How to make rum from moonshine. Rum notes on rum, or how to make real molasses rum at home

It is believed that the Caribbean was the birthplace of rum, and it is associated with both the pirate business and sailors. Its strength varies between 35-48 degrees, although some varieties of "sea" alcohol reach 75 degrees. Rum is obtained by mixing distillate with sugar syrup, after which the resulting mixture is aged in oak barrels. The longer the alcohol is infused, the more pleasant its taste and aroma. Rum from moonshine at home, the best recipes of which will be discussed later, are made from high-quality distillate.

Genuine rum is almost impossible to make at home, so all such drinks will be imitations of this alcohol. Despite the fact that the “copy” is not genuine rum, such alcohol, in terms of home-brewing, still has a number of advantages:

ingredients for making alcohol are always available;
very easy to get at home using a special essence;
will be a suitable ingredient for a variety of alcoholic cocktails.

The disadvantages of imitation include significant time costs. In order for the distillate to acquire the taste and aroma of a genuine drink, it must be insisted for at least three months in wooden barrels or on wood chips.

Rum from moonshine is prepared at home using different methods. Regardless of the choice of recipe, the mandatory ingredients of alcohol include distillate with a strength of 40 degrees, cane sugar and wood chips.

How to get a?

First of all, you need to consider the classic version at home. Even a beginner can successfully try the recipe for such alcohol. How to get alcohol?

A liter of high-quality double moonshine is insisted on oak chips for three months or aged in a barrel.

As soon as the moonshine is infused, you need to take 0.5 liters of water and a glass of sugar. The components are put on a very low fire and syrup is prepared from them. While the latter is ready, you need to make a tablespoon of burnt sugar.

Syrup with burnt sugar is cooled to room temperature and added to the essence dissolved in water.

The resulting composition is mixed with distillate and insisted for three months in a dark basement.

Before use, the product is cleaned through a gauze filter.

Rum with grapefruit

This is an interesting drink in terms of taste. It is very easy to get it at home. As in the first recipe, moonshine of the desired strength in the amount of three liters is insisted on oak chips or in a barrel. Then a quarter of the grapefruit, peeled and pitted, is poured with alcohol. A handful of raisins are added to the composition and the drink is infused for two weeks. Like any homemade alcohol, you need to strain through cheesecloth before drinking.

with pineapple

An unusual spirit is homemade pineapple rum. To get such alcohol, you need to take one small fruit, peel it and turn it into a puree. Pineapple is poured with three liters of moonshine infused with oak chips. Two weeks later, 60 grams of burnt sugar are added to the distillate. After the product is kept for two days, and then all the sediment is removed.

The "Captain's Variant" is a drink that is more difficult to prepare, and the method of its preparation can be noted by experienced distillers. For the preparation of alcohol take the following products:

a liter of 50-degree moonshine;
10 milliliters of caramel syrup;
100 grams of refined sugar;
a pinch of cinnamon;
two grams of natural coffee and lemon balm leaves;
seven grams of oak bark;
two large prunes;
a few cloves.

Caramel, prunes, coffee and oak bark are placed in a jar. These products are poured with moonshine and insisted for a week. After this time, the tincture is filtered and spices and lemon balm leaves are added to it. This preparation is kept for 10 days. Then a syrup is made from sugar and added to the strained tincture. The drink is insisted for another 10 days, after which it is passed through gauze and kept for a day.

Rum on prunes and herbs

This is the most difficult alcohol to prepare, reminiscent of pirate alcohol. To get it you will need:

30 grams of pitted prunes;
30 grams of oak chips;
20 tablespoons of burnt sugar;
24 pine nuts;
six grams of chicory;
four grams of sage, dandelion root and yarrow;
two grams of cardamom.

All products on the list are put in a glass jar and poured with moonshine 50 degrees. The drink is kept for 1.5 weeks, then prunes and oak chips are removed from the tincture. The precipitate is transferred to another clean container, into which an alcohol infusion is then added. It is kept for another 10 days and filtered at the final stage of preparation.

Rum-like drinks that have been made at home make a great alcoholic treat for guests.

