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Rum Production Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the grass family that sugarcane is a part of?

A

Gramineae

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2
Q

What species of sugar cane is most used in the production of rum?

A

Saccharum officinarum

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3
Q

What is the weight percentage of the sugar in harvested sugarcane?

A

10-13%

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4
Q

How is sugarcane made into sugarcane juice?

A

The cane is washed and chopped into fine pieces. It is then milled and crushed with added water to extract the sugar from the cane. The juice is then filtered to remove any pieces of cane.

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5
Q

What percentage of rum worldwide is made from raw sugarcane juice?

A

About 10%

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6
Q

After the initial preparation of sugarcane for rum production, what is the sugar concentration?

A

Around 16%

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7
Q

How is sugarcane juice turned into molasses for use in rum?

A

Through evaporation, until the sugar concentration reaches 60%. It is then boiled and concentrated until sugar crystals are formed.

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8
Q

How are the sugar crystals separated from the molasses in rum production?

A

A centrifuge.

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9
Q

What are the grades of molasses in rum production?

A

Grade A - Highest percentage of remaining fermentable sugar.
Grades B-C - Decreasing percentages
Blackstrap molasses - lowest in quality and sugar content.

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10
Q

How is a mash created for fermentation in rum production?

A

The sugarcane juice or molasses is diluted with water to get to a level that will allow the yeast to ferment the sugary liquid.

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11
Q

What is natural fermentation in rum production?

A

The use of wild, naturally occurring yeast for fermentation. Due to high sugar content often necessary to use cultured yeast to finish.

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12
Q

What results from slower fermentation of rum?

A

The creation of more esters, resulting in rums with more aromatic character and fuller flavor for a couple days (or longer if more pronounced aromas are desired).

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13
Q

What is a retort in rum production?

A

A unique style of pot still distillation using a series of copper vessels placed between pot still and condenser, concentrates the vapors.

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14
Q

Where are retorts most used?

A

Jamaican rum production.

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15
Q

Is there an aging requirement for rum?

A

No

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16
Q

What percentage of rum aged in wood barrels may evaporate yearly?

A

Up to 10%

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17
Q

What is a mark or marque in sugar cane spirit production?

A

The name used (especially in the Caribbean) for a spirit produced by a sugar cane spirit distillery.

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18
Q

How long does a sugar cane plant live?

A

Several years.

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19
Q

How often is a sugar cane plant harvested?

A

Typically once a year.

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20
Q

What part of the sugar cane plant do sugar refiners and distillers use?

A

The stems.

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21
Q

How do distillers who make their spirit from sugar cane juice typically get the juice?

A

They take delivery of harvested sugar cane and mill it themselves.

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22
Q

How do distillers who make their spirit from sugar cane syrup and molasses typically get the juice?

A

They typically buy the molasses or sugar cane syrup from the sugar refiner.

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23
Q

Why are sugar refineries and distilleries generally located close to the sugar cane fields?

A

The sugar cane stems are at risk for spoilage, so needs to be milled and refined quickly.

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24
Q

What is needed to mill sugar?

A

Powerful and tough mills that can break open, shred and press the stem. Often three or four arranged in a series one after another.

