EXACTLY HOW baseline WAS MADE! All the information you could ever want to know!

[@rayfox212]

I had a couple questions: 1) have you ever tried golden barrel molasses ( they have unsulphered) what are your thoughts on different brands. 2) have you ever tried inverting molasses? Does it help with unfermentable sugars? 3) have you tried using exgenous enzymes? Do they help with unfermentable sugars?

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thanks for the questions! 1. Yes! That's actually the brand of molasses I use for my rums! I get their supreme baking grade. I also like Grandma's molasses for smaller batches. 2. I haven't tried inverting molasses... inverting typically breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose, but I don't think that would help significantly with unfermentable sugars because sucrose is usually fermentable. 3. I haven't used enzymes, however, this could definitely be beneficial for breaking down large, unfermentable sugars! I have heard that enzymes like glucoamylase can help break down some of the unfermentable sugars especially if you are using molasses with a higher concentration of unfermentable sugars (like blackstrap).

[@danielanthony1054]

@@RobynSmithPhD if you test the glucoamylase thing please make a video on it

[@RobynSmithPhD]

@@danielanthony1054 I will!

[@ThailandThomas]

Love these types of videos. Good luck with baseline. Can not wait for the next batch. Getting into some more experimentation. Sad, here in Thailand we can not go over 40 abv. legally. Since you are friends with dead of night distillery. I would be interested in seeing a video on how long it took and costs of opening a micro distillery in the USA.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I've been talking to Aaron at Dead of Night about doing a video just like that! Keep an eye out for it!

[@Succumbed2Rum]

Congrats! Loved this video, you're bottle design is great; super impressive you designed it yourself.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thanks so much!! I'm glad you like the bottle design!

[@anthonygladman6558]

"Hot backpack grape" is such a specific tasting note, love it.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

So specific! I love when very specific memories pop up when I smell or taste something!

[@riggsandrews4273]

Appreciate all the deep dive in Rum distilling 6 months in my own exploration and having so much fun. Hawkesbury River New South Wales Australia

[@RobynSmithPhD]

That's awesome! How did you get into distilling?

[@terrybaldwin1182]

Congratulations, And a big THANK'S for sharing your " BASELINE" Journey... Keep at it Exciting things are in store, I'm certain...

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thanks so much!!

[@BobSmith-qw6jv]

I tried the rum and I loved it! Keep ‘em coming!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Woohoo!! Glad to hear it!!

[@joshuagoodsell9330]

It's so cool that you contribute your in-depth knowledge of chemistry to the rum and distilling world, especially because there is a lot of "magic" in the process. Understanding it more makes it even more fulfilling. Also I understand the difficulty of adding to and mixing IBCs. I was neutralizing 8 IBCs full of acid waste with NaOH and a mortar mixer on a drill the other day haha. Thanks Robyn!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thanks so much!! I do my best to bring some light to what's actually happening within that magic!

[@kerismith6716]

I love baseline! Excited for more!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Me too!!

[@nerdyharrybartending]

screaming with excitement. 1) I'm gonna keep coming back to this, but the level of complexity with how this whole process works, combined with your ability to explain it in simple concrete section is SO HELPFUL to feeling like I'm following. Especially how since there is so much difference between fermenting molasses vs something like beer or wine, but there are some similarities which are fascinating to learn about. 2) 10.9% wash. Molasses Beer!! (wine??) So cool!! 3) the "stripping run" as you call it is a new term for me. It just means distillation, yeah? So interesting how the decision to use a smaller still results in a multiple fermentation dates.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Yayyyyy me too! You're right, there are similarities and differences when it comes to fermenting for beer and wine versus rum... I would say the biggest difference between distillers and brewers is in their sterilization practices. I'm glad to hear you find it interesting because I do too! And yes, "stripping run" is the first distillation run. You're essentially stripping the spirit from the wash/wine. It tends to be more of a crude distillation as compared to the "spirit run", which is the second distillation in a double distilled spirit.

[@thelionsdencreations]

Awesome! Congrats! You are living my dream :D

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thanks!! I'm living my dream too hahaha

[@DerMeisterkpl]

Great that you got the stoichiometrie figured out. I would love to try the rum. Sadly I am living in Germany.... 😢

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I wish I could ship to Germany! Let me know if you ever take a trip to the US!

[@6AnAsianGuy9]

This is awesome! I love your walk through and transparency. How hard was it to go through the whole legal process? I’ve heard it’s expensive and time consuming. You’ve earned a sub!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thanks so much!! Because of my collaboration with Aaron at Dead of Night Distillery, I didn't have to deal with all the legal hurdles that someone who starts a craft distillery from scratch has to deal with. Aaron, on the other hand, had to deal with all of that. He and I are planning to sit down and record a video about what it's like to start a craft distillery, so stay tuned! You're totally right that it requires a lot of time and money... and even more time! We get into this industry because we're passionate about the craft! This is why I always suggest to support your local craft distillers!

[@6AnAsianGuy9]

@@RobynSmithPhD hell yeah!! I’m always thinking about entering the industry because of my love of rum, but there’s just a ton of legal, distributer, licenses, and costs. Think it would be fun to do regardless once I could afford to when I retire 20 years from now or something😂 i look forward to seeing it! I always try to support when I can!

