Potstill distillations: handling of yeast in wash

[DesNaz]

Hi all!

Plan to try making a light cane "rum" from sugarcane juice...

Basic question: What are the pros and cons of letting the yeast from the fermentation vessel into the primary potstill process (first distillation)?

This question would have general applicability to all double-distillation situations, right?

Any comments based on experience, or general principles, will be most welcome.

Thanks in advance!

[mavnkaf]

I take it you talking about suspended yeast in a rum wash and it has reached a final gravity that your ok with? But your concerned with off flavors that may occur through yeast being scorched during a stripping run, assuming you are doing stripping runs then final spirit runs?

My preference is loose as much yeast as I can! Boil some of you yeast and smell it. It’s not nice at all, but boiled yeast makes for good wash nutrients.

What I do to drop the yeast might not suit you of course. I use refrigeration and time, which I have plenty of, but crash chilling might be ok for fast separation, my favorite is a mechanical filter made by this mob, meaning business:

http://www.absolutecentrifuge.com/

Don’t let the waste veggie oil stuff put you off, many microbreweries have these centrifuge’s to separate the beer solids before bottling and the results are impressive.

To change the subject, you talk “light rum from sugarcane juice”, are you talking about white rum? Or Rum made through the use of dunder and aged on oak then filtere the colour / favor out?

Cheers

Marc

[Jonathan Forester]

[i've made rums from molasses wash and just let it ferment until most of the yeast had settled out. Then distilled it in a 60 gallon direct fire pot still. I didn't worry about some of the yeast getting into the still. The rums came out excellent.

[DesNaz]

To change the subject, you talk “light rum from sugarcane juice”, are you talking about white rum? Or Rum made through the use of dunder and aged on oak then filtere the colour / favor out?

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Light white rum, Marc... thanks for the input :-)

[DesNaz]

[i've made rums from molasses wash and just let it ferment until most of the yeast had settled out. Then distilled it in a 60 gallon direct fire pot still. I didn't worry about some of the yeast getting into the still. The rums came out excellent.

Molasses based rum is a bit stronger flavored than 'light white rum', more like unaged cachaca... however, will give your thought a shot! Thanks, Jonathan!

[half pint]

I don't worry about some of the yeast coming over, a little is no big deal. Some distillers swear (on other spirits) if you can go long and low the yeast even add a little something as long as you really take your time.