Rum, a traditional drink of representatives of the lower class at the stage of development of the Caribbean Sea and America, has gained considerable popularity among Russians and residents of the CIS. The question of how to make rum at home is becoming more and more common due to the high cost of the original product, which is also quite difficult to get. It is easy to make this drink at home. Of course, we are not talking about an authentic recipe and original taste, but about a worthy imitation for relatively little money.

What is rum?

The original rum is a drink obtained by distillation of waste products from the production of cane sugar, in particular, molasses and syrup. In fact, such alcohol is distinguished from ordinary moonshine by the specificity of the ingredients that give it a special taste and color. How to make rum at home from moonshine? Most variations do not require cane sugar. This is due to the fact that it is quite difficult to buy cane in Europe, not to mention Russia. Those who need a recipe for rum with a national flavor will have to be content with a replacement.

Who are rum connoisseurs?

Rum was intended for an extremely simple and unpretentious audience. Without sufficient distillation, this alcohol becomes very specific in taste. It is incredibly difficult to reproduce the original at home, while observing the recipe and expecting to get decent alcohol. It will require a high-tech recipe, original components and attention at all stages of production. However, the same taste can be reproduced in a different way. How to make rum at home from moonshine? Recipes will be presented below. You can end up with a completely tolerable drink with the same flavor palette.

The basis and difference of the recipe

Authentic rum can be obtained by pressing sugar from cane, extracting it and further fermenting molasses with yeast and storing it in oak barrels. By analogy, there can be two answers to the question of how to make rum at home from moonshine quickly:

based on the mentioned fermentation technology;
in the form of a tincture.

The first variety requires a considerable amount of patience in cooking. It is similar to the recipe for moonshine, but requires different ingredients and, in particular, does not need additional distillation of alcohol, which can be used in ready-made form.

In addition, some recipes differ depending on the use of regular or cane sugar. There is practically no difference in taste sensations, however, if brown sugar is used, the cost of the drink will increase significantly.

At the same time, the difference in the production technology of the analogue affects the shelf life of the product as a result and its ability to maintain taste for a long period of time. Of course, there are options for extremely quick cooking, which involve the use of essence or spices, but in this case the taste may differ.

"Classic" rum recipe based on sugar moonshine

The most "classic" version of how to make rum at home from moonshine involves the use of ordinary dry yeast and molasses (from white or brown sugar to choose from). A complete list of the required raw materials for a capacity of 30 liters looks like this:

molasses from sugar weighing 2.5 kilograms;
sugar itself in the same volume;
20 liters of distilled water;
45 grams of dry yeast.

Preparing molasses is quite simple: you need to boil water, add sugar and citric acid there, then cook over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring constantly. In the finished molasses, add 15-20 grams of baking soda, slaked water.

How to make rum at home from moonshine? Recipes involve the use of essences or, at a minimum, pineapple extract, anise, spices. In this case, this is not required, since some varieties of real rum assumed the use of sugar and yeast exclusively for an "honest" taste. Although it is quite possible that the first connoisseurs of rum simply did not have the funds for flavor additions.

Cooking technology

Directly the production technology itself looks like this:

a container of water must be put on the stove, add sugar and molasses there, and then heat to 75-80 degrees;
after the mark of 30 degrees has been reached as a result of heating, you need to add dry yeast extract, previously soaked in 200 ml of warm boiled water;
after that, the composition is sent for fermentation in a warm, dry place in the same container, preferably enameled;
"sludge" mash takes approximately 1-2 weeks, depending on the chemical composition of the ingredients;
it is necessary to distill the composition at the stage when the hydrometer no longer shows changes in the liquid, the process occurs when using equipment that can remove the sediment in the form of fuselage;
the first 150-200 ml of distillate must be poured out, since this concentrate has little in common with a real drink;
the next 3 liters is real rum, which, after the second distillation, will undergo further preservation in barrels or glass containers;
the rest is used either to recycle production, or to create less strong tinctures;
rum base should be mixed with 1 liter of distilled water and distilled again.

Rum is stored for 1-2 years in oak barrels or in glass containers with pegs made of this wood, soaked in water or alcohol.

