Rum stuck ferment

[shotchas]

I've had three fermenters running with a rum wash using backset from a previous strip. One is still bubbling happily after three weeks and the other two stopped over a week ago. I tried various things to get them going again to no avail. The two stuck ones are in plastic pails with snap on lids which seem to be secure as the water in the air lock rises with gentle pressure from a finger on the lid.
It's hard to get an SG reading from the rum wash but the "stuck" ones appear to have a higher SG than the active one.
The question is:
If I risk putting the washes in the boiler without having fermented out properly, will it be worthwhile, or just give me nasty problems, i.e. like goo stuck to the inside of the boiler or puking?
Any thoughts or opinions appreciated. :text-thankyoublue:

[Kimbo]

Hi Mate, we need more info, like what "various things "have you tried ;-)

[shotchas]

I don't have anything for ph measurement, but I put a squeeze of lemon juice in one and some bicarb in the other, no change.

"Yeast bomb" using boiled yeast, tomato paste, sugar, fresh yeast at 30c then added when vigorous, no change.

Heating in the bath to mid 20's, sitting them behind north facing glass doors to get winter sun, no change,

Yeast starter using hydrated yeast, little bit of sugar, tomato paste, small amounts of wash added to starter incrementally up to 400ml, then added back to fermenter while starter was still active. Aerated with electric blender before adding it. No change.

What I haven't tried yet is sticking my left leg in a bucket of water at midnight on a full moon and howling, while biting the head off a live rooster.

The question is:
If I risk putting the washes in the boiler without having fermented out properly, will it be worthwhile, or just give me nasty problems, i.e. like goo stuck to the inside of the boiler or puking?

[Kimbo]

What I haven't tried yet is sticking my left leg in a bucket of water at midnight on a full moon and howling, while biting the head off a live rooster.

This may well work mate :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
Did you give the stuck washed a taste? the reason being is my rum washes are usually finished within a week, so yours may be finished too. So see if it has that sour/wine taste as apposed to the sweet molasses taste ;-)
the other thing is you said you heated in the bath to mid 20's, this tells me that you may be too cold. I keep mine around 30deg.
And yes, pH can be an issue too.
I hope this helps :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[shotchas]

Yeh they do still taste sweet.
I've had them sitting beside the wood heater to try and get the heat up a bit. The lady in the house thinks I'm being nice to her since I don't usually light it until it gets below 17C inside. She wants it on if it gets down to 21C. Sweating like a pig in here :@)
Bugger it, I'll stick them in the boiler and see what happens. They did ferment out a bit so who knows, maybe they got up to 5 or 6% before stopping?
If ph was the problem, can anyone advise what the optimum is, or the outer limits?

[shotchas]

Checked the temp and it's 30C, tastes sweet, still no activity..................... :angry-banghead:

[Kimbo]

Sounds like it may be a pH thing, you should aim for about 4.5.
other than that, how much molasses and/or sugar, how much water and what size fermenter?