[@CJ_Blues]

@RobynSmithPhD I was hoping you could answer a question for me I was planning on doing an all Panela run but realized there’s Potassium Sorbate in the pure cane Panela I bought Is there anyway if fermenting it or am I sol Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thank you

[@RobynSmithPhD]

It’s not impossible, but my guess is that the potassium sorbate will inhibit the yeast growth. It really depends on the concentration of the potassium sorbate once the panela is diluted in water though. You could try pitching more yeast than normal and use a robust yeast strain like distillers, wine, or champagne yeast. Let me know if you give it a go!

[@CJ_Blues]

@@RobynSmithPhD I took your advice (Thank you) ..and will let you know what happens (since I literally pitched a yeast starter ~10min ago ) lol :)

[@CJ_Blues]

@@RobynSmithPhD Just wanted you to know how things went.. First.. Thanks again and much appreciation for the advice Well.. I ended up starting out with a DADY yeast starter and after two days I added nutrients (plus a pinch of Epson salt and a pinch of DAP) then added a rehydrated starter of EC1118.. the fermentation took off like a rocket and was done in 4 days flat with a FG of .998

[@RobynSmithPhD]

@@CJ_Blues heck yeah! That’s so great! How does it taste??

[@CJ_Blues]

@@RobynSmithPhD I’m actually quite surprised by how smooth it is.. I had never used an all Panela wash to do a rum before, but it lends some very interesting flavors, (especially for just a stripping run)…

[@stevenbarker6395]

I really wish you were able to ship outside of California. This is similar to a recipe that I've used when I first started distilling, except I used unsulphered feed-grade blackstrap molasses straight from the sugar mill. The flavors at still strength were pretty funky and absolutely incredible. Once I added dunder back into my next washes, the flavor profile changed tremendously, but my yeast didn't like it much! Had to make a few adjustments, and oh man, it was so awesome!! I'd love to build my own brand around it, but kinda nervous to start that journey!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I wish I was too! Hopefully one day I'll be able to ship outside CA. How much dunder did you add to your fermentation? I've found that 40 vol% of dunder starts to inhibit the yeast growth. But anything under that, and your yeast should still be happy. For example, I just ran a batch with 33 vol% dunder and the yeast were very happy! The wash was nearly dry at the end of fermentation! That's great that you're thinking about starting your own brand! Where are you located?

[@stevenbarker6395]

@RobynSmithPhD I'm in Louisiana. I've never used more than 10% total volume of dunder in my washes. I found that it created so many more esters on each initial run after the first. Granted, in a small scale setup like I have, consistency wasn't really as big to me as the flavor profile was. I ended up having to do a blend of bakers yeast and DADY yeast to get a good, healthy fermentation. With either one by themselves, it ended up stalling out and had to doctor it up with oyster shells. The closest thing that I've found to what i make is a Meyer's Dark Jamaican rum. It gives me too much anxiety to think about the money that goes into starting my own brand! I'll get there eventually!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

@@stevenbarker6395 wow, that's awesome that you're able to create a high concentration of esters using only 10% of dunder! Do you add nutrients into the fermentation? That might help prevent the yeast from stalling out. Louisiana is a great state for making rum!

[@glleon80517]

Hi, Robyn, great video! Looking forward to your aging video. The rum, not you😂. I notice you had a starting fermentation temperature of 100 F in your recipe description, which is slightly above the max temperature for distiller’s yeast. Are you hunting esters by fermenting hot?

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I'm always hunting for esters (haha)! I was aiming for around 95 degF starting temp, but overshot a little bit, which is alright as long as it's under around 120 degF. Distiller's yeast is pretty temperature tolerant, so you can hydrate it at higher temps. It's suggested that you ferment between around 70-90 degF, and I knew that starting temp would drop over the course of the day.

[@cardinalverigo]

Did you enjoy this video ? Yes I did. Did you subscribe ? Yes I did. Did you give this video a thumbs up ? Yes I did. Have you watched the other videos ? Yes I have. ❤Your the best girl...❤

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Yayyyy!! Thank you!!

[@Boardwoards]

inspiring!!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thank you!!

[@Miata822]

