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March 26, 2013
Last updated

How to Make Rum - Rum Recipe

Owner of Clawhammer Supply

Here is a recipe for authentic, molasses rich, rum, made just like they did in the colonial Caribbean islands. This tutorial on how to make rum will focus mostly on using a pot still to distill a rum mash made from traditional cane and molasses. But we'll touch on some other methods as well.

What is Rum

According to the United States TTB Beverge Alcohol Manual, Chapter 4, there are actually a few different types of rum. Here are definitions for the two primary types of rum: traditional rum and flavored rum.

Traditional Rum

The TTB's BAM states that rum is traditionally defined as, "Spirits distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or other sugar cane by-products at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) having the taste, aroma and characteristics generally attributed to rum and bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof)." Purists looking for the least adulterated version of rum will prefer this version of the spirit. It's made with water, cane sugar, molasses. However it may also contain natural flavor and color additives totaling up to 2.5% (of the volume of the finished product.

Flavored Rum

Flavored rum is, "Rum flavored with natural flavoring materials, with or without the addition of sugar, bottled at not less than 30% alcohol by volume (60 proof)." This means that color and flavor additions may exceed 2.5%. Furthermore, Chapter 7 of the BAM states that flavored rum may include natural as well as artificial flavors.

Is it Legal to Distill Rum at Home

Making your own rum cocktails at home is perfectly legal. Making rum mash with sugar cane, molasses, and fermenting it with yeast is also legal. However, distilling rum at home is a different story. Distilling alcohol, including rum, is illegal without a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as relevant state permits. 

Our distillation equipment is designed for legal uses only and the information in this article is for educational purposes only. Please read our complete legal summary for more information on the legalities of distillation.

Making Rum

Now that we've defined rum and explained the legalities associated with it, it's time to discuss how it's made. Rum is made using a 5 step process:

  1. Creating Molasses
  2. Fermentation
  3. Distillation
  4. Maturation
  5. Blending

Step 1: Creating Molasses

During the process of making sugar, sugar cane is juiced and then dried. The drying process causes the formation of sugar crystals. Once the crystals are removed, the liquid remaining is called molasses.

Molasses is a thick, syrup-like liquid produced while refining sugar from sugar cane. It's also a key ingredient in rum. Whether light molasses, dark molasses, or blackstrap molasses is used is up to the distiller. Each type will make a unique spirit.

Distilleries generally do not need to process their own cane to make molasses. The sugar industry offers all variety of cane juice, cane sugar, and molasses that distillers are able to purchase.

Step 2: Fermentation

This recipe is for an authentic "old world" Caribbean rum. By that we mean the ingredients will be limited to what would have been available to traditional rum distillers on Caribbean sugar cane plantations.

Rebel Rum Recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 12.5 pounds raw cane sugar
  • 9  gallons water
  • 160 oz. unsulphured molasses
  • Yeast

Mash / Fermentation

Heat water to 120 degrees Fahrenheit stirring sugar in a pound at a time. Add molasses, a jar at a time, once most of sugar has been dissolved. Stir thoroughly while adding so molasses does not burn. For a more mellow, smoother finished product, allow to cool to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and add bread yeast. Aerate, then transfer to carboys. For a higher yield (but a more unpredictable finish) use "Super Start" yeast and ferment at 90F. Install air lock and allow to ferment for at least 2 weeks.

Step 3: Distilling

We'll be using old-style equipment. Instead of using a column still, we'll use a pot still. Pot still distillation creates wildly different characteristics than column distillation because more of the original mash is carried through to the final product. The recipe below is also scaled down to 10 gallons for the purpose of commercial testing on a 10 gallon pilot system.

The distillation process consists of transferring fermented wash to a still (preferably a copper pot still or a stainless steel still with pure copper mesh packing) and heating it until ethanol begins to boil out of solution. It's then turned back into a liquid in a condenser and drips out of a still into a collection vessel. However, not all distillate is created equal!

Different chemical compounds will vaporize at different temperatures during the run. Some of this liquid will be discarded, some will be collected for consumption and the rest will be saved for distillation in future runs. Here is a summary of process of making distillation cuts.