The resulting drink will be a light yellow hue with a rich smell of cane molasses, if it was used. Before the secondary distillation, you can add rum essence or extract of pineapple, vanilla. If the sludge occurs in a glass, you can put 1 cinnamon stick there for a little zest in the taste. If you are interested in how to make rum-baba at home, such a drink as one of the ingredients will work best.

Option for the impatient

All "quick" rum recipes are variants of tincture based on moonshine, diluted alcohol or ready-made distillate with a strength of 45 degrees. It is quite easy to implement them. For example, the simplest example of how to make rum at home from alcohol (recipes may vary) looks like this:

any vodka with a strength of 40 degrees;
5-10 ml;
caramel syrup 15 ml.

Both ingredients should be added to vodka, and then leave the tincture in a glass container with oak chips for a week. It is better to store in the cellar or in the refrigerator. Depending on the preferences of the connoisseur, you can also add:

dried and chopped prunes - 20 grams;
chicory - 1-3 grams;
spices: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla.

If additional ingredients were used in the preparation, then the tincture should be filtered through cheesecloth before settling. This will not affect the taste too much in the end, but the connoisseur may be annoyed by the presence of additional sediment in the glass.

Fast or classic?

How to make rum at home? The recipe and cooking technology are presented above. There are many supporters of both fast and more correct, in terms of the classic recipe, cooking method. The resulting alcohol will vary in taste, but there is no significant difference in it, at least before the sludge of the secondary distillate in oak containers.

Today, few people are engaged in the manufacture of classic rum according to a more correct recipe. The fact is that such a process pays off only if there is a ready-made moonshine installation used earlier. If an alcohol connoisseur simply plans to assemble a laboratory for the sake of one batch of 3-4 liters of rum, then it will be much more expensive than buying a status drink in a store. The question of how to make rum at home is more relevant for connoisseurs of alcohol and the drink itself.

Advantages and disadvantages of options

The benefits of the faster cooking option can be summarized as follows:

extremely affordable, does not require additional investments of funds and time;
perfect for those who do not want to deal with the whole process and buy equipment;
almost a year of exposure is not needed;
slightly different from the unaged distillate in taste.

The main drawback of this technology is one - weak taste. If you open a glass container with tincture, then after 1.5-2 weeks, even with proper storage, the original taste will be lost.

The advantages of a longer option are as follows:

authentic taste of the drink;
high status and value of each bottle;
purity and quality of alcohol.

However, at the same time, you will have to spend money on a distillation cube with a dry holder, an enameled vat with a lid, and distill molasses. In addition, you will need to wait until the drink is ready, which not everyone agrees to.

House rum impressions

The aftertaste of homemade rum leaves twofold. On the one hand, the original taste is clean, full of woody and spicy notes. On the other hand, it is slightly different from the original. The color is also very saturated, bright, there is no sediment. The drink itself is quite strong, but due to aging and additional raw materials it does not give off alcohol and does not cause rapid intoxication. It is well perceived in the company and causes enthusiastic views. However, the process itself is laborious and complex, which for many will be a significant drawback.

Rum at home will not be real rum, it will be more of an imitation, by the way, quite good. But it’s better not to pin your hopes on making a true Bacardi in your kitchen.

True rum is a more complex creation. It is prepared like this: juice is squeezed out of sugar cane stalks, it is slowly heated and sugar is taken away. It remains molasses (molasses), which is diluted with water, yeast is added and they wait until it all ferments. The resulting composition is distilled twice (sometimes adding spices and flavorings). After distillation, rum is obtained, which is sent for aging in oak barrels.

But if there is no single manufacturing standard, then, in principle, any creation “under rum” can be called one.

If you initially do not trust the recipes for making homemade alcohol, then it’s better to go to the store and buy some vintage rum, but if you like experimenting, then you are here!

All homemade rum recipes can be divided into two types: 1) with fermentation and distillation, and 2) in the form of tincture.

At the same time, let's be honest that there is no such recipe in which it would make sense to replace regular sugar with cane sugar. And although in some cases it is the latter that is mentioned, you will not feel the difference in the taste of the finished product.

