Ijbrowning Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Hello all, I am trying to do rum for the first time with a very basic recipe (cane sugar and molasses). After pitching the yeast and sitting for 14 days, the S.G has only gone from 1.122 to 1.046. It's been a little chilly and the temp of the wash has only been between 74 and 77 deg. I pitched it with plenty of yeast and gave it some air initially. I'm used to getting my washes down to 0.990 S.G. on the scale. Any thoughts on what could be wrong? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 To cold. Rum yeast is bred to operate between 85-94. Bacardi runs at an average 90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustAndy Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Could be not enough nutrients or too high a starting gravity for the yeast you used. Or depending on how much molasses you used, that can add an obscuration effect to to the SG reading (molassess can have a lot of unfermentable sugars and solids) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebstauffer Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Your SG is way too high. Your temp is too low. Questions: What nutrients did you use? What was your starting pH and what was the pH when it crapped out? What yeast are you using? I tend to shoot for an SG of around 1060 and I go dry in 5 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisan Still Design Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 ya, 1.122 is way high,stay below .08 otherwise you'll need a champagne yeast and it will take a month to finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewder Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 This. Your SG is way too high. Your temp is too low. Questions: What nutrients did you use? What was your starting pH and what was the pH when it crapped out? What yeast are you using? I tend to shoot for an SG of around 1060 and I go dry in 5 days. Orignal BRIX: 16-21 (I prefer 18, this is ingredients and flavor profile specific) Aka original SG: 1.065-1.087 Orignal pH: around 5.5 Was the yeast pitch pH & temp almost the same as the wash? Did you pitch enough? Molasses source should be able to tell you about the content of ash, nitrogen, gums, etc of the raw ingredients used. Get a guide for rum fermentation, compare, it will tell you if you need nutrients or not, and if your molasses has too much of something and will always be a problem. Cheap molasses is often cheap for a reason. Consider reading up on the role of bacterial fermentation (it happens even when you do not intend it to) and test in small batches by either reducing the pitched yeast, or delaying the pitched yeast, or letting the wash sit for a day or two after the yeast is mostly done. This can play a significant role in fatty acid creation and good and bad flavors in the finished product. In doing this, some of your tests will fail and smell bad, which you throw away and clean everything, then start over. You are experimenting with dunder pits (flask, carboy, etc), right?If you haven't been doing precise calculations and running a spread sheet documenting everything you do, every time, start. Over time you will find it easier to resolve your own issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Time Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Brewder is spot-on. Another thing to consider is using 10-20% backset, it helps by providing nutrients and pH stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TuftedTurtle Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Brewder pretty much lays it out, but I'd disagree on one note when others. Rum fermentation does not have to be hot. I've fermented plenty of rums in the 70's. It largely depends on the yeast you use. Some yeast like it cooler then others. The idea that rum has to run hot is largely due to the idea that most rums come from hot climates. Cheers, Turtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamBone Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 I agree it's not the temperature. Could be yeast health, PH, nutrients...You also started at a pretty high Brix it could have killed your yeast depending on the stain and thrown off your PH. I think that was your problem Sounds like you will be ending up with a 10% yield so that's still not too bad all things considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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