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IBD General Certificate > Unit 2 - Lesson 3 - Molasses > Flashcards

Unit 2 - Lesson 3 - Molasses Flashcards

1
Q

Why was rum named as it was?

A

SacchaRUM OfficianaRUM or sugar canes official name

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2
Q

What is the only base raw materials used in rum?

A

Sugar cane

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3
Q

What is the definition of rum?

A

Distilled alcohol produced <96% by from the fermentation of sugar cane or its derivatives

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4
Q

What are the derivatives of sugar cane?

A

Sugar Cane Juice
Molasses
Sugar Cane Syrups
Cane Sugar

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5
Q

Why is rum <96% ABV?

A

To keep the organoleptic characteristics

eg the natural volatile elements

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6
Q

What is the 3 rum standards outlining rules?

A

CARICOM Rum Standard
Alcohol & Tobacco Trade & Tax Bureau
EU Regulations

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7
Q

What is sugar cane?

A

Grass Family

Saccarum genus

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8
Q

What is hybridization?

A

Combining different species for hybrids

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9
Q

How tall can cane sugar reach?

A

4m

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10
Q

What are the components of sugar cane?

A

Leaf
Bud
Node
Internode

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11
Q

How is sugar cane planted?

A

Typical from stem cuttings but also seeds

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12
Q

What is the growing cycle for sugar cane?

A

Can be year round in the tropics

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13
Q

What is the life cycle of sugar cane plant?

A

5 - 7 years

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14
Q

What is rooting?

A

Leaving sugar cane root to regrown next season usually 10-12m between harvest

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15
Q

What are the 3 sugar cane products?

A

Pure sucrose
Plant residues such as bagasse
Molasses

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16
Q

Where is sugar mainly found?

A

at the lower portion of the cane so cutting close to the roots are important

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17
Q

What is the maximum sucrose by weight? the average?

A

24%

15-18% is average

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18
Q

What is often done to sugar cane fields prior to harvest?

A

Set on fire to get rid of leaves, bugs and snakes

Canes resprout

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19
Q

How are sugar canes harvested?

A

Either by hand or mechanical

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20
Q

What is the basic steps in sugar can processing?

A
  1. Crush canes
  2. Suspended & soluble plant material removed (clarification or filtration) Lime is added to aid precipitation
  3. Collected juice is heated
  4. Heating reduces viscosity - speeds settling
  5. solids removed
  6. Juice heated and evaporate on vacuum pans
  7. Evaporation leads to sugar crystals & molasses
  8. Centrifuge to separate sugars and molasses
  9. Repeat centrifuge
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21
Q

Why is lime used in sugar cane processing?

A

Calcium Hydroxide (Lime) to precipitate insoluble plant debris

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22
Q

How much can 100T of sugar cane produce?

A

Up to 3t of molasses and bagasse with 1-2% sugars

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23
Q

How much sugar in sugar cane juice and what is the pH?

A

18-24%

5.0-5.5% pH

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24
Q

Why is it important to immediately use sugar cane juice after crushing?