Real Rum Recipe

Prepare:

cane molasses - 2.5 kg
sugar - 2.5 kg
distilled water - 20 l
dry yeast - 45 grams

Cane molasses is needed for alcohol to become rum. It can be bought in online stores. When using ordinary sugar molasses, you will get ordinary sugar moonshine.

Instead of distilled water, it is permissible to take bottled or spring water with good organoleptic and microbiological indicators.

Additionally you will need:

enameled container for 30 liters with a lid (chan)
water seal (you can make your own)
hydrometer (for measuring the density of mash)

You need to prepare like this:

Dip the molasses and sugar into the water. We put the container with this solution on the stove. We need to connect the components, but we cannot overheat the solution - the maximum heating temperature is 80ºС. Stir often during the dissolution process, because the dissolution of molasses is a leisurely process. When the solution has become homogeneous, bring it to a boil, but immediately remove from the stove at the first bubbles.
When the composition has cooled to a temperature of 28-30ºС (pleasantly warm), you need to pour yeast into it. To make them more correctly, dilute them first in barely warm previously boiled water (a small amount).
We close the resulting mixture with a lid, install a water seal and place it in a warm room until it ferments.
Now you need to wait for the "sludge of the mash." This means that you need to take a sample of the mash every day, stir it and measure its density (using a hydrometer). After the mash does not change its density for three days, it can be distilled. Usually, the "sucks of mash" takes a week - one and a half.
The distillation of the future rum is carried out on a moonshine still (preferably with a dry steamer, where the "fuel oil" settles) with the separation of "heads" - these are the initial 100 ml of distillate (they must be poured out), "hearts" - the next 3 liters of good "rum", and "tails ”, which can be added to the next portion of the mash before proceeding with its distillation.
When all the distillate has been obtained, it must be distilled again. To do this, we take the "heart" of moonshine and the remains of the "tails", mix with 1 liter of water and distill, again dividing the product into fractions.
Ready rum is clear and light. To make it perfect, send it for 1-3 years in oak barrels or in glass jars with specially prepared oak pegs.

The pegs are prepared as follows: they are soaked for a day in warm water (without changing it), then for another day in cold water (changing it every 6 hours), then they are kept in the oven on a baking sheet at 150-170ºС for 2-3 hours. Now they are ready.

For aging rum, barrels are suitable not only from oak, but also from ash. The drink in them is softer than in oak. Instead of pegs, you can use unpeeled pine nuts or their shells.

Dilute the rum, if necessary, after it has been aged.
If you decide to add a twist, you can, before distilling the rum a second time, insist it for 7-10 days (in a dark place) with one or more of the proposed components: vanilla, coffee, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, prunes, etc.

Quick Rum Imitation Recipes

Everything is not so simple here - there are dozens of recipes, and all because each new component in the composition (or its absence) is a new recipe. Many people simplify the rum recipe to mixing vodka and rum essence. Well, it all depends on taste.

Let's clarify right away that:

recipes of a similar plan (without distillation) are ordinary tinctures that can be prepared with vodka, alcohol or moonshine. To obtain the proper strength, it is still more appropriate to cook rum on moonshine or alcohol
It doesn't matter if the type of sugar is cane or regular.
if you do not accept burnt sugar (caramel) in alcohol due to a blow to the pancreas, then replace it with honey (preferably dark)
the amount of sugar (caramel) in recipes can be adjusted, for example, reduce its amount
if you do not accept any spices, or you do not have them, just omit this component in the recipe - the drink will not suffer

Prepare:

moonshine or alcohol 45-50% - 2 l
sugar (for caramel) (if desired - honey) - 40 gr.
oak bark - 5 gr.
vanilla sugar - 1 gr.
ground coffee - 1/4 tsp (without slides)

You need to prepare like this:

All dry ingredients are mixed in glass containers and filled with alcohol. The composition is insisted for about 2 weeks in an unlit place. You need to shake the drink every day, except for the last 2 days - so that the sediment completely settles to the bottom. Pour the resulting rum carefully, using a thin rubber hose.

