Cachaca - cane spirit

[RumJohn]

@Mr Four Square:

Let me stress again, that I do not consider cachaca a rum. A cousin of rum - yes.

As for my recipe being different, I offer the following: Fresh sugar cane juice is only available at harvest time. Once a year after a 9 month growing season. Then, hauling whatever quantity to where ever would be a problem, etc. So I use GS which is a reduced cane juice. And it is available all year long. I don't need to make a years supply at once.

I do not use backset or dunder in any of my products because it is not necessary. My flavor profiles have been arrived at over a period of time and my product is very clean. My rums can, and mostly are consumed straight without any ill side effects.

Aging at 40% is the best choice to me. My product stays on oak until it is bottled. That way I maximize the ageing process. I only bottle what I need when I need it. Ageing at 65% requires dilution that will change the color and flavor profile before it is ready.

I do many things the old way. Too many people on here are looking for ways to speed up whatever it is they are doing. Their washes sound more like a chemical soup. No wonder they need to charcoal filter so much. I believe in making a good clean product that does not need filtering.

I do not use airlocks. I leave my washes uncovered for a couple of days to encourage airborne yeasts. There are plenty of them around here. Makes duplicating my rums difficult/impossible.

Hope that answers your question. Cheers.

I would love to do a taste testing for you so you could see what can be achieved by keeping it simple.

[Mr Four Square]

Thanks RJ You have proven this recipe over many years and I appreciate you sharing your experience . I'm working my way through my 50th kilo of GS so I'm serious about learning how to do this.

Can you discuss your oaking process a little more.
What sort of quantities of oak per litre?
What degree of toast or char?
What sort of temperature do you store it at?
How long on oak before you bottle it?
What's the minimum time before you reckon it's good to drink ?

I've got about 3 litres at 80% that I'm ready to age and hopefully some of it will survive past 6 months. And hopefully we'll catch up sometime when you are visiting.

Did you catch my post about making a neutral from the feints of this? Really good tasting drop. Vodka with just a hint of golden syrup and a buttery mouth feel. whatever that means !. Do you do anything similar?

[RumJohn]

@ Mr. Four Square:

I use 4 light toasted American Oak Infusian Spirals per 50L of 40% cachaca. Most cachaca around the world is not aged. Making caipirinha's does not benefit from from oak, although I age all my cachaca now. I arrived at that combination of oak out of taste, practicality and the fact that it suits me.

I store/age at room temp. It is hot most of the time here. And sometimes gets even hotter. We do have a winter of about 2 weeks where I might put on a long sleeve shirt. Bottom line - I store at whatever temp it is.

With the spirals, because you maximum exposure to end grain, about 6 weeks gives you the equivalent of 8 or 9 months in a barrel. I do not bottle until it is needed and therefore leave on oak until the 50L milk can is empty. I have 20 50L cans, so can store quite a bit. I have some rum that has been on oak for several years and is wonderful. Keep in mind that ageing is terminated when you bottle. A bottle sitting on a shelf for 10 years is not 10+ tears old.

Minimum time? I am fortunate in that I am far enough ahead in stock that minimum time is not an issue. However, I like my rum to sit and breath for a month before I add oak. Minimum of 6 weeks before I check taste and color. But the longer the better.

If your going to get serious about distilling, get sufficient equipment and do it right. Hope I have answered your questions.

[Easydrinker]

Thank you RJ, your last few posts have been a masterclass on Cachaca.
I have copied you in the past, and will soon do so again,as T&L GS is tumbling in price in a local store.
Respect and thanks again.

Robert.

[Mr Four Square]

Thanks RJ I'll let it all sink in. To my head and the spirit. Those oak spirals are an interesting looking product. If they are about a foot long X 4 of them in 50 litres that surprised me.

One thing I have noticed is that the FG of my GS washes never seems to make it lower than 1.0. Is that a thing? OG is always as close to or bang on 1.08.

Shirt sleeves in winter. You cocky bastard. Come back to Wellington for a howling Spring southerly !

