Clarifying mollases

[Yummyrum]

Here is the more complicated method of Clarifying a molasses wash I referred to HERE
I have only none this a few times and are trying new things each time .It is not necessarily how Commercial Rum makes do it but is what I have come up with from the very scarce info around .

so....Set up a Big old pot on a burner up high so you can Rack off later
Add water ,Dunder and Mollases as in method used in above link .

simmering.jpg

Test the pH , it will be around 6 and needs to be raised to around 8.5
To do this I find I need about 1 1/2 cups of Hydrated Lime ( calcium Hydroxide ) Mix with equal parts of water into a slurry .

Hydrated Lime.jpg

This stuff is very alkaline and eats skin ...and fucks eyes ...where safety glasses and wash hands when done

milk of lime pH 12.7.jpg

Add it to the pot while stirring until the required pH is obtained ....you don't need to be to fussy

Note the level in the pot because You will need to top up the evaporated water .Bring to near boiling and hold for two hours .If you don't watch it,it will make a mess .....closer to boiling does seem to produce best results though

Mess.jpg

Top up with preferably boiling water to replace evaporated stuff .
Leave overnight and then rack off into your fermenter .Test pH again ...I find mine always drops down to around 7 ish

Add Hydrochloric acid to lower pH down to around 5.5 - 6.0 .I find I need around 150 mL ....again wear safety glasses and don't breathe the fumes .

Hydrchloric acid.jpg

[Yummyrum]

The pH in the fermenter of my last batch

After acidifacation.jpg

Add Epsom salts , Aerate and add yeast .

Ferment at as close to 40 deg C as you can

Ferment temp.jpg

[Brendan]

Hey Yummy, you were asking what I had come across in regards to commercial processes...

Everything that I have read has already been mentioned, and is basically that they heat it, add a flocculant, and use a centrifuge to 'spin out' the solids.

I think you're on to the home methods though :handgestures-thumbupleft:

In terms of the added chemicals and how dangerous they are, I'm assuming you would not be able to taste the wash prior to distillation? :?

[Yummyrum]

.......In terms of the added chemicals and how dangerous they are, I'm assuming you would not be able to taste the wash prior to distillation? :?

Not really sure Brendan but I am guessing that there would be calcium chloride salts produced ...not sure about toxicity of that but .....I have tasted the wash :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I figured that a sticky finger lick can't harm .........well two actually ....the other is to taste for dryness when it all looks done :D

Certainly wouldn't go drinking cup fulls of it though

To be honest ,I would rather taste this than an unsterilized wash with funky Dunder in it :-B

[Dominator]

After, what I believe are, pretty consistent poor yeilds when compared to other people on here, I have decided to try clarifying my molasses. I don't really have the time to do the two hour method like you yummy, so I just loaded a mix of 2 parts water to 1 part molasses and heated it to boiling, then poured it into a 20L container and let it settle overnight. I was suprised how much crap settled in the bottom.



This is an idea of the crap that settles out.
After clarifying, the molasses tastes heaps cleaner. Will see if it has much affect on the final product.

[Linny]

Whats this do for flavour ? im interested

[Brendan]

Yeah that looks like perfect separation, just from boiling.

If it ferments as expected, you might be onto an easier method :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Yummyrum]

Good stuff Dom.
I found when I did my experiments with this that the stuff that falls out with just a boil is just soft fluffy stuff with hardly any mayerial in it.
I did before and after SG tests and there was no differnce
When I did the clarification with Calcium Hydroxide , there was a significant difference in before and after SG readings .Note that the boiling process will evaporate of more than 10 % of the liquid so this must be replaced before measuring to get an accurate reading.

Simple boil
Before sg 1110.......after sg 1109....dirrerence 1

Calcium hydroxide clarify

Before Sg 1110.....after sg1100...dif 10



The other differnce is that the calcium hydroxide clarification causes better settling...more like a sludge so it makes racking easier

[Dominator]

Yeah yummy, I have no doubts that your method is far better than my simple boil. I didnt take any gravity readings this time but the next lot I will test to see if I get much of a change. My very scientific smell and taste tests showed quite a difference. The 'clarified' molasses tastes heaps cleaner, and I appears to ferment quite well.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jpkdJ4Sqo8I

This is a 50L McRum wash, 6L 'simple clarified' molasses, 6kg sugar, 12L dunder, water up to 50-55L and probably about 70g of Lowans yeast (that was all I had at home). No epsom salts, no DAP, no Vitamin B etc. It is running so hard I could not keep any water in the air lock for the first few hours after the yeast hydrated.

[Yummyrum]

Col Dom , I agree that the boil up definitely cleans it up smell and taste wise.
Do you have any Idea what that fluffy stuff is that settles out ?