If possible, age this alcohol, if not in an oak barrel, then in a closed jar with oak pegs from 1 month to 3 years.

Stroh rum imitation recipe, Austria (with prunes and herbs)

Prepare:

moonshine or alcohol 45-50% - 0.5 - 0.6 l
prunes (small) - 5 pcs. (15 gr.)
oak chips - 15-20 gr.
caramel syrup (honey if desired) - 10-15 ml
pine nuts - 12 pcs.
chicory (herb and flowers) - 3 gr.
St. John's wort - 2 gr.
sage flowers - 2 gr.
yarrow herb - 2 gr.
cardamom - 1 gr.

If desired, the components can be proportionally increased, and vodka can be taken as an alcohol base.

You need to prepare like this:

Infuse the composition for 10 days in a dark place. Shake the drink every day, except for the last 2 days - so that the sediment completely settles to the bottom.
Remove prunes and wood chips from the jar, put them in a clean jar, and let the drink stand for another 4-6 hours.
Pour the alcohol into a jar of wood chips and prunes - carefully, using a thin rubber hose (or through gauze). Hold on for another week.
Pour the rum back into a new jar (through a hose) and additionally pass through a cotton-gauze filter.
Taste a spoonful of the drink and sweeten it (with cane sugar) if desired.
Aged rum, if not in an oak barrel, then in a closed jar with oak pegs from 1 month to 3 years.

Recipe for imitation of tincture "Captain's Rum"

(JSC "Ussuri Balsam")
Prepare:

moonshine or alcohol 45-50% - 1 l
caramel syrup (if desired - honey) - 10 ml
sugar (honey) - 75 gr.
oak bark - 5 gr.
prunes (large) - 1 pc.
cloves - 1-2 buds
on the tip of a knife: vanillin, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon balm, ground coffee

If desired, the components can be proportionally increased, and vodka can be taken as an alcohol base.

You need to prepare like this:

We place coffee, oak bark, prunes, caramel syrup and alcohol in a glass container. We insist 1 week with daily shaking (without access to light).
We send the remaining components (except sugar) to the jar and hold for another 1-1.5 weeks.
The composition is filtered and filtered.

We make syrup from sugar, cool it and pour it into rum to soften and sweeten it. Leave for another week and filter again.

Why do some people decide to make their own rum? The reasons can be very different: you want to feel like a specialist in the field of alcoholic beverages and open your own business in the future, you are tired of spending a lot of time choosing alcohol for celebrating an important event with friends; just a burning curiosity arose - how you can get an exquisite pirate drink from alcohol and molasses. In any case, first you need to understand some of the intricacies of making rum at home.

In the article:

Rum anarchy

That rum is the favorite of Caribbean pirates and the elite, we know for sure. But what standards manufacturers adhere to in production is a mystery. Moreover, this is a mystery even for specialists, since everyone does as they see fit: someone passes their moonshine through charcoal filters, someone keeps it in “real” oak barrels, and someone simply distills the molasses and pours it over bottles.

A confirmation that there are no strict rules in the technology of making rum can be considered even the fact that the variation in the strength of this drink is very large - from thirty-five to eighty-five degrees! Color also undergoes significant differences - from transparent to dark brown. As for the smell, perhaps no one can say for sure what real rum should smell like.

By the way, even if we look for at least one common feature even in the name, then we will also come across inconsistencies: the English name is “rum”, Spanish-speaking people write it like “ron”, and French speakers write it like “rhum”.

You say - what about the reed? After all, it is he who is the basis of the foundations in a pirate drink? But here, too, modern experts will present you with a counterargument. After all, manufacturers, in pursuit of profit and cost savings, do anything, replacing molasses with rice, beets or even potatoes.

In short, if you are planning to surprise your guests with homemade alcohol, but you are afraid that they will not appreciate your attempt, comparing the alcohol with the one you once tried, you can safely answer that you have prepared the real one. And no one will prove otherwise.

A simple rum recipe

Since the real one still requires sugar cane, at the first stage of making at home you will have two ways: get cane (remember, only the juiciest parts of it), or get by with its analogue and make an alternative. The output will be approximately the same taste, so do not rush to look for cane delivery.

