Talking Rum Distillation Technology with Customer!
Introduction
Customer is a scientist and a distiller and an iStill customer. He reached out to me for a new distillation project, concerting rum. Underneath you find our (email) conversation on that very interesting topic. So interesting that we both thought we'd share it with you, here on the iStill Blog!
Customer's initial question
Aloha Odin,
Random question for you: I read in one of the old blog posts that you were working on a “booster”, or using the extractor column as a type of retort/thumper?
I’m currently looking at Rum techniques for a future project. I may be in touch again soon!
Thanks and all the best,
Customer
Odin's answer
Hi Customer,
We never finished it, as we learned that a few inches of packing, especially in combo with the reflux capacitor, does the same job. But if you are a bit further down the road, we could for sure build one.
Regards,
Odin
Customer's original idea
Thanks, Odin,
It certainly is only for the most extreme of examples.
I’m thinking of a modern approach to approximating the functionalities of the Cousins process, double-retort stills, etc., i.e. super-charging a vapor-phase spirit with additional precursors during its distillation.
I could almost see the extractor working that way, or imagine scenarios of backset/dunder/muck added into the pot acting comparably. In some ways, the 1.5x distillation approach on iStills is comparable to an extent.
I remember your posts about Muscovado rum etc. back in the day, it would be exciting to try them. I have myself made a Gold-medal winning white Rum with a simple Muscovado wash and would want to build on it.
On a related note, have you found the extractor to work with liquid charges? I’m thinking of adding specific fruit-derived precursors (in liquid form) to the extractor and either distilling through them, or just running the extractor as intended (multiple cycles of filling and draining, followed by redistillation.)
This is for another potential future project, I should know by the end of the year if it will happen. If it does and I can convince them of your technology, I may stop by again in December sometime!
Hartelijk bedankt and all the best,
Customer
Odin's response
Looking forward to meeting up again. We could even build a potstill with a bubbler after that. Old approach, but fully controlled and automated!
Customer's update
Odin, I’ll keep you posted, I really hope this will come to fruition.
If I visit at the end of the year, I will also pay a visit to E&A Scheer in Amsterdam for context and inspiration.
This project would be a rum-focused program that does everything from Whiskey, Gin, Vodka and liqueurs, so I am trying to convince them of starting with an iStill for versatility.
Tropical locale that currently has no working distillery, but the company already does several 10k cases per year of bought Rum, Gin and Vodka. The intention is NOT to internalize the current portfolio, but rather to build an ultra-premium, limited release spirits program to complement the existing products.
There is almost no existing regulation, so the possibility for creativity and innovation is almost boundless.
Cheers,
Customer
Odin's summary
For ultrapremium you need ultracontrol and for ultracontrol you need iStill! :)
Customer's conclusion
Aloha Odin,
I did more experiments and now concur that the flexibility of the iStill enables similar outcomes as many whimsical, historical distilling constructs!
Cheers, I hope to be in touch later this year!
Thanks and all the best,
Customer
Odin wants to share what's been learned
I will quote you on that! :)
Regards, Odin
Customer agrees
Feel free - it took me applying very advanced flavor chemistry to get there after years of trying.
"Science?" Odin asks
Very cool! But what flavor chemistry did you take?
"Science!" Customer answers
Just PhD level flavor chemistry in Food Science taught by chemical engineers and analytical chemists at UC Davis - often voted #1 Research university in the world and a partner of Wageningen University.
Conclusion
iStill technology, current iStill technology, beats hundreds of years of development of more traditional methods to create top-level rums. We know it. The science agrees. This well-educated customer knows it. And now you do to ...
www.iStill.com