[Dominator]

Nah, no idea, maybe it is just some crap left from the cane milling process. Regardless, I wasnt brave enough to taste it. :? I chucked it on the grass to see if it helps or hinders the lawn and the dog seemed quite happy to eat it. Then again this is the same dog that loves to eat march flys.

[Dominator]

Did you try your process, with the calicum hydroxide etc., without the 2hr boil. ie. High ph, short boil (5-10min) then cool? I wonder if that would get the same, or close, results?

[Yummyrum]

Did you try your process, with the calicum hydroxide etc., without the 2hr boil. ie. High ph, short boil (5-10min) then cool? I wonder if that would get the same, or close, results?

No I haven't ...but I'm hereing you. Been wondering the same ..on my last clarify I did on friday night ,switched off the gas at midnight and it took until almost 5.00pm the next day until it was cool enough so I guess it must stay at the high temp for at least two hours anyway as it cools back down.

Funnily on friday I almost went fuck it I'll just do the straight boil only but thought ,no you lasy prick , its only going to take a few more minuates to add the lime .
Again I found that it took just over a 1 1/2 cups of hydrated lime mixed with about the same of water to do the job.
And again around just over 150 ml hydrochloric acid to restore pH......this seems to be a repeating formula in this method.

BTW...tried some that I have had on American Oak chips since before Xmas and its the nicest Rum I've ever made

[Bootross]

If there turns out to be significantly better yield from using Yummy's lime clarify, perhaps it would be viable to do a simple boil clarify and store the "fluffy stuff" till you have accumulated a decent amount, then do a boil and lime clarify on just the fluffy stuff to squeeze the last goodness out if it. :think:

It would be interesting to see if there was any difference between the molasses produced form the standard boil, and the lime-clarified dregs.

[Yummyrum]

Like your thinking bootross.
Just might be a problem storing the dilluted mollases without it actively wanting to ferment.

@ Brendan.Been thinking about the centrifuge Idea.
Asked misses about our juice extracter that she hated.
She through it out :angry-banghead:

[Brendan]

Like your thinking bootross.
Just might be a problem storing the dilluted mollases without it actively wanting to ferment.

@ Brendan.Been thinking about the centrifuge Idea.
Asked misses about our juice extracter that she hated.
She through it out :angry-banghead:

Ever seen a stir plate used in beer brewing? I actually use one for my yeast starters for distilling.

I reckon a larger one with the right vessel could come pretty close to achieving what you want...just scoop out the solids from the outside...or siphon the clear liquid from the centre ;-)

[Yummyrum]

Do you mean those magnetic stirrers that some guys also make out of fans with magnets glued on ?.

[Brendan]

Do you mean those magnetic stirrers that some guys also make out of fans with magnets glued on ?.

Yep, think it could work if it was large enough? Just need to ensure it spins the solids out I guess, rather than just mixing it up :think:

edit: maybe if the stir bar only mixes it, could use the stir bar as a base and join another piece that stems up from it to spin the centre of the solution, rather than just mixing it from the bottom...

[Dominator]

Had my first go at this on friday. Slightly different method, just to suit my equipment on hand. I put 24L of water in my boiler and heated it up to near boiling while I measured out 12L of molasses. I have found adding molasses to hot water stops it sinking to the bottom and reduces the need to stir. As I done it this way I could not take a SG reading because of the temp. Again because the mixture was already hot I could not take a PH reading with my digital meter so I just used yummys estimates and added 1.5 cups of hydrated lime that was premixed with some water. I continued heating untill the mixture boiled then shut the elements off. My boiler is insulated so it held temp quite well, I left it for abput 4 hours. I have two drains in my boiler, one in the side and one in the bottom. I used the side drain to remove the good wash from the top and the. Used the bottom drain to remove the sediment from the bottom and left it to settle in a clear 20L drum, then I racked it off this morning. Topped up my fermenter with about 12L of dunder then water to 50L and checked the ph which was about 5.6 and SG was 1080. Pitched my yeast and she is happily bubbling away now. Previous boil only clarifying resulted in approx 1L of fluffy white stuff from 6L of molasses. This method left about 4 or 5L of thick sludge in the bottom of my drum. Will get some pics tommorow.

[Yummyrum]

Good work Dom.
I used that amount of hydrated lime but it was with the Dunder added as well which is very much an acid buffer.
Yo maywell have had even better clarifying results than I got by not adding the Dunder.
Did you add the hydrochloric acid ?.

Your sg seems very low.Mine is usually up around 1.110
Again this may be due to you doing it differently.I migjt try this next run to compare.
I will add that my Dunder has accumulated a high Specific gravity....its around 1.060 on its own