Hi! I'm Robyn and I'm a scientist who loves the art and science behind distilled spirits! I created this channel to share my knowledge about distilled spirits with anyone who is curious and I regularly release educational, experimental & tasting videos.
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Almost all bourbons and whiskies are chill filtered. To get rid of some fatty acids that cause cloudiness. If it's not chill filtered it does not state it's not filtered in warehouse during winter time to basically get the same result 😅 you also get rid of some physical debris that can float in barrel.
It’s a very popular style for a lot of white rums… some examples are Doorly’s 3, El Dorado 3, Flor de Caña 4, and Bacardi Superior. The filtering strips out all of the color, but leaves behind some flavor!
10% dunder in ferm then a day before still after ferm is complete and clean like wine (clay works best) add 10% dunder and last still heads and tails. stop at 60 proof!!!!!
i had to do those pull ups when i was conscripted into the Turkish Army, not allowed to jump, instead, pull yourself up just like you did... had to do 6 of them to get my stripes...took me ages, you made it look like child's play....
Just sharing my experience. I have a Muk pit that’s around a year old now. It was actually featured on this channel a couple months back I think. I’m finishing up a large batch of rum that is triple pot stilled using that Muk. I’ve finished the first and second set of stripping runs and so far this rum is 10x more flavorful, smoother and has less vegetal taste than the rum made last year with same ingredients lack the Muk. I’ll be adding 10% more Muk to the spirit run probably this weekend. So far a well kept/fed/ph monitored Muk pit can last for at least 1 year to my experience.
Awesome question! The short answer: nope! The longer answer: probably not... it will most likely change as it sits, so it depends on how you made it, how you're using it, and how you're storing it. This goes for dunder, live dunder, and muck. Similar to what @StillFunBrewing said, I've found that my live dunder get's better as it ages, but I'm due to run another batch using it. He does a good job taking care of his muck, but I just let mine live dunder sit. Jamaican distilleries will allow their muck pits to sit dormant in muck graves after the distillation season ends. Sometimes they'll stay there for years, other times, just months. They then use the muck in the graves as a way to help restart new muck pits.
Thanks so much for your input! I'm really happy to hear that your muck is getting better with age! And that you're rum is developing more flavor (without having any harsh flavors)! You're right... I featured your muck under the microscope a few months back in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MNi0sPdTh4M.htmlsi=ku_hy-TkR_7qA4v1
Awesome, your videos are very nice, and very informative videos but the videos are not reaching your target audience, if you want, I can share some tips to grow your RU-vid channel.
Have you tried comparing a single rum that is "sweetened" with caramels made from different "sugars"? I've made caramel from white sugar, brown sugar, jaggery, etc, there's definitely a change in flavour profile, be interesting to get your opinion.
I haven’t, but that’s an interesting idea! How much caramel do you typically add? Do you have a type of sugar that you think tastes best? Thanks for the suggestion!
@@RobynSmithPhD I'm from New Zealand, so best sugar we have here is the "Chelsea" brand, my favorite, is 1cup white, tbsp brown sugar, melt then simmer to taste, don't over do, easy to burn and get a bitter flavor, but I find a deep golden brown suits my tastes, then I add a cup of boiling water to dissolve to form a syrup, I add this between 10-15mls (some times a little more, to taste) to 120mls of 63%abv then top up to 200mls to get an easy drinking 40ish % abv. I find that consistent caramel makes it easier, but caramel from jaggery added to jaggery rum less appealing than jaggery rum with white sugar caramel. But i did find it sweetened the grassy taste of jaggery rum.
@@jasonpullan488 That's really interesting! I haven't played around with sweeting rums at all, but I'm happy to hear you have! Honestly, making caramel seems really challenging... I'm an avid watcher of the Great British Baking Show (aka Bake Off) and it seems like making caramel without burning it or having the sugar crystallize is hard. I'd love to give it a try though! I'll add it to my list of experiments to do!
Loved this survey of presentations from one IB. That said for the next tasting I beg of you not to use the misophonia mic 😮💨 some extraneous noises are worse than others. Truly appreciate all the educational content all the same!
I’m glad you got the point of this clip! What makes whiskey, brandy, rum, and agave spirits different from one another is the raw ingredients used to make them! Vodka can be made from any raw ingredient though… it just needs to be distilled to at least 95% ABV. And brandy can be made from any fruit, not just grapes. However, grapes are the fruit that’s most conventionally used to make brandy. I have a video all about the basics of distilled spirits that I think would be useful to you! Here’s the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JI_Hl56l-NI.htmlsi=ljMZ6erPxD0Ao4N_
@@RobynSmithPhD Sorry, I'm from Europe. Here, we don't allow food companies to call things, things which they're not. Brandy - "Terminology and legal definitions" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandy Whisky (Scotish), whiskey (Irish) or Bourbon (American) - Wiki is less clear here, however, there are various EU regulations which lay out the definitions of what 'is' and 'isn't' allowed to be labelled 'Whisk(e)y'. It all comes down to where it is made. Vodka - On this one you're more correct, as Vodka is more defined by its additives - or lack there of - and its alcohol content. My general points stands though. Rum is just another spirit; nothing particularly remarkable about it.
