RUM

[YHB]

Keystone,

Whenever I read a thread that involves enzymes, my eyes tend to glaze over and I usually skip to the next topic. However, you have now got my attention and I am wishing that I had taken more notice previously.

Whenever I have read about using enzymes and converting starch into sugar it usually seems to involve holding specific temperatures for long periods of time.

Does the Gluco-amylase in this application not require similar treatment?

[Keystone]

When I make all grain ale, I use BeerSmith 2 brewing software which kindly tells me the temps and times for a single infusion mash. The temps will vary depending upon the body and residual sweetness desired in the beer. The lower the mash temp within the range, the lighter-bodied and drier the beer because the optimal effectiveness of the alpha and beta amylase enzymes overlap. These enzymes are present in malted grains.

Alpha amylase is needed in a mash where malted grains are not used or are inadequate for the recipe to achieve complete conversion of starch to sugars or is otherwise used to backstop complete conversion of starch to sugar.

Gluco-amylase is used at yeast pitching temps or lower, during fermentation, to achieve the conversion of complex sugars to simple sugars for the yeast to consume more easily.

[chill]

Have a look at the Enzymes thread on Modern Distiller. I am exploring the use of No Cook enzymes for All Grain whiskey making. I hope to start an all potato, no cooking wash later today. It makes All Grain as easy as as sugar head. Well, give or take straining the wash after the ferment is done.

Chuck

[Keystone]

Have a look at the Enzymes thread on Modern Distiller. I am exploring the use of No Cook enzymes for All Grain whiskey making. I hope to start an all potato, no cooking wash later today. It makes All Grain as easy as as sugar head. Well, give or take straining the wash after the ferment is done.

Chuck

Traditional all grain mash and boil allows for the elimination of bacteria and hot break material and then the chill to pitch temp allows for the elimination of cold break material that all contributes to a better tasting wort and environment for the yeast.

A better tasting wort translates to better flavors when distilling that single malt or scotch.

[chill]

That is certainly true for beer, I am less certain that is true for distilling. I have distilled some nasty washes and gotten a brilliant product out of it. I have not yet gotten to the spirit run with the enzymes, but they are intended for food grade ethanol production.

Chuck

[John51]

Anybody have any theories?

Solids that need heat to dissolve properly?

[YHB]

Solids that need heat to dissolve properly?
Anybody have any theories?

Sorry John, I do not follow your question.

What solids? where?

[Capt-Cudellez]

This is all really interesting, and I would like to see what progress folks make on a no cook mash, cool.

A few things.
Using AG with molasses to convert some of the unfermentables, I fear you would lose some of the flavour made up by these unfermentables for a few extra percentage of alcohol - or maybe not, its interesting either way, and worth a go.
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I hope to start an all potato, no cooking wash later today.

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How are you going to pulp the tatties? I was only able to mash them up after baking them then used enzymes to liquify them. Interested to find out how you do this as I am limited by how much I can process by the size of my oven.

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Traditional all grain mash and boil allows for the elimination of bacteria and hot break material and then the chill to pitch temp allows for the elimination of cold break material that all contributes to a better tasting wort and environment for the yeast.

A better tasting wort translates to better flavors when distilling that single malt or scotch.

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I don't believe you boil the wort for scotch like you do when making beer, my recent wash wouldn't have gotten above 75oC even on the sparge. I think this keeps some of the enzymes viable to continue doing their thing as the wash ferments.

[chill]

I used an electric meat grinder with a fine plate to grind the raw potatoes finely. I think that a grater might also work. It was a lot of work! I might go the cooking route next time regardless of the enzyme. If it does not have a taste I like, I won't do this again. It is way too much work if you are looking for a tasteless product. And I have not even gotten to the straining yet.

Chuck

[Capt-Cudellez]

I doubt you'll get a tasteless product. When I have done it, I stripped then took to azeotrope with a high reflux ratio with SPP.
To say it has a flavour is maybe wrong, but it certainly has "character". It doesn't have an aroma, but you can still sense something flavour wise.

[chill]

I am not looking for tasteless and running an AirStill, I will get taste, want it or not. What I meant is that if your goal was a neutral alcohol, then potatoes are an annoying way to get the base starch for conversion into sugar. I only paid $1.50 for 10 pounds, but there is a lot of labour involved.

Chuck

[John51]

Brian, I was replying to this post of yours on page 1 and failed to notice that there was 2 more pages.

The status quo has been restored and my rum once more has a beautiful golden colour, I spent yesterday evening filtering all the gunk out of the rum, or at least 95% of it, the rum will still need a final polish when I bottle, but for now it looks very nice.

While the rum was dripping away through the filters I tried out a theory that I thought would prevent the treacle clouding the rum. The theory being; to dissolve the treacle in some hot water and then filter the mixture to remove the offending solids before adding the treacle to the rum.

When I put the treacle / water mixture though the filter it went straight through, leaving nothing behind on the filter papers, I do not understand. If the dark particles / deposit is not present in the treacle / water mixture where does it come from in the treacle / rum mixture.

Anybody have any theories?

[chill]

Maybe the dark particles are smaller than the holes in your filter paper?

Chuck

[Keystone]

My rum wash finished at .995 SG. It finished fermenting after 3 days and it cleared for 4 days.

[Keystone]

4.8 L of low wines were stripped and 7 L of dunder was transferred to the fermenter.

A couple of things came to mind last night. One, a heat sink is needed for my router speed controller I use to control wattage. Two, a no chill cube could be used to store dunder between between spirit runs.