Homemade Rum

A rum and coke is a common mixed drink in the US.

Rum, originally popular in the West Indies and Caribbean, is often used in mixed drinks, contributing to its mass appeal. It may be a challenge to make homemade rum without a professional distillery, but with some careful planning you can make your own homemade version with a few basic ingredients and a homemade distiller. You can alter the ingredients in the basic rum recipe and add a combination of your own special spices and flavors to make a custom rum blend all your own. Share your rum as a gift with friends and family, or keep it all for yourself!

Things You'll Need

• 2 liters, distilled water
• Pack of bakers yeast
• 2 lbs of granulated sugar
• 8 oz of Molasses
• Distiller or pressure cooker
• Thermometer
• Bowl
• Pan
• Balloon or plastic bag
• 1-2 feet of metal or plastic tubing

Instructions

1. 

   Use fresh granulated sugar to prevent possible contamination.

   Combine 2 pounds of granulated sugar with 8 ounces of raw molasses in a large pot. Add about two-thirds of the distilled water. Place the pot over a medium low heat on the stove. Stir to combine all of the ingredients as the mixture warms. Remove the pot from the heat as soon as the mixture is uniformly mixed and it is hot enough to give off a light steam.

2. 

   Rum's distinctive flavor comes from the molasses.

   Separate the sugar, molasses and water mixture in half, and put one half into a separate bowl. Add one packet of bakers yeast to the bowl containing half of the sugar mixture. Mix the yeast thoroughly until it starts to bubble. Combine the remaining half of the sugar, molasses and water mixture. Pour the mixture into a plastic bottle.

3. 

   An ordinary water bottle can be used for fermentation.

   Seal the plastic bottle with the bottle cap so it is completely airtight, and make a pin-sized hole in the top of the water bottle cap to release carbon dioxide which forms inside the bottle during fermentation. Fit the bottle top with a tight-fitting balloon or plastic bag wrapped around the bottle cap. The balloon or plastic bag lets the carbon dioxide escape and keeps the mixture safe from air exposure. Leave the bottle for several days until the bubbling ceases. As the mixture ferments, the yeast converts the sugar to alcohol.

4. 

   Use a cooking thermometer to monitor the cooking temperature.

   Distill the rum with a store-bought distillery, or make your own distillery. An ordinary pressure cooker with a steam valve makes an excellent still. Fit the steam valve with a length of plastic or metal tubing, and drain the tube into a separate container for alcohol collection. Heat the fermented liquid inside the pressure cooker to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the mixture and allow the alcohol vapor to rise through the steam valve and condense through the pipe into your alcohol collection container.

5. 

   Commercially produced rum is aged for several months in wood barrels.

   Pour the distilled rum into clean and sanitized glass bottles or jars for cooling and immediate consumption. If you have access to oak barrels, double or triple the recipe and make enough rum to store in barrels for aging. Aging can enhance the flavor of homemade rum.

References

• Tastings: All About Rum
• Shonari: How to make Homemade Rum
• Notebook: Making Rum at Home