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Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:57 am
by Yummyrum
Good work Stillwagon.Are they all the same ?

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:31 pm
by moonshinindawg
Would love to know how this goes, Im a biotech major so If you wanna share some culture or the supplier I can get it going in excess :)

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:20 pm
by stillwagon
I bought six cultures that are all the same, so I can do different tests, or if I screw something up. I just bought a lab incubator off ebay and it should be here soon so I can grow out the culture in an inoculum for the wash. Should be interesting...

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:01 pm
by MacStill
stillwagon wrote:I bought six cultures that are all the same, so I can do different tests, or if I screw something up. I just bought a lab incubator off ebay and it should be here soon so I can grow out the culture in an inoculum for the wash. Should be interesting...


I'll be waiting right here for your reports :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:57 pm
by Yummyrum
Is it a one off purchase .Can you keep the same culture on going or does it slowly mutate and need to be replaced

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 12:43 am
by stillwagon
The cultures are relatively inexpensive so I will probably reorder as needed to avoid contamination and mutation.

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:04 am
by stillwagon
Starting the first run with the cultures...

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:57 am
by stillwagon
The run went well. I did the cuts as arroyo prescribed. Although the flavors presented themselves at a different proof than he noted. I imagine some variation is to be expected. I am doing a second run with some slight variations in levels of sugars, ABV, and temp when introducing the bacteria.

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:15 am
by bt1
still,

any tasting notes/comments at this early stage perhaps?

cheers
bt1

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:48 am
by stillwagon
The most notable difference is doing the cuts as Arroyo prescribed. Then looking for the flavors in the fourth cut which turned out to be quite pleasant. Now it is blending them in and aging it to see what I end up with...

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:54 am
by stillwagon
I ran a second 50 gallon run adding the 12 gallons of heads, hearts, and tails from the first run. I was able to get a larger volume of product (of course) but most importantly was the distinction of the tails. From about 60% down to 38% was undesirable, too musky and bitter. I kept from 35% down to about 25% which was about 2 gallons that had a sweet rum flavor. These were mixed back into the hearts and gave a sweet, flavorful, complex, rum. This amounted to 11 gallons of 70% that will be headed into oak soon.

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:19 am
by Yummyrum
Sounds like you're having some success Mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

OT ,but as a commercial Distiller ,what do you do with the 60% down to 38% part .Will you just keep adding it back to future runs or do you discard it ? Or does all the heads and tails finally get turned into whiterum in a Reflux column ? Just curious what commercial guys do with such large amounts of unsalable product.

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:26 am
by stillwagon
I will keep adding it in for a while. Eventually I will do a feints run, see if it is any good, and go from there. Maybe see how high I can run it up, denature it and pit it in my gas tank. Other than that I don't know yet. I do have to report it on my inventory and/or if it is disposed or destroyed. They want every drop accounted for.

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 6:57 am
by stillwagon
Rum fermenting nicely!

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:46 am
by MacStill
What are you using to ferment in there stillwagon?

If I only left that much headroom in my rum ferments I would end up with a huge mess :laughing-rolling:

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:41 am
by stillwagon
Molasses and ECJ. My fermenter contained it well. Running it off now....

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 3:11 am
by stillwagon
Finished the run the other day.

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 5:58 am
by greenguy
35 gallons of hearts o my :music-deathmetal:

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:48 pm
by MacStill
stillwagon wrote:Molasses and ECJ. My fermenter contained it well. Running it off now....


I was kind of getting at the fermenting vessel itself SW, I can never contain my rum ferments with such little head room :crying-blue:

Re: Use of bacteria during fermentation

PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:13 am
by stillwagon
Do you have a lid? I had very little spill over, as I keep the lids down during fermentation. The protocol for the bacteria calls for as little exposure to atmosphere as possible, at least while the bacteria are active.