Yeah, that’ll definitely give you more info! Overproof is a little more vague… sometimes brands will use the term, but it doesn’t really signify a specific ABV. So I always make sure to check the ABV of a rum if I’m looking for something that is actually over 57% ABV! Luckily, that a requirement for every bottle of booze!
If you liked the Grays, get your hands on an older cask strength bottling! Single cask picks are a bit hit and miss but the good ones are great (here in Europe, LMDW & Perola have had a good hand).
Robyn, I am curious about whether the lower ABV rums are chill filtered to keep them from clouding over (louching) when water or ice is added? In scotch anything under 46% is typically chill filtered (not charcoal filtered) which removes flavor and aroma as the oils are stripped out. Great video, I learned a lot!
Great question! Yes, I believe it’s similar for rums. Rums that don’t use any chill filtering will typically indicate that on the bottle (much like whiskey bottles). I’m happy to hear you learned a lot! Thanks for watching!
I wasn’t trying to go too deep into the details of all the different types of still in this video, but yes, I would love to do a video about stills! There are so many different ones out there! And who doesn’t love a double retort potstill! Thanks for the suggestion!
Am i wrong? But could there be sugar cane in the High Seas? You mentioned that there is R(h)um from Martinique inside? So i would guess there is sugar can rhum inside and not only molasses rum. Or perhaps do you have more informations about the distilleries and which rum TCRL used?
hello, i tried to use your e-mail , it didnt seem to be working properly.. i am new to using dunder and a muck pit. do you have any videos on specifically how to set up and use a muck pit? thanks
Thanks for reaching out! Dunder is very easy to set-up... you just save the stillage from the stripping run of your rum. I keep mine in a bucket with the lid on. Muck is more complex and there's a lot of mystery around what "should" go into a muck pit. I would suggest starting to play around with using dunder first! What recipe do you use currently to make rum?
@@RobynSmithPhD good day, currently i am using a sugar wash with some molasses added for flavor. i saved my dunder from 2 years ago in a barrell and attempted to use some of the Muck on last years run. i would say it failed. the stink of the muck carried over to the spirits and it tasted aweful. i still have the muck and it still smells like people tell me it should, stink. but i am currently at a loss as what to do with it. i dont want to ruin another run this year. im not really looking for a deep dive on Muck pits, but a process or procedure on how to use it effectively. i think i have had good success using dunder so im not seeking to focus on that topic unless it helps with the Muck barrell/ pit issue. currently i have only watched a few of your videos, but you seem very knowledgable on this topic so i thought i would reach out for help. -thanks for your time, don
@@donaldorr8508 Hmm what does your muck smell like? How did you make it? It is just from the stillage that you let sit for a couple years or did you add anything else to it? I would suggest switching from a sugar wash to an all molasses wash. Save that dunder and use that to start a muck pit... you can add things like crushed sugar cane stalks and the lees from the fermenter. You want to add your muck in after primary fermentation and let it sit in the fermenter for several days for secondary fermentation before distilling it. Let me know if this helps clear things up!
@@RobynSmithPhD hi, well the muck smells like sewage. my only recipe that i am using is mostly sugar with a gallon of molasses for a hint of flavor. the things that i added to my muck pit/barrell are just the leftovers from the still. the dead yeast, no solids, all fluid. the muck pit never had any kind of good smell. the thing that bothers me is last year i took some stinky muck pit and poured some into a volume that i was about to distill. (i am still unsure as when the best time to add the muck to a mixture is best. i hedged my bet and added it right b4 i distilled it. i only did a fairly small batch with the muck added in, and the sewage flavor carried over to the finished product. it was not really strong but it was an unhappy flavor and i just dumped it out. at the moment i am pretty close to trashing my whole muck pit/ barrell and just forgetting about it for now. its been 'active' for 2 years now. and i have several gallons of it stinking up the back yard. i suppose im trying to shoot for something advanced when i am still a beginner. thanks for your help/ time.
You convinced me over on Patreon, but I went and made this today (and now I'm seeing this video). I had some M02 yeast that needed to be used, so I made a good yeast bomb with that, and then topped off with some regular ol' instant yeast. M02 should give some fruity esters since it's a cider yeast.
That recipe sounds about right. I did a safety net with dark brown sugar to not detract too much from the molasses notes. Would love to hear about your thoughts on yeast strains that might help bring some funk into the rum!
