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Just getting started with a micro distillery in Hawaii, Island Spirits Distillers. I'm going to use molasses, since sugar cane grows here. And I'm going to make vodka from it.

Any other molasses fermenters out there, I'd like to hear your experiences. From reading this forum, I didn't see any posts involving sugar cane molasses...

Dave

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Just getting started with a micro distillery in Hawaii, Island Spirits Distillers. I'm going to use molasses, since sugar cane grows here. And I'm going to make vodka from it.

Any other molasses fermenters out there, I'd like to hear your experiences. From reading this forum, I didn't see any posts involving sugar cane molasses...

Dave

Is there a sugar mill in Hawaii making food-grade molasses? I met with Alexander & Baldwin's Maui Sugar Company last spring, which I thought was the last operating sugar mill in the state, and they told me that they only had a feed grade available. I haven't checked, but I think that the Ag people won't go for that. We've experimented with their turbinado, to good results, but alas no molasses.

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Molasses for Vodka? Foaming is a certainly an issue. I use molasses in my rum (separate fermentation from a larger cane syrup fermentation, and I only distill it a few times a year, so the hassle is minimal). You have to keep a real close eye on the scaling, particularly on the openings in your plates. Scale can wreak havoc on your efficiency if you're making vodka.

This is only my opinion, but I'd make sure you have a bit of extra freeboard in your still before it hits the 1st plate, and make sure you have a foam stop before the plates. Further, if you can get away with having a pot still (no frills....pot, lyne arm, condenser), and then a separate pot w/column, you'll thank yourself many times over. If you can use your column solely as a spirit column, the scale issues disappear. Scale in a plain ol' potstill isn't nearly as much of a concern.

Also, the quality of molasses has been on a slow decline over the past decade or two. When I was at Alltech in the early 00's, there were several rum producers from the Caribbean in attendance, and they were all trying to solve the problem of low-sugar molasses. Keep an eye on those spec sheets.

It sure would make an interesting vodka, I'd think. Unique selling points are always a good thing, especially with vodka. Best of luck to you.

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HC&S, owned by A&B, does have molasses available here; the final molasses, blackstrap, etc., whatever's left after they've done I think 3 extractions. Haleakala Distillers, makers of Maui Dark Rum and other varieties, uses it. The chemist tells me it is approximately 50% sugar by weight. I will use defoamers and do a stripping run, aka separate pot still then pot with column, so there should be no issues in my columns.

I wasn't aware of the decline in molasses quality. It needs to be watered down anyway, so maybe a lower sugar content just means a slight added cost? I'll certainly test the %. I'm still uncertain of the percentage sugar to dilute to. What % do you use when producing rum?

ckrogstad, what do you mean, 'the Ag people won't go for that'?

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The Caribbean rums producers were also talking about elevated ash content. Of course, they weren't getting their molasses from a single plant in Hawaii. I keep my eyes open because I'm sourcing from all over.

I dilute it so I get an 8% abv wash.

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Just getting started with a micro distillery in Hawaii, Island Spirits Distillers. I'm going to use molasses, since sugar cane grows here. And I'm going to make vodka from it.

Any other molasses fermenters out there, I'd like to hear your experiences. From reading this forum, I didn't see any posts involving sugar cane molasses...

Dave

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DAVE, ALOHA FROM MAUI..... IM THE MASTER DISTILLER FOR HAWAIIAN ISLAND SPIRITS, DISTILLER OF PAU MAUI VODKA. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON DISTILLING VODKA CONTACT ME........GOOGLE PAU MAUI AND YOU WILL SEE NUMEROUS SITES FEATURING MY BRAND, ALSO MY CONTACT INFO. MAHALO VODKAKING

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