Foreshots

Foreshots (methanol) will begin to evaporate and flow once the liquid temperature reaches 148.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Foreshots are poisonous and should be discarded.

Heads

Ethanol will begin to evaporate at 173 degrees Fahrenheit. However, distillate produced early in the distillation process is more likely to contain acetone, acetaldehyde, and acetate. This stuff smells bad, tastes bad, and will definitely cause hangovers! However, it does contain some (desirable) ethanol and should be set aside to mix with future runs.

Hearts

In making alcohol, the "hearts" is the name for the best distillate produced from a still, which happens after the heads but before the tails. The hearts contain ethanol and the most desirable flavor and aroma compounds as well as the least amount of the undesirables. In other words, the hearts portion of the distillation run smells and tasted the best and is the stuff that distillers keep to drink or age.

Tails

The smoothness and richness of the distillate will begin to fade and begin to become weak and oily. This is how a distiller will know that the "tails" portion of the distillation run has begun. Tails, like the heads, are set aside for mixing with future batches of wash. Again, The tails contain a mix of good and bad and can be purified in later distillation runs.

Step 4: Aging

Rum can be drank unaged, but is best consumed after it's stored in used Bourbon cask for at least a year or more. This will provide the most mellow drinking experience.

Step 5: Blending

The process of blending rum barrels is a meticulous art form often overseen by master blenders, who combine different types of rum from various barrels to achieve a desired flavor profile, aroma, and mouthfeel. Typically, rums of different ages, distillation methods, or even origins are sampled and then carefully mixed in specific ratios. Once the blend is decided upon, the selected rums are combined in a large blending vat, where they are allowed to mingle for a period of time to harmonize the flavors. This blended rum may then be further aged or go through additional filtration or treatments before being bottled for consumption. The aim is to create a consistent, balanced, and high-quality final product that embodies the distillery's unique style and character.

Kyle Brown is the owner of Clawhammer Supply, a small scale distillation and brewing equipment company which he founded in 2009. His passion is teaching people about the many uses of distillation equipment as well as how to make beer at home. When he isn't brewing beer or writing about it, you can find him at his local gym or on the running trail.

  • alcohol will kill the yeast when done fermenting all you beginners need to read about brewing its more than dumping things together

    Posted by mike on December 27, 2018
  • I live in Africa, precisely Liberia. my question is/are, in the absence of molasses and brown sugar in my country, what else do I use?

    thanks
    Edward Clarke

    Posted by edward Clarke on September 10, 2018
  • I have been making alchol with a reflux still but have just purchased a pot still that sits ontop of my T-500. I have a rum mash made, just wondering should I filter the mash before OI put it into the still? How does the tempture work, should I control it by keeping it at 60 degrees c or do you let it creap up tp 90 degrees?

    Posted by Andrew Walsh on July 20, 2018
  • To the question “can it Ben taken without distilling”. I have made rum many times with just thrown sugar and yeast with no problems drinking without distilling and 30-40%, but I would do more research with rum used with molasses because of possible pectins.

    Posted by TAylor on June 05, 2018
  • Correction: In an earlier post someone says yeast is bacteria, wrong. Yeast is fungi.

    Posted by Chris on April 06, 2018
  • FOR THOSE WORRIED ABOUT QUANTITY OF YEAST, yEAST IS A BACTERIA (remember High School biology and the petri dish experiment) WHICH AT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE WILL MULTIPLY ON ITS OWN. A 6 GALLON WINE RECIPE WILL TAKE 1 TO 2; 5 GRAM PACKAGES OF YEAST. If you don’t put in a lot of yeast, it will just be slower to start. So start with 2; 5 gram packages or a tablespoon of bread yeast and monitor for the next time. if slow add more, if too fast subtract.
    Sorry about the caps but it will not let me type lower case letters.

    Posted by Squirrel Wrangler on March 01, 2018
  • 1 have 5 lbs of sugar and 4 pints of molasses how much water do i need and can i use bread yeast

    Posted by Dale on February 06, 2018
  • Would like to know if it can be taken without distilling?

    Posted by Krish Jan on February 01, 2018
  • For you guys that want info on exact measurements don’t worry about it. Run a batch anyway you want then adjust with your next run. It’s not rocket science

    Posted by Mx on January 22, 2018
  • His recipe is literally 2.5lbs of sugar/molasses to every 1gal of water where 56% is sugar and 44% is molasses.
    .56×2.5=1.4lb sugar per gallon. .44×2.5=1.1lb of molasses per gallon.