I think the best way to add the most funk is to do spontaneous fermentation... unfortunately for small-batch distillers, that means veryyyy low yield. I'm hoping to do some experimentation soon with various yeast strains to see how I can add more funky flavors without sacrificing yield, but in the meantime, I'd say look into various brewing strains that are known for producing high amounts of esters! Here are some examples: Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale - This strain produces high levels of fruity esters like pear and apple without significant phenolic character. WLP645 Brettanomyces Claussenii (White Labs) - A Brettanomyces strain that produces subtle fruity esters without the barnyard character associated with other Brett strains. Fermentis Safale K-97 - Known for producing clean and fruity esters, making it a good choice for emphasizing fruity notes in rum without phenolic overtones. Lalvin 71B-1122 - This strain was isolated and selected for its ability to produce a high level of esters (isoamyl acetate). Lalvin QA23 - It produces aromatic esters and thiols, enhancing fruity and floral notes without significant phenolic characteristics. Lalvin ICV D47 - Produces esters and higher alcohols that contribute to complex and fruity aromas.
@@RobynSmithPhD 71B is a fun one with mead. It loves to completely disregard its alcohol tolerances. QA23 is great with the acerglyns(maple syrup/honey mead.) it passes on the terpenes from the maple syrup and does a nice fun job accenting it. D47 in a blueberry mead gives it a fresh baked blueberry muffin note. The first couple I have not tried so I will definitely have to give them a go around. I will try them in a mead and then I will see what fun characteristic will come about in a mead and then concoct a wash that will be a fun rum to do! Thats for the yeast suggestions!
As someone who has recently taken to reading about rum and listening to podcasts to it etc. with some very minimal homebrewing (and zero distilling) experience, I'm loving this channel. So informative! Thanks for sharing this stuff.
I’m dying to get my hands on enough cane syrup to make a rum out of it! I’m a huge fan of cane syrup rums… Rivers and Clairin Le Rocher are amazing examples of how a cane syrup rum can be done really well! Also Richland Rum uses cane syrup and it’s not funky like the other two, but I find the notes that develop so interesting. I wonder if Steen’s sells cane syrup in bulk?
Robyn, I agree that Total Wine can be a trip. I walk around with filters in my brain to narrow down my choices. First, if it’s Single Malt, I filter out chill filtered whisky (under 46%), no caramel coloring, and value (my walk away is $80). Balvenie never makes my list. ABV too low, therefore chill filtered and probably colored. If American whiskey, I look for Bottled in Bond (50% ABV, at least 4 years old). Evan Wiiliams white label always passes the filter. Now the 100 bottles are whittled down to about 20 and I can google them and watch whiskey tube reviews from channels I trust. At Total Wine, I research my store at home, put my suspects in the cart, browse anything that interests me at the store, and usually end up buying my cart. This strategy saves me a lot of blunders and impulse buys. Thanks for the video, I am a fan!
That’s an amazing strategy and sounds like what I tend to do too! I don’t always have a plan, but the experience is so much better when I do! It helps that we have portable computers in our pockets that allow us to do research on bottles while we’re there (haha).
Robyn, he best way to attract a sales person at my Total Wine is to stand in the aisle with your phone open. They may think you are a hired comparison shopper. This happened to my wife who used to carry a clipboard stuffed with wine articles BPC (before portable computers). They almost booted her out of the store!
Thanks for the recipe! Rum was my first recipe and I was too ignorant to use yeast nutrient. Why do you wait 2 days before adding nutrient? Very clear presentation of an easy to use recipe, thanks!
I wait until the yeast is well in its growth phase, but honestly, I don’t see why you couldn’t add it sooner. I’ve also done some batches where I waited until fermentation starts to slow/stall and then added the nutrients. I wouldn’t recommend that though, but adding nutrients helped fermentation speed back up!
Loving the content. I’m finishing a rum right now with my Muk and on a whim added some blueberry mountain brandy Dunder mid fermentation. I may have it finished up in a couple weeks.
Nice starter recipe! I have a panela wash I'm going to run this week. The wash smells great (chocolate , caramel, apples) and fermented dry in 4 days. Have you ever tried panela?
That sounds great! It’s been a handful of years since I’ve done a panela wash! I’d love to do a side-by-side tasting of distillate made the same exact way on the same still just with varying sugars… that’ll be a fun experiment to run one day!
just ordered a gallon of golden barrel baking molasses on ebay, gonna order a rum yeast too , thansk for the inspiration robin..will be my first time ...
Interesting, but how do you, me, or anyone else get past the not being able to distill spirits at home legally? I would love to try but everything I see says I can't in the US.
Home distilling is legal in some states, however, it's illegal at the federal level. I'd suggest starting with home brewing! It's a fun hobby that's adjacent to distilling and it's legal... it's funny how many differences there actually are between brewers and distillers though. Distillers are a lot less clean (haha), but I think there are a lot of great skills that you can learn home brewing!
That'll depend on the strength of the wash, the efficiency of the still, and the cuts I make. For my 5-gal batches, I typically collect a little over 1/2 gallon (~0.6 gal) of spirit at 70% ABV.