First of all, I love this project and it inspires me to work harder, but there is always a downside to turning a hobby that is your passion into a job where you punch the clock. Be cautious. The 49%, honestly it tastes like a single run pot stilled moonshine rum. While it mixes well enough with Coke and makes a good Daquiri it would benefit from no cuts and a 2nd distillation. It has that core rum hint of fruitiness it lacks depth. Not trying to be harsh here, and a couple months on oak would do wonders. Honestly I'm thinking of putting a bottle in a 10-30 that I have been soaking with Oloroso. For a baseline it well matches what I first brewed with a gallon of Grandma's in a 5 gallon fermenter. I opened the still strength just now and find it to my taste. My palate is not so well schooled, but I find it both flavorful and impactful. honestly it would benefit from a 2nd distillation because there are too many jaggy edges that don't add to the experience. I know you are looking at thumper/retorts, and I think that will help a lot. I do understand that Baseline really does mean what it says on the label. I admire the effort you have put into it and look forward to whatever comes next. Having said that, let's see how it endures. You tasted some of mine made to the Hampden recipe that was floral and sweet when bottled but ended up grassy and, to me, disappointing after a couple months in the bottle.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I'm glad to hear you're excited about this project! And I totally get that turning a hobby into a job can be tricky... I've been working in the industry for the last 6 years and so far have been able to keep my passion for distilling alive! Fingers crossed that it stays that way! I appreciate your honest feedback! I'd love to be able to do some aged batches and hopefully if everything goes well, I'll be able to! I agree that I think baseline would taste great with some age! baseline was actually double pot distilled so it's interesting that it reminds you of a single pot distilled rum. Perhaps it's my distillation style/cuts... I simply hang on to the cuts that have flavors that I enjoy! That may add to some of the jaggy-ness that you're getting. I don't pick up too many jaggy edges, so I'm hoping that those will mellow in your bottle! I let the rum sit for a little over 6 weeks before I bottled it and noticed that it benefited from that time resting. So I think it'll hold up well in the bottles! Thanks again for your feedback and support!!

[@l0tus4life]

Congratulations

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Thank you!!

[@JethroCramp]

Hello, why do you think your ferment is so slow? My guess is that it's not a temperature problem, as it's summer, nevertheless what temperature are you fermenting at? Love the label and the story behind it.

[@Miata822]

Agree that is odd. Robyn, are you judging completion by s.g. or by bubbles?

[@MartinPHellwig]

My guess would be that the wash was low in oxygen and thus the yeast didn't sufficiently increase in numbers before moving to the anaerobic phase, however this assumes that yeast multiplies more in aerobic fermentation compared to anaerobic and that indeed the mixing was done in a space with limit free oxygen or at warm temperatures (less dissolved gasses compared to colder).

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Awesome question! The fermentation is slow, but I've always tended to do longer fermentations, even for my 5-gal test batches. I'm not controlling the temperature of the fermentation, but you're right in assuming it's not cold by any means in the distillery. The fermentation temperature fluctuated between the mid-70s and mid-80s deg F. @Miata822 The way I judge when the fermentation is done is based on both observed activity (bubbles) and by monitoring the SG. If the SG is low, but I still observe activity, I'll let it go for a little longer. @MartinPHellwig You're on the right track... I mixed the water and molasses enough to incorporate everything together with some oxygen addition, but I was intentionally going for a wash with slightly lower dissolved oxygen. When I've done this in the past, I've gotten a rum with a custardy, cheese danish note that I really love. So I was aiming for that flavor profile. I believe it comes from some anaerobic bacteria (like lactobacillus) that's able to grow in that environment. Also, I don't overload the wash with yeast like some distillers do, and I think that also slows down the fermentation speed slightly.

[@danthemann]

did you happen to lab analyze the heads cut? I'm curious about the contrasts quantified.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I didn’t… I would like to compare the chemical analyses as well! If I was able to do the chemical analysis myself, I definitely would!

[@johnford2884]

when you add your nutrient after second day. Do you stir the wash?

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I don't. I just dump it on top and there's enough movement within the active fermentation to incorporate in the nutrients.

[@johnford2884]

@@RobynSmithPhD Thanx

[@walkerhines635]

Wish you shipped to louisiana. I’d love to order your still strength rum.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Me too! Hopefully one day!

[@danielvanrensburg5833]

49/50% abv seems to be a sweet spot for rum

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I don't disagree! I like around 50% abv for most spirits because it packs so much flavor without having too much alcohol burn.

[@darrintinsley2070]

I have been colling then emptying the still directly into the fermenter adding a little water, molasses and letting it go. Thinking i was using dunder but you are letting the dunder develop. What is a good water/dunder mix?

[@RobynSmithPhD]

You're certainly using dunder! It doesn't have to sit for a while in order to be dunder. I would say using anywhere between 20-30% (of the total fermentation volume) dunder, 20% molasses, and the rest water (50-60%) is a good breakdown. So like twice as much water as dunder. How have your fermentations been?

[@darrintinsley2070]

@@RobynSmithPhD vigorous

[@RobynSmithPhD]

@@darrintinsley2070 that’s great! Happy yeast!

[@aminutewithbourbon]

Would love to order some but no shipping to CT or MA😢

[@RobynSmithPhD]

I wish I could ship out of state! Do you have any friends in CA that would be able to get your bottles to you?

[@aminutewithbourbon]

@@RobynSmithPhD I wish! Thanks for the content, it’s awesome and very educational! My rum came out great because of your videos!

[@RobynSmithPhD]

@@aminutewithbourbon I'm so happy to hear that my videos were useful!!

[@RumCzar]

Why molasses and not cane syrup? Some of my favorite rums are made from cane syrup. What are the pros and cons of molasses and cane syrup? I'm full of video ideas. Also grats on the rum line. But seriously, cane syrup.

[@RobynSmithPhD]

Most of my R&D was done with molasses. It’s been easier to source larger quantities of molasses than raw cane syrup. I’ve got a few test batches with cane syrup going because I also love rums with cane syrup!