Distilling Knowledge Caribbean Rum and Chachaca Flashcards
What sugar is contained in sugar cane?
Sucrose
Why does recently harvested sugar cane need to be processed quickly?
Because the peel contains wild strains of bacteria and yeast which will begin to consume the cane and cause undesirable flavors.
How is molasses made?
The sugar cane juice is extracted and boiled to a syrup. The sugar is made to crystallize . This process of heating and crystallization is repeated until all that is left is a dark syrupy residue
How is fermentation carried out with molasses?
It is diluted as the sugar content would otherwise be too high and kill yeasts. Most distillers cultivate their own strains to produce specific flavor compounds
What does Agricole mean?
Defined as any rum distilled from fermented sugar can juice in any of the French Overseas Departments and the region of Madeira
What is the minimum bottling strength for rum in the EU and US
EU 37.5%
US 40%
What is the minimum distillation for rum in the EU and US?
EU 96%
US 95%
What is the purpose of a heat exchanger?
Temperatures are so high in the west indies that fermentation could kill yeasts leaving unfermented sugars
What still is used for rum production?
Standard Column still
Multiple Column still (including hydroselection and de-methylising columns)
Double pot still distillation with use of retorts
What are ‘marks’?
Distillates that are simply drawn off of the still at lower strengths to produce a more intense spirit
What are retorts?
Separate copper vessels placed between the pot still and the condenser that contains liquids, most commonly the high and low wines from the previous distillation
Describe typical distillation using a retort
Short heads run, the heart is collected at 80-86% abv. Once the spirit falls to around 80% abv, the tails are then collected in two parts. The first part that follows on from the heart is called the high wines and the second, lower abv (~40%) part is called the low wines.
How can distillers adjust the composition of the liquids in the retorts to create different flavor?
A distiller can add dunder or other high acidic material in the high-wines retort to get the exaggerated high-ester effect
What is dunder?
Dunder is the non-alcoholic residue that is left at the bottom of the still after distillation. The residue is collected and stored outside in dunder pits or tanks where it is allowed to naturally ferment.
What are ‘light marks’
These is a highly rectified spirit produced in a very similar method to vodka. Fermentation is quick with few congeners cultured yeasts are used as is a multiple-column still. The final product must be lower than 95% or 96% otherwise it would be vodka
How are ‘heavy marks’ made?
These are generally done using a pot still with a retort where dunder can be added. The goal is heavy marks is retaining congeners and esters
What effect does the high humid temperature play on maturation?
Distillers will lose 6% of volume a year and estimate that 1 year of aging will be equal to 3 years in Scotland
The temperature also forces the spirit into the wood so oak extraction is much higher.
What is rhum agricole aged in?
Rhum agricole and Barbancourt in Haiti prefer to use ex-Cognac barrels made from French oak
Name a producer that ages their white rum in oak
Bacardi ages in oak and then filters out the color.
What are golden rums?
These are generally aged in oak and may have caramel added for additional color
Describe dark rums.
Dark rums should be aged longer than gold rums. They also have a higher percentage of ‘heavy marks’ in the blend
What are Navy rums?
This is a sub category of dark rum. Based on a light column still rum which is blended with a sweet Demerara Rum then receiving an aromatic lift from small amounts of Jamaican pot still Wedderburn. They also receive a large dose of caramel
These are modeled after the rum given to sailors by the British Navy
Where is the Demerara river?
Guyana
What is the DDL?
Demerara Distillers Ltd. who produce the widest range of marks in the world all from the Diamond Distillery
What are pots made from in diamond distillery?
Made of greenheart wood but with a copper neck
What still is used for Guyana Rum?
Multiple stills
What still is used for Jamiaca rum?
Pot still heritage
What are the grades of pot still rums in Jamaica?
Common cleans - delicate slightly floral 80-150 esters
Plummers - light tropical fruit 150-200 esters
Wedderburn - fuller deeper fruit more body 200+ esters
Continental flavored or high esters - most pungent of all pineapple and banana 500-1700 esters
Where is rhum agricole made?
Martinique
Guadaloupe
La Reunion (indian ocean)
What is the base for rhum agricole
Sugar cane - This is harvested then crushed by rollers. The juice is extracted and immediately taken to fermentation.
What is bagasse?
Dry fibers left from sugar cane. These are generally taken to the distillery and used as fuel
What is the distillation of Rhum Martinique?
Must take place in a continuous still with a minimum of 20 plates. The new make spirit must be between 65 and 75% abv.
What are the labeling terms from Rhum Martinique?
Blanc - rested for 3 months
Eleve sous bois - aged for 12 months in oak
Vieux - aged for 3 years in oak smaller than 650L
What country produces most of the world’s sugar cane?
Brazil
Who are the big 5?
51 Ypioca Tatuzinho Velho Barreiro Pitu
Under Brazilian law what is cachaca?
aguardente de cana (cane brandy)
What is the material of choice for most cachaca fermenters?
Stainless steel
How long does cachaca fermentation typically take
20-30 hours
What still is used for distillation of cachaca?
Mix of pot stills, linked pot stills, column stills (both linked and single)
What is the strength of cachaca by law?
38-48% abv
What is sweetened cachaca?
Cachaca with the addition of between 6g/L and 30g/L
What is the requirement of aged cachaca?
50% of the spirit must have been aged in wood barrels of 700L or less for 1 year. Caramel may be added for color correction