A

There are wild yeast and bacteria and you want to avoid fermentation

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25
What type of rum does sugar cane juice make?
Rhum Agricole & Cachaça
26
Why is sugar cane juice suitable for a distiller?
1. Rapid fermentation 2. No need to treat or additional processes before fermentation 3. No additional nutrients 4, The process effluent is easy to treat or recylce
27
When does it make sense to recover more sugar from the cane over molasses?
When sugar prices are high
28
If sugar prices are low, what do refiners seek to make?
High Test Molasses - concentrated sugar cane juice No sugar removed 80% sugar by weight Rich in nutrient
29
What is High Test Molasses?
``` Concentrated sugar cane juice No sugar removed 80% sugar by weight Rich in nutrient Good for rum fermentation ```
30
What is molasses?
VIscous byproduct of sugar production | Can be sulphured or unsulphured
31
How is sulphured molasses made?
From young green sugar cane and treated with SO2 to preserve the canes fresh
32
What is unsulphured molasses?
Made from mature sugar cane and does not require SO2 during extraction
33
What does SO2 do for sugar cane?
Acts as a bleaching agent and anti-microbial | Lightens molasses' color and kills bacteria
34
Grade A Molasses
Light molasses 65% sucrose - highest of all grades 1st crystallization stage
35
Grade B Molasses
2nd boiling & crystallization 60% sucrose Slightly bitter taste
36
Grade C Molasses
``` "Blackstrap Molasses" 3rd boil and crystallization Dark-colored syrup Some glucose and fructose 50% sucrose by weight Specific gravity of 1.45 ```
37
What is Blackstrap Molasses?
Grade C molasses | 1.45 specific gravity
38
What is the water to solids breakdown of Molasses?
15-25% H20 | 75-85% solids - sugars, protein, carbs, acids, salt, vitamins
39
What factors influence seasonal changes in molasses?
1. Quality of sugar cane 2. Climatic conditions 3. Harvesting and processing methods 4. Soil conditions
40
Why is molasses suitable as a raw material for rum (3 reasons)?
1. Cheap source of fermentable sugar 2. Contains yeast nutrients for yeast growth 3. Stable, easy to transport, stored for months or years
41
How to store molasses?
1. Cool/dry location 2. Below 40ª C (sugar breaksdown here) 3. Can be a safety hazard with increased pressure 4. >60ªC can lead to carbonization 5. has microbes so low humidity to avoid fermentation
42
Why can their be variations in molasses?
``` Sugar producers make sugar (not molasses) so do not seek consistency Variations from: 1. crop 2. refining process 3. sulphur or unsulphured ```
43
Why is analysis of molasses important for a distiller?
The composition can be variable and you need to know the composition of the sugars for the estimated alcohol production
44
What is chemical analysis of Blackstrap molasses by % weight eg sugars, water, other?
``` Sugar 35% Glucose & Fructose 15% Inorganic salts (ash) 10% Water 20% Other Plant material 20% ```
45
Is a distiller concerned about water weight of molasses?
No just as long as it doesnt have too much
46
What are the components of the plant material in molasses?
1. Small amounts of nitrogen - yeast growth kickstart fermentation 2. vitamins biotin & pantothenate - yeast growth 3. Vitamin Thiamin - yeast fermentation 4. Mineral salts for growth and fermentation
47
Is the nitrogen content sufficient in molasses for fermentation?
It is low so requires additional nitrogen during the fermentation process
48
What vitamins are found in molasses?
Biotin Pantothenate Thiamine
49
What is ash in molasses?
Inorganic salts | Gives and indication of calcium and sludge content
50
Why is knowing ash / calcium & sludge content of molasses important?
Calcium sulphate (scales) can form on the pipes and distillation equipment
51
How high may Ash content in molasses get?
up to 15%
52
How do you obtain a specific gravity?
Hydrometer - a glass instrument with floatation bulb.
53
What does Brix mean?
Brix represents the sugar weight by % eg 49ª Brix in pure sugar solution = 49% weight of sugar Also measure with temps for accuracy
54
What is the standard temperature in C for Brix reading?
20ª C
55
Why can't Brix reading give an accurate sugar weight result in molasses?
It is not a pure sugar solution since there is other suspended matter in the molasses
56
What is another instrument used other than Brix?
Refractometer
57
How does a refractor meter work?
Directly measures the refractive index of molasses (or grape) sample
58
What is Total Sugar as Invert (TSAI)
A way of reporting sugar content Total measure of sucrose, glucose, & fructose glucose, & fructose are reducing /inverting sugars Sucrose is not
59
What type of sugars are glucose & fructose?
Reducing or inverting sugars
60
What is Total Sugar as Sucrose (TSAS)
Measures the sucrose content
61
Where do volatile acids come from and why are they bad for yeast?
Volatile acids may be natural or come from processing | They can negatively impact yeast performance and efficiency since they are poisonous.
62
What are some common Volatile Acids?
Acetic Acid | Formic Acid
63
Where should Volatile Acid Levels ideally be below?
<2500 mg/L
64
Why cannot micro-organisms grow in raw, undiluted molasses?
Osmotic pressure is too high | And not enough water for yeast or bacteria
65
What is Osmotic Pressure?
Osmosis allows solvent to pass from a dilute to concentrated solution through permeable membrane Pressure builds as this flows on the concentrated solution side and this is osmotic pressure
66
What are the 2 types of bad bacteria found in Molasses?
Leuconostoc mesenteroides - causes yield loss | Zymomonas mobllis - bad aromas
67
What other sources than sugar can create molasses?
``` Sugar Beet - Beta Vulgaris Sweet Sorghum Sugar Palm Citrus Peel Typically used in fuel ethanol ```
68
What is sugar beets know as?
Beta Vulgaris
69
How long does it take beets to grow?
Biennial or two years
70
What is the sucrose weight of sugar beets?
15-20%
71
When are beets harvested?
Winter or autumn and typically rotated with wheat and barely
72
How much sucrose does Sugar Beet Molasses contain?
50% sucrose
73
How are sugar beets processed?
1. Harvested, leaves removed and stored up to weeks without sugar loss 2. Not crushed by finely sliced and soaked in water to extract sugar 3, Purer sugar than canes, but lower yields
74
How is citrus molasses processed?
By product of citrus fruit residues
75
How does sweet sorghum produce molasses?
Grown in tropics. Difficult extraction Syrup is like High Test molasses used in fuel ethanol and distilled spirits
76
How are Palm Sugar processed into molasses?
Sap from date palm Found in SE Asia 45% sugar used to make distilled spirits and Arrack, Lambanog
77
What Grade of molasses is used for rum?
Grade C - Blackstrap

IBD General Certificate (52 decks)

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