    Posted by Drunk on November 03, 2017
  • iam new at this can you please tell the receipe for making dememara dark rum , I have a 10 litre boiler thanks for info. cheers rob.

    Posted by bob on October 20, 2017
  • Being in Australia and wanting to use one of your recipes I am assuming that all you weights etc are in American weights is this a correct assumption,Regards ,ron

    Posted by Ron on August 01, 2017
  • feed molasses that I use weighs about 10lbs per gal ,I use 1.5 gal feed molasses unsulphored,6ils brown sugar,8 gal water,1.5 tbls distillers yeast and 1 tsp of alcotec turbo yeast and start it in 2 oz of light sugar water,i use a drill paint mixer to agitate and aerate for about 2 minutes before I pitch the yeast and Wham its going in 2 hrs ,will run hard for and slow,i take a sample an check with refractometer, at 5 brix its ready but needs to settle.makes 2 gal, check taste on the last quart,if it still tastes ok I use it to cut

    Posted by mark on July 03, 2017
  • How much yeast do you use in the “b.f.s rebel rum?” This is my first time and I really want to get it right.
    Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day.

    Posted by Clady Breaux on June 26, 2017
  • I have 5 gal raw melasses how much water to melasses do I use for a 5 gal car boy ? Any info would be greatly appreciated

    Posted by Keith on May 15, 2017
  • I did your rum rept i did tweek it a bit like i used 15 lbs suger 6 qt black strap , an 10 gal of water , pure cain unrefined ,, also , it yealded very close to two gallons of 130 proof to start ,, of corse an at qt 8 i was at 80 proof an stop running it still was runnung but i was at 205dgs an fudnt want to press it on my first run of rum so i stoped ,, its started on hydo at 10, abv an in 9 days was 1020 , coulddnt get it to 999 but it was finish an stayed at 1020 for three days ,, great run everone love it 89 per went in gal half oak char barrel till july ,,

    Posted by STeve on May 09, 2017
  • At what temp do you stop collecting rum to keep off the still what number do you stop at 80 to 85 proof ???

    Posted by STeve on May 09, 2017
  • 12 KG MOLASSES 40 KG WATER STIR THE SHIT OUT OF IT ADD 1 KG BREAD YEAST 5 TO 10 DAYS BANG IT IN THE STILL

    Posted by errol on March 17, 2017
  • 12 KG MOLASSES 40 KG WATER STIR THE SHIT OUT OF IT ADD 1 KG BREAD YEAST 5 TO 10 DAYS BANG IT IN THE STILL

    Posted by errol on March 17, 2017
  • I haven’t fermented a molasses wash yet but I have been brewing beer for 30 years. I add yeast nutrient during my boil this adds some nutrients for the yeast. After the boil I cool my wort or wash as you say by running through a counter flow chiller into a sterile carboy. When brewing anything it is important to cool down to pitching temp asap to prevent any unwanted bacteria from getting in and causing unwanted off flavors. Once in the fermenter (carboy is what I use) I aerate with oxygen and a oxygen stone for about 30 seconds or so. About 15 minutes before pitching the yeast I sprinkle it into a small bowl with about 1/4 cup of maybe 80 degree water so it actually comes to life. You can stir gently, just a little bit then pitch ( add into the batch). I like to use a stopper and airlock but you can just cover with aluminum foil and your fermentation should take off within 4 hours. Sometimes I make up a starter by making a small batch, say a quart the day before you are going too ferment your wash. Yeast goes through a “learning” curve and of course you want it to learn to “eat” molasses and sugar, so make up a weak starter ( about 1/2 strength and pitch your hydrated yeast into it. You will get good results. I have thought I would go with turbo distillers yeast to get the highest yield, but if they have been getting “Island style” taste from bread yeast I might give it a try. Bread yeast ferments out much faster then say champagne yeast as any pizza guy can tell you the dough rises over nite.
    Let me know if this helps anyone with there fermentation starts.
    jb

    Posted by John Bentley on February 02, 2017


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