Help! I can't stop myself!!

[Dood]

Current infusions: 3

Mulled Apple Cider is at 2 weeks. 3 days to go.
Old banana infusion is currently getting a French oak treatment...1 month to go.
Blackberry just got started last night in a blend of white rums and about a half ounce of Appleton Special.

[Tiare]

Dood, i understand you...

Current infusions: 2

Banana/vanilla/Cinnamon/Clove:Almost finished...:confused: how did that happen so fast..
Ancho chili/cocoabeans/vanilla/orange: Is OK but not super, will do in cocktails blended with one more rum
Pineapple: soon to come..

[Dood]

I also have a vanilla bean infusion sitting in a decanter that's been done for some time now. It's passable in certain cocktails.

[Tiare]

Vanilla is my all time favorite spice..and in cooking also the chilipeppers.

1.Tahitian vanilla
2.Bourbon vanilla
3.All other vanilla

1.Jamaican scotch bonnet
2.Habanero
3.Bird pepper

[RumBarPhilly]

We just finished a really nice infusion of kumquaats. I actually never knew what they were until now. Its a little off balance as the bitterness is striking, but with fresh lime and simple syrup, can be turned into a treat!

It took 4 days to sit, not too bad for a citrus.

[Tiare]

Sounds very tasty!..which rum did you use for the infusion?

[RumBarPhilly]

Since we do so many infusions, we need an inexpensive rum. We typically use either Cruzan Light or Bacardi. Bacardi actually works well due to its very dry flavor. The flavors overpower the heat that bacardi brings.

[Tiare]

I once used a cheap bottle of Bacardi to make Falernum, i don`t know if its good or not, to me the Falernum tastes ok but i don`t have anything to compare with as i can`t find the Velvet Falernum here and I havenґt yet made another batch with a different rum.

[Dood]

Did a taste check on the french oak infusion (added french oak barrel chips to an old banana infusion). Based on the wine and beer recommendations for use of the oak chips, I figured that the rum would have to sit for months, but after checking today, the oak is entirely overpowering everything else on the nose. The taste is still good, but the wood is very prevalent, so I removed the oak chips and set them in a container for potential re-use. I'm going to let that sit for a few days, and then decide if I'm going to leave it alone, or blend it with something else.

Cloves got added to the cider rum today.

Completion is Saturday or Sunday.

[Tiare]

Did a taste check on the french oak infusion (added french oak barrel chips to an old banana infusion).

Cloves got added to the cider rum today.



This sounds very very interesting..I`m waiting..:cool:

I think the cloves will add a nice flavor.

Have you thought about making an infusion with flambeéd bananas? I have it my backhead but haven`t yet figured out exactly how to do the infusion.

[RumBarPhilly]

Did a taste check on the french oak infusion (added french oak barrel chips to an old banana infusion). Based on the wine and beer recommendations for use of the oak chips, I figured that the rum would have to sit for months, but after checking today, the oak is entirely overpowering everything else on the nose. The taste is still good, but the wood is very prevalent, so I removed the oak chips and set them in a container for potential re-use. I'm going to let that sit for a few days, and then decide if I'm going to leave it alone, or blend it with something else.

Cloves got added to the cider rum today.

Completion is Saturday or Sunday.

I think an experiment is in order. Take 4 rum samples. Age the same rum using the same amount of wood chips in each and age them for different periods of time (1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months). Ive always wanted to try this psudo-ageing technique... now to find oak chips.

[RumBarPhilly]

Have you thought about making an infusion with flambeйd bananas? I have it my backhead but haven`t yet figured out exactly how to do the infusion.

Perhaps, you make your flambeed bananas. Let them cool off, then half all the pieces. Infuse them into your rum, I think a dry dark rum is in order for this one, I think Khukri would work well. I think the banana-to-rum ratio should be high since the bananas are cooked and have a lot of their juices locked inside. This will probably take 4-6 days. Remove the bananas and strain the rum since therewill be plenty of caramel residue. This sounds really good, and I need to try this now! :)

[Tiare]

I don`t find any Khukri here...but maybe online or do you have any other suggestion?