[RumJohn]

@ Mr Four Square: I just typed a long one to you and it disappeared somehow.

SG will not be what you expect, when using GS. Fermentation time will be longer. You will need some nutrition.

[Mr Four Square]

@ Mr Four Square: I just typed a long one to you and it disappeared somehow SG will not be what you expect, when using GS. Fermentation time will be longer. You will need some nutrition.

Time
Fermented for 3 weeks on a heat pad. Airlock was quiet for 4 days.

Nutrients
Used 4 X vitamin B and 20gms of boiled yeast per 50 litre
Maybe one of them was less that optimal.? Might be time to bring out the Vegemite !
You don't use DAP do you ?

I checked the SG of the backset after the strip and it was 1.02 so there was still a little left.

No biggie, I'll just up the nutrients a little next time.

[RumJohn]

@Mr Four Square: Cant fault your formula for nutrition, although you failed to state volume.

I have never had a really active ferment on Tate & Lyle GS. One reason I would like to try Chelsea. Plus the flavor is better, at least on toast.

Always a bit anxious after pitching the yeast on GS. I use 24 cans per tank and it is very expensive here. But it has always worked out in the end.

Have never used DAP. Don't know what it is. Have heard of it.

[Benoit]

@Mr FourSquare: I've done this twice now & both times it fermented to .990 from a starting point similar to you (I think mine was slightly lower but only 1.075 if at all)
I put 2 dessert spoons of dry yeast in boiling water to kill it off then stir into that a handful of chopped raisins & let it sit whilst you prepare everything else. I stir it in after the syrup has dissolved but before you add the cold water to bring it down to pitching temp, then add cold & adjust to 30°, then pitch bakers yeast.
There's no violent frothing with this but within a few hours it sounds like you just poured a glass of lemonade, the bucket goes into a cupboard in my spare room & both times it's finished in 10 days.
There's been no need for heat pad or airlock, obviously temperature swings in a house are far less than a garage or shed though. That's just my limited experience so far, maybe I got lucky but it might work for you.
Thanks again RJ for the great recipe

Benoit

[Mash]

I have put a little too much glycerine in mine and ruined it.

I think a rerun is called for.

[Benoit]

Seems accidents are the theme for the day, I had to move a wash to a mates house where our still is....lost 5 litres into the boot of my car
Better to lose wash than final product I guess but now my car smells like a cross between white wine & cider, let's hope I don't get pulled over any time soon

Benoit

[Phantom]

Seems accidents are the theme for the day, I had to move a wash to a mates house where our still is....lost 5 litres into the boot of my car
Better to lose wash than final product I guess but now my car smells like a cross between white wine & cider, let's hope I don't get pulled over any time soon

Benoit

Bummer......

Still, it could have been worse. It could have been milk.

Spill milk in there and I can assure you, no amount of washing out would get rid of the stink. It gets EVERYWHERE.......

[Mr Four Square]

Sorry for your loss Benoit. Still it's usually one less stuff up you will make in future.

I always check the position of the tap on the boiler now after I left the tap open after cleaning out the tank.

I'm not too worried about the ferment failing to go all the way. I aim for RJ's suggested 1.08 which is about high as you'd want to go without stressing the yeast. GS is a bugger to pour from a 28 litre bucket. Just a smidge more GS in and it could be too much for our little friends?

[Mr Four Square]

@ Mr. Four Square: I use 4 light toasted American Oak Infusian Spirals per 50L of 40% cachaca.

RJ did I understand the use of that product correctly - 4 X spirals each a foot long in 50 litres?

I'm toasting some 2cm X 4 cm American Oak dominoes for this.

You have said several times that your variation of Apple Pie is a big seller for you. Have you shared that recipe anywhere ?

[RumJohn]

@Mr Four Square: Oak Spirals are actually 8" in length. I use four of them in 50L.

To keep some sort of continuity in topic heading and topic reply, see under Recipes/Apple Pie/ Nov. 22. 2015.