blackstrap Molasses'.

Obviously, this sugar content will govern the fermentation potential; effecting in turn the quantities used to achieve a given alcohol level in the wash.

Given that the taste of the molasses changes as the sugar content drops, this also would have to be a consideration I think.

@Alan, what supplier are you using for yours? Does it make a good rum?

@Toper, I'm looking for one with a high sugar content, I beleve the last pressing which contains the least sugar content is called backstrap molasses so I'll be avoiding that one, I'll look into the stuff linked by Capt C on Icefever's post about this earlier last year.

The link below discusses some aspects of molasses. However, most advertised molasses appear to not give an indication of the stage at which it was produced.

For example, Holland and Barrett advertise three different molasses. Whilst one is clearly identified as Blackstrap, for the other two, other than weight, there is no clear indication as to any difference.

Having said that, one has to be careful in reading what is and what isn't said in any description of a product. Holland and Barrett do a malt extract which clearly says, on the front label, 'made from barley malt'. It is. But, according to their own statutory contents description, not solely from malted barley, it also contains rye, wheat and oats.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/specifi ... ariety.htm

Whether, for your purposes, Black Treacle would be suitable I'm not at all sure or, whether in rum making, an element of Blackstrap might be used for added flavour.

Good luck

Some rum recipes use only blackstrap. I personally find the taste too strong, but I really dislike the taste of blackstrap so I find adding any is too strong. And using an AirStill does not make this any better! We don't have treacle in Canada, but I suspect that I would like treacle based rum

I have been using blackstrap for extra flavour, in ratio of 1 table spoon per kg of sugar.
Sugar either brown or dark muscavado and i have found it taste good that way. Depends on what you like. The black strip seems to add those molasses flavours back, if you can't get the proper molasses. I'm still looking for a supply and the horse stuff sounds interesting, and i am now looking at it, and waiting for a price/spec from local equestrian supplier. I haven't tried treacle, but i think i will have a go if i get some good prices, i am curios now to see what it tastes like.

i am getting more into rum its such a nice drink to make, and sup.

I was reading some stuff on the HD forum where a guy made two washes, one using normal molasses and a second using backstrap for comparison

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =11&t=6975

It's an interesting read, someone suggests to add sugar to the backstrap to compensate for the lack of sugar content, all in all it's quite a good read, more like a blog, it's this thread that got me looking for a source of molasses in the first place

Its a great thread, I am going to start airing my cuts as i haven't done that before.
cheers

Today i picked up 5 ltr of gold label molasses for 7.50. Seems good value, i am now looking for a recipe to try it with. i want to do a 23 lt. wash to try this out.

i seen this recipe

bucket 23L,
5Kg of molasses (5ltr)
4Kg brown sugar, add brown sugar to 16-17% potential on hydrometer
Rinse the molasses container a couple of times to get it all out using hot water.
Dump 50g of yeast nutrient into wash and add water while stirring to you have as specific gravity that aims for about 16%
Add lavalin EC-1118 yeast at temperature around 70-75F. stir in!
will be ready in 7 days
Let it settle... or don't. I've found no difference. Dump into still and let 'er rip.

Hi John Doe

How did you get on with this? I'm keen to do a molasses rum recipe but I haven't decided on a recipe yet.

Do you know if the horse feed molasses you got was
A, sulphured or un-sulpherured?
B, from sugar beet or sugar cane?

Best Regards Marc