The ingredients from which you can prepare the desired bottles of drink at home are not difficult to get in stores in our country. We will need:

1000 ml;
200 grams of sugar (you can buy cane, not refined, to get closer to the original);
500 ml of water;
50 ml of rum essence;
10 ml vanilla essence;
10 ml pineapple essence;
4 teaspoons of burnt sugar.

The only thing you won't find at the grocery store next door is essences. But the supplement is easy to order in a specialty store for bars and restaurants.

To prepare, prepare a large container. We put water and sweet sand in it. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly so that the sand does not stick together.

As soon as it has dissolved, remove the container from the stove and add burnt syrup to it (it must be prepared in advance). We leave to cool.

In another container, mix vodka with all the essences.

Add the vodka mixture to the cooled sweet mixture and mix the resulting composition thoroughly.

Now we pour the liquid into bottles and tightly close them with corks, and then for a month forget that pirate bottles are languishing somewhere in your apartment.

As a filter, a simple gauze folded in several layers and cotton wool laid between these layers is suitable. We filter, and you can invite guests.

For the second method, you will need somewhat simpler ingredients:

1 liter of homemade moonshine;
1 medium sized pineapple;
100 g of burnt sugar.

Pineapple must be chopped into small pieces (approximately a square centimeter in size) and sent to a container with moonshine. We tightly cover the jar with polyethylene, and then with a lid, shake lightly and send it to infuse for about two weeks.

After this time, the resulting liquid should be filtered (you can use the method from the previous recipe or any other option convenient for you), and then add burnt syrup to it. It will create the necessary, amber, color.

Armenian "rum"

There is an even simpler recipe. Using it, you can prepare "Erebuni" - the Armenian version of the drink. Required:

500 ml of wine alcohol;
50 ml of rum essence;
4 teaspoons of burnt sugar;
500 ml of pure boiled water.

Wine alcohol (96 degrees), must be diluted with plain boiled water in a ratio of 1:1. Add essence here to get a pleasant taste and the same color, and burnt syrup.

One of the most important stages of production is the fermentation process (you can read more about). Some use ordinary yeast for these purposes, someone adds a special variety with a certain taste to create their own smell to the drink.

Technology for making rum with yeast

We offer you a recipe for alcohol yeast rum.

Ingredients you will need:

500 g cane sugar;
500 g white refined sugar;
5 liters of water;
5 g alcohol yeast.

Prepare a capacious, preferably enameled pan, and pour sweet sand into it. Melt the sweet mixture over low heat until a thick syrup forms.

Yeast should be diluted in water at a ratio of 1 gram of yeast per 1 liter of water and left for half an hour until a white foam forms. Water should be at room temperature, that is, no warmer than thirty degrees.

Pour the starter into syrup and add water there. Stir the resulting mixture well, and then pour it into glass bottles (you will need five liter bottles).

In order for the mash to brew well, it is necessary to close the containers tightly. A water seal would be ideal. Store the bottles in a dark place, at a temperature of twenty-seven - thirty-two degrees, for about a week.

If you want your alcohol to acquire individual tastes, you can experiment with spices by adding vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and similar seasonings to the resulting liquid.

After seven days, your bottles will have a ready wort with a strength of about eight to ten degrees. It must be filtered with a siphon or gauze.

Making rum at home involves the use of a distiller, or moonshine still. In order for the strength of the finished drink to be high, about 80%, the distillation process should not be interrupted.

After distillation, it should simmer for some more time. An ideal place for this would be a wooden barrel made from trees such as oak or ash. In the first case, the drink will be more saturated and tart, and in the second - lighter. The longer the liquid is kept in the barrel, the more pleasant and richer it will be.

When the rum acquires the taste and shade that you sought, you can dilute it with cold clean water to the desired strength.

Depending on how long the drink languished in bottles before filtering, its strength depends. Degrees can be measured using a special alcohol thermometer, but in general it is used both in its pure form and in the form of a variety of alcoholic cocktails.

How to make rum from moonshine. Rum notes on rum, or how to make real molasses rum at home