Which of these 2 bottles do you mean? must be the Khukri XXX Rum?

Maybe red bananas would be yummy? or apple bananas?

[RumBarPhilly]

Red Bananas are excellent, Ive used em before, overly-ripe red bananas and bacardi = great rum.

As for the Khukri, I found the two to taste very similar and either would work. Lets see, another dry dark-ish rum... perhaps Flor de Cana 5 year? that could work well.

[Tiare]

Now to the question, what shall i use to flambиe? ,I think maybe it would add a nice flavor if i use Cointreau or Grand Marnier?

[angelsword]

... now to find oak chips.

This company has some superb products that I tried a few years ago.
http://www.oaksolutionsgroup.com/

[RumBarPhilly]

Now to the question, what shall i use to flambиe? ,I think maybe it would add a nice flavor if i use Cointreau or Grand Marnier?

I usually go with Myers. Perhaps the grand marnier would be good, add that touch of citrus. Im a Bananas Foster guy, so i love to heat up the ole Myers. I find its the only thing its good for!

[RumBarPhilly]

This company has some superb products that I tried a few years ago.
http://www.oaksolutionsgroup.com/

Thanks for the link, I checked it out, it looks a little pricy. Ive seen oak chips cheaper on other sites in the past (I think). Is this the company you get a lot of your oak from?

[Dood]

This company has some superb products that I tried a few years ago.
http://www.oaksolutionsgroup.com/

I'll have to check them out. I ordered mine from www.beer-wine.com. Kind of stumbled across them while researching beer-brewing supplies.

I think an experiment is in order. Take 4 rum samples. Age the same rum using the same amount of wood chips in each and age them for different periods of time (1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 6 months). Ive always wanted to try this psudo-ageing technique... now to find oak chips.

I was thinking the same thing yesterday. I was also thinking that, with the strong oaky taste, this current rum may be a good blending partner to my so/so vanilla infusion.

If I keep going with that kind of experimentation, I can eventually reach rumvanna!

[Tiare]

Im a Bananas Foster guy, so i love to heat up the ole Myers. I find its the only thing its good for!

Do you have a good recipe with Bananas Foster with a twist? to put in the rum/food area?

[angelsword]

Thanks for the link, I checked it out, it looks a little pricy. Ive seen oak chips cheaper on other sites in the past (I think). Is this the company you get a lot of your oak from?

There certainly is cheaper, but this is a high quality product. But I do not purchase their product since I have refined some of those technologies.

[Dood]

Tonight's the night. In an hour or so I'll be opening the Cider Rum and removing the fruit and spice elements from it.

I'll post a write-up on the blog tomorrow.

I'll also be doing a taste-test of the blackberry, in which the berries have swollen to huge sizes recently, and the nice clear mix of white rums is now a pretty, translucent burgundy.

[Dood]

I've transferred the CidaRum to it's finishing jar and done a tasting. SUCCESS!!!

Full notes will be posted tomorrow, but let me tell you, a little of this with some butterscotch schnapps.....can you say "dessert"??

[RumBarPhilly]

All of these infusion experiments make me wonder about the brand 267. Not sure if anybody is familiar with them, but they have infused spirits with the infusing agent still in the bottle. (a little marketing flair, similar to Daniels idea with temptryst). They have a mango rum, olive vodka, chili tequila, and a few other flavors.

That being said, I think it would be a great idea to do something similar with flavors across the board. From apples to zucchini! (zucchini is at the end of the alphabet, not sure of its infusing power though)

[Dood]

All of these infusion experiments make me wonder about the brand 267. Not sure if anybody is familiar with them, but they have infused spirits with the infusing agent still in the bottle. (a little marketing flair, similar to Daniels idea with temptryst). They have a mango rum, olive vodka, chili tequila, and a few other flavors.