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25
What is different about the way the juice is made to be used in a sugar cane spirit?
It has to be processed more gently, since aggressive processing can release unattractive aromas.
26
What is Bagasse?
The plant fibers that remain after pressing sugar cane.
27
What can Bagasse be used for?
A fuel to power the refinery or distillery.
28
Why does sugar cane juice need clarification?
After pressing, plant material and dirt are still present in the juice, causing the juice to look cloudy. The impurities need to be removed.
29
Why does sugar cane juice need to be refined or fermented immediately after clarification?
It cannot be stored for long - risk of spoilage.
30
What are some distinctive aromas in sugar cane juice as compared to molasses?
It has herbaceous and grassy aromas.
31
What is sugarcane syrup?
The sugarcane juice after the desired evaporation of water is achieved.
32
What does sugar cane syrup look like?
More concentrated than the juice, more viscous and darker in color.
33
How long can sugar cane syrup be stored?
Up to six months.
34
What are some other names for sugar cane syrup?
Cane Honey Fancy Molasses
35
How is crystalized sugar removed from sugar cane syrup?
It is mixed with a sugar slurry, and heated by pan boilers until crystals form, then through a centrifuge
36
What is massecuite?
The mixture of liquid and sugar crystals after heating and before the centrifuge.
37
What is C-molasses also known as?
Blackstrap molasses.
38
What are some problems with using blackstrap molasses for sugar spirt production?
They have the highest concentration of impurities, which could result in unwelcome burnt sugar aromas. High levels of sulfur need to be removed during distillation. it also causes scale deposits to form on the still, which can damage the still and need to be cleaned regularly.
39
What nutrients typically need to be added to sugar cane juice or molasses prior to fermentation?
Yeast nutrition (nitrogen) Acid
40
What is a short fermentation in Sugar Cane Spirit production?
A fermentation finished in about 24 hours using cultured yeast in stainless steel vessels.
41
What aromas result from a short fermentation?
Restrained aromas from sugar cane and fermentation. Can still be high quality.
42
How are sugar cane spirits fermented using a long fermentation?
In open-topped, wooden fermenters, often with ambient/wild yeast and bacteria.
43
Other than long fermentation, what are some other ways distillers can increase ester production in sugar cane spirit production?
Using a yeast strain selected because it produces more esters. Creating an acidic environment for the yeast (encourages more esters) Increasing the production of fatty acids by enhancing bacterial activity.
44
What are some specific ways a distiller can increase the level of fatty acids in sugar cane spirit production?
Cane Acid Dunder Dunder with muck
45
Do retorts have their own heat source?
Sometimes, but not typically.
46
How many retorts do pot still in the Caribbean typically have?
Two.
47
What is the initial ABV of spirits coming off of the second retort in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
Can be as high as 90%
48
When is the first cut made for spirits coming off of the second retort in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
At about 88% ABV, to separate out the heads.
49
When is the second cut made for spirits coming off of the second retort in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
Typically when the ABV is in the mid 80's, to collect the heart.
50
When is the third cut made for spirits coming off of the second retort in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
When the ABV is in the mid-70s. The first part of the tails is the high wines. The second part is the low wines.
51
What part of the distillate is sent for storage or maturation in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
Only the heart.
52
What happens to the heads, low wines and high wines in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
They are recycled in the next distillation.
53
What is the name for the liquids that remain in the retorts in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
Lees
54
What is the name for the liquids that remain in the pot in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
Dunder
55
Where are the heads and the low wines from a previous distillation placed in rum production?
In the low wines retort.
56
Where are the high wines from a previous distillation placed?
The high wines retort.
57
What are the names of the two retorts in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
The low wines retort The high wines retort
58
Which retort is situated directly next to the pot in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
The Low Wines retort
59
Which retort is situated between the low wines retort and the shell and tube condenser in sugar cane production using a pot still with two retorts?
The high wines still.
60
What is dunder?
Highly acidic, yeast rich foam leftovers that remain in the stills after rum distillation is complete.
61
What is a muck pit?
A wooden tank, tub or pit where Dunder is stored.
62
What is Vinasse?
Term used in Martinique (Rhum de la Baic du Galion) meaning residuals left over from previous distillation, similar to dunder in Jamaica.
63
What is cane acid (cane slops)?
A mixture of molasses, crushed and flattened sugar cane stalks, water and sugar cane juice, and maybe banana peels. Used to promote ester formation due to its high acidity.
64
How is cane acid made?
The molasses, crushed and flattened sugar cane stalks, water and sugar cane juice is mixed together and left in open wooden tanks for between two weeks and several months.
65
What esters are formed in the creation of cane acid?
Notably fruity esters .
66
What product in American whisky production is similar in function to Dunder?
Backset.
67
How is Dunder used in Rum production?
It is either added fresh to a fermentation of stored in tanks to support bacterial activity.
68
What is muck?
Dunder that has been mixed with several other ingredients and stored in a pit for extended periods of bacterial activity.
69
Where is muck used?
In two distilleries in Jamaica.
70
What is a result of the concentration of fatty acids when a distiller uses dunder or muck?
The end result can have a very unpleasant smell or decay.
71
What is butyric acid?
A common fatty acid with a smell described as "baby vomit". However, when combined with ethanol, it forms ethyl butyrate, which smells like pineapples
72
Are hybrid stills common in rum production?
No.
73
Why is a short ageing time in old-oak barrels relatively common in the production of sugar cane spirits in the Caribbean?
Not to add color or flavor, but more for the evaporative loss, extractive interactions, oxidation and esterification that takes place in a barrel. These effects can soften the textural harshness and help develop aromatic complexity.
74
What are the most commonly used barrels for rum maturation in the Caribbean?
Former ASBs from the American whiskey industry.
75
What is tropical ageing?
Maturation in oak in the Caribbean. Both evaporative loss and oak extract are higher than in Europe.
76
What are characteristics of sugar cane spirits that undergo tropical ageing?
They may have extra depth and complexity as well as a richer texture.
77
What is Continental Ageing?
The ageing of sugar cane spirits in Europe for use in blended rums.
78
Is wood finishing and re-barreling used in rum production in the Caribbean?
Yes, sometimes. Port, Sherry, and Madeira casks are used.
79
Is caramel color widely used in sugar cane spirit production?
Yes.
80
Is sugar added in sugar cane spirit production?
Sugar is widely used as an additive. The amount varies from none at all to enough to have a medium level of sweetness.
81
What is the grass family that sugarcane is a part of?
Gramineae
82
What species of sugar cane is most used in the production of rum?
Saccharum officinarum
83
What is the weight percentage of the sugar in harvested sugarcane?
10-13%
84
What are Skimmings?
The sugar and mineral rich froth residue created during the boiling and concentration of sugarcane juice.
85
What are the distillation requirements for rum in the US?
Must be distilled at less than 190 proof.
86
What are the distillation requirements for rum in the EU?
Must be distilled at less than 192 proof.
87
What are the bottling requirements for rum in the US?
Bottled at no less than 40% ABV
88
What are the bottling requirements for rum in the EU?
Bottled at no less than 37.5% ABV
89
Are sweeteners allowed to be added to rum?
In the US no, in the EU up to 20 g/liter.
90
Is chill filtration used in sugar cane spirit production?
Yes, it is widely used.
91
Are most sugar cane spirits bottled individually or used in blends?
Blends, of marks from one distillery or several.
92
When is Activated-charcoal filtration used in sugar cane spirit production?
To remove color. It also removes some textural harshness.
93
What is the largest sugar cane producing country in the world?
Brazil.
94
What is the world's second largest sugar cane producing country?
India.
95
Can a spirit be labelled as rum if it contains neutral spirit?
No.

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