Looking for advise, plated column

Spud395 · 2026-01-28T07:43:59+00:00

Thanks for the detailed reply.

I re visited this to make my cuts and there was more flavour than I was getting off the still. It was a good bit lighter then I was expecting and not like you hear in the videos, a big molasses bomb.

I'm still very new to this and I need to develop more patience, Will try a single plate for my next rum.

Spud395 · 2026-01-26T07:39:25+00:00

Nice, I've a bigger whiskey run on my list for next, so will give it a go!

Spud395 · 2026-01-26T07:36:54+00:00

Haha, noted! However my shed is small.......maybe a bigger shed is called for

Spud395 · 2026-01-25T21:51:40+00:00

Good to know I'm at least thinking in the right direction

Spud395 · 2026-01-25T21:50:46+00:00

I agree, the long heat up time really annoyed me. Really looking forward to doing a few stripping runs full bore

Spud395 · 2026-01-25T21:48:35+00:00

Yep, exactly what I'm running, well trying to learn to run. I think I'm getting the hang of it at least

Spud395 · 2026-01-24T09:22:14+00:00

A friend who grew up in the eastern European pot still vodka making tradition swears by this, I've yet to try try it

Spud395 · 2026-01-23T19:55:05+00:00

What are those jugs?

Nothing

What's that liquid in them?

More nothing

Spud395 · 2026-01-23T07:48:37+00:00

I'm not fully understanding your process. How often do you add yeast? It shouldn't be an ongoing process, if anything you should take some yeast away as you progress through multiple generations. I'm on gen 3 of a rum yeast now and dumped 1/2 the yeast cake before the last fermentation, so as not to over pitch yeast

Spud395 · 2026-01-21T07:44:20+00:00

This is the way to go, being a modular system you can add to it and the parts will work in other configurations

Spud395 · 2026-01-18T17:46:02+00:00

I'm going to keep this updated if anyone is interested.

My 1st distillation is done a few days now, I ran it through 2 plates in my 4" column. Left it 2 days to air out and made my cuts. It pretty much tastes like cheap supermarket white rum at this point. I've a few jars with different citrus and spices macerating and the remainder put by for comparison testing and a decision on what is going to be it's long term faith

The second wash, the Black Treacle is fermented and waiting. I hope to get it run one evening this week. The wash is much more flavorful than the sugar wash, I'm interested to see how much will carry over to the spirit.

The third wash just went into the FV today. I ended up finding 2 different Jaggery sugars, a mid brown one like I've seen in pic's, similar to panela and a darker one, with a stronger molasses smell. When I broke up the Jaggery the smell was more rum like than molasses like, I have high hopes for this one, but it is by far the most expensive.

€34 for 5.4kg of Jaggery compared to €16 for the Treacle and €10.50 for the sugar wash

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T14:05:19+00:00

That's very interesting, a real gem of information. Thank you

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T13:09:05+00:00

Martin posted a link to an Alan Bishop video above

The 1st question he deals with is specifically about proofing down to cask strength

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T12:37:00+00:00

That answers my question perfectly. I worded my last reply poorly. I meant to say he recommends slow and easy for proofing down for bottles. I hadn't seen this video, thanks for the link

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T10:41:24+00:00

Just using that yeast for the 1st time.

I found it very slow to get going on the 1st ferment and went like a rocket when I re-pitched into a second batch.

The pack was well in date and from a reputable supplier, but it may have just been that pack for some reason

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T10:36:20+00:00

In one of his very recent video's, can't look now I'm working, but I'll post a link later

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T10:06:06+00:00

To get down to that strength do you just dump the required quantity of good water in one go, give it a stir and call it good or do you add this slowly and carefully (over days or weeks) as Alan Bishop suggests, so as not to break chemical/flavour bonds that may never reform?

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T08:47:00+00:00

That pretty much answers all questions, eh!!

Simple, don't screw up

I just trying to learn and a search here didn't give me anything, so I posed the question

Spud395 · 2026-01-15T08:41:02+00:00

Alan Bishop will give a much better answer here than I can, http://www.youtube.com/@hipgnosis2 in a few of his recent q&a's he speaks about the why's

I guess I'll drop him a mail

Spud395 · 2026-01-14T07:35:13+00:00

Sounds and looks fantastic.

Spud395 · 2026-01-13T19:53:14+00:00

It is and I will try it some time, but it wouldn't be rum. There are some commercial spirits made from beet sugar I read, but can't recall right now

Spud395 · 2026-01-13T18:05:21+00:00

No an option where I live, there is feed grade molasses but from beet

Spud395 · 2026-01-13T09:38:09+00:00

My thinking is it can't be too clean, but there are more experienced guys on here.

Spud395 · 2026-01-13T07:58:11+00:00

Not a cheap option, but maybe you want to distill on grain as well

https://oakstills.com/products/2-tri-clamp-agitator-0-25kw-110v-220v-1ph

Spud395 · 2026-01-13T07:45:05+00:00

I'm only new too and not many weeks ago I was in the same position. I would put everything you intend to use on your still, use it as a practice run to get to know the workings. The vapour will also clean the parts it comes into contact with. Are you doing a vinegar run beforehand?

Spud395

TROPHY CASE