Raising PH Rum after fermentation

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Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby rlmisso » Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:13 am

Hello team, I am on my 3rd gen of rum wash in a 200l olive drum, I used this size as I could get a 44gal drum heat belt to keep it warm during winter. After 3 days at 28° it stoppped bubbling so I figured it was ready. I checked the FG and it was only half way through the fermentation (5%sugar left) ... (I didn't check the SG...) Anyway, I checked the PH and it was like 3.8, so I added some bicarbonate soda to raise it and continue chugging along. 1x500gram bag later it hadn't risen much at all. 2 days later and another kilo it went up to 5.2 oh but no moment on the air lock.

I think back now and maybe the fermation was done and I've just added a heap of bi carb. Any advice? Just run it and see if it tastes good?
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby BSC_Kilby » Fri Sep 06, 2019 10:49 am

When I've made rum from 100% molasses ferment it's always come out tasting like dutch licorice. Really salty and aniseed-flavored, but the spirit has come out good. I'd say go for it.
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby bluc » Fri Sep 06, 2019 11:16 am

Just a suggestion but you may want to use calcium carbonate/oyster shells/shell grit to adjust ph bicarb will add an unwanted flavour. In hot weather mine often ferments dry in 3days :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby Cheersbigears » Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:05 pm

I do all my rum in the same (44gl) and I try to lower the PH under 5 every time before I add the little critters (yeast) in every wash and all washes I do. From what I have heard and read the yeast prefer under 5ph. So why are you wanting to raise it.
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby scythe » Fri Sep 06, 2019 9:23 pm

While they might like under 5, under 4 is another story.
Yeasts perform within a given pH range, too high and it
is no good, same if it's too low.
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby Cheersbigears » Fri Sep 06, 2019 10:06 pm

I think it is best between 3-5 for my findings but each to there own. Just do a few washes and see make sure all variants are the same.
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby rlmisso » Fri Sep 06, 2019 10:52 pm

I'll have to look into that method of raising the PH. 1.5 kg was definitely overkill... I'll run it and see how she tastes.

What would be the ideal PH for rum? Guy at the local HBS said 5.2. Maybe he was thinking beer?

I thought u had to raise the PH when getting into generations. Hopefully I can continue on, maybe I won't add any hot slops back in, I'll just keep the leftover stuff in the fermenter.
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Re: Raising PH Rum after fermentation

Postby coffe addict » Mon Sep 09, 2019 9:12 am

From my experience the anything over 3 is fine and will ferment out. I usually like about 5.5 at the start which will finish around 3.3 to 3.5
When I was experimenting with larger additions of dunder I had to use oyster shell's to keep the pH ok. There wasn't any benefit to the flavour of the rum so now I use the amount of dunder to control starting pH and don't bother with shell's.

Run what you've got it might be ok. I tipped a 200L ferment out when I used bicarbonate as it was terrible!

I never bother with a sg or fg as it varies too much with molasses. If it's stopped fermenting and tastes dry then I run it
Last edited by coffe addict on Mon Sep 09, 2019 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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