Unit 2 - Lesson 3 - Molasses Flashcards
Why was rum named as it was?
SacchaRUM OfficianaRUM or sugar canes official name
What is the only base raw materials used in rum?
Sugar cane
What is the definition of rum?
Distilled alcohol produced <96% by from the fermentation of sugar cane or its derivatives
What are the derivatives of sugar cane?
Sugar Cane Juice
Molasses
Sugar Cane Syrups
Cane Sugar
Why is rum <96% ABV?
To keep the organoleptic characteristics
eg the natural volatile elements
What is the 3 rum standards outlining rules?
CARICOM Rum Standard
Alcohol & Tobacco Trade & Tax Bureau
EU Regulations
What is sugar cane?
Grass Family
Saccarum genus
What is hybridization?
Combining different species for hybrids
How tall can cane sugar reach?
4m
What are the components of sugar cane?
Leaf
Bud
Node
Internode
How is sugar cane planted?
Typical from stem cuttings but also seeds
What is the growing cycle for sugar cane?
Can be year round in the tropics
What is the life cycle of sugar cane plant?
5 - 7 years
What is rooting?
Leaving sugar cane root to regrown next season usually 10-12m between harvest
What are the 3 sugar cane products?
Pure sucrose
Plant residues such as bagasse
Molasses
Where is sugar mainly found?
at the lower portion of the cane so cutting close to the roots are important
What is the maximum sucrose by weight? the average?
24%
15-18% is average
What is often done to sugar cane fields prior to harvest?
Set on fire to get rid of leaves, bugs and snakes
Canes resprout
How are sugar canes harvested?
Either by hand or mechanical
What is the basic steps in sugar can processing?
- Crush canes
- Suspended & soluble plant material removed (clarification or filtration) Lime is added to aid precipitation
- Collected juice is heated
- Heating reduces viscosity - speeds settling
- solids removed
- Juice heated and evaporate on vacuum pans
- Evaporation leads to sugar crystals & molasses
- Centrifuge to separate sugars and molasses
- Repeat centrifuge
Why is lime used in sugar cane processing?
Calcium Hydroxide (Lime) to precipitate insoluble plant debris
How much can 100T of sugar cane produce?
Up to 3t of molasses and bagasse with 1-2% sugars
How much sugar in sugar cane juice and what is the pH?
18-24%
5.0-5.5% pH
Why is it important to immediately use sugar cane juice after crushing?
There are wild yeast and bacteria and you want to avoid fermentation
What type of rum does sugar cane juice make?
Rhum Agricole & Cachaça
Why is sugar cane juice suitable for a distiller?
- Rapid fermentation
- No need to treat or additional processes before fermentation
- No additional nutrients
4, The process effluent is easy to treat or recylce
When does it make sense to recover more sugar from the cane over molasses?
When sugar prices are high
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
What is High Test Molasses?
Concentrated sugar cane juice No sugar removed 80% sugar by weight Rich in nutrient Good for rum fermentation
What is molasses?
VIscous byproduct of sugar production
Can be sulphured or unsulphured