That being said, I think it would be a great idea to do something similar with flavors across the board. From apples to zucchini! (zucchini is at the end of the alphabet, not sure of its infusing power though)

I've tried their mango and their pineapple. Their stuff is pretty good IIRC. It's been a while since I tried it. I recall the pineapple being good.

[Dood]

Zucchini.

Wow...I've got nothing.

[RumBarPhilly]

Did the 267 rums taste like flavors were infused? or did ti taste more commercial like a bacardi, or <gag> malibu?

As for zucchini... ive experimented with some veggies... the only veggie in the squash family Ive done is pumpkin, and it would low you away! We call it "Rum-pkin"

Carrots didnt work, cucumbers.. well, those work the best of ANYTHING!

Maybe we can make a rum called "House Salad Rum" and itll be a blend of cucumber, carrot, mushroom, and pepper rums... served with some mixed greens of course! haha

[angelsword]

All of these infusion experiments make me wonder about the brand 267.
267 started off nicely when it was done locally, but when they went commercial and started production in China the quality dropped damatically. Rather than use raw sugar they switch to corn syrup as the sweetener.

I must admit to a certain animosity towards this company however since they based their products and business plan upon discussions I have had with representatives of Glasier's wholesale. Yes industrial espionage is real.

They took some of my ideas but lost the overall flavor.

[angelsword]

I've tried their mango and their pineapple. Their stuff is pretty good IIRC.

267! Gag me! Yech! Haven't they gone out of business yet!

[Dood]

267! Gag me! Yech! Haven't they gone out of business yet!

Apparently not... (http://www.hitimewine.net/istar.asp?a=6&id=165841!1166)

I have to confess that it's probably been over a year since I tried their stuff so my memory could be faulty. Plus, that was before I had really started down the path of rum righteousness.

[RumBarPhilly]

Looks like I just struck a nerve, hehe. It seems at one point or another in every major spirit's life, a compromise has had to been made. Whether its been adding caramel for color or sweetness, or corn syrup due to its price and availability, or perhaps preservatives added to enhance shelf lives and reduce oxidation.

Hopefully, Daniel, this compromise will never be made with your rums... but I can guarantee when Malibu initiated their venture, they were aiming for a coconut flavor, but ended up with a sun-tanned lotion flavor because artificial flavoring agents are cheaper than those hard, hairy coconuts.

[angelsword]

artificial flavoring agents are cheaper than those hard, hairy coconuts.
The largest cost for making Temptryst Coconut Rum is for coconuts and their preparation. It is also one of the most labor intensive. But I think the difference is worth it.

[Dood]

The largest cost for making Temptryst Coconut Rum is for coconuts and their preparation. It is also one of the most labor intensive. But I think the difference is worth it.

I think so too.

*remembers that he needs to hug his coconut shell rum when he gets home*

[RumBarPhilly]

The largest cost for making Temptryst Coconut Rum is for coconuts and their preparation. It is also one of the most labor intensive. But I think the difference is worth it.

Not to sound racist, but hire a Mexican! My sous chef Oscar (Mexican) was watching me struggle to open a coconut (as I made a coconut infused rum about 3 months back) I was just CLAWING at it making a sweet mess. He took it and had it cracked and peeled in less than 2 minutes. Hire a Mexican!

[Paulipbartender]

The guys at Mahiki bar in London - who go through a few coconuts - gave me a bit of advice on opening them the other day - which to be fair I've not tried yet!

One end of the coconut has 3 eyes and if you tap each of those eyes - one will give very easily. So with a screwdriver or somesuch just easily tap out one of the eyes. Can someone verify if this works?

[Tiare]

I have done this with a hammer and a nail and it worked..i suppose you`re talking about these old brown coconuts that we find in the supermarkets?
At least that`s the only coconuts we find here, but in London I have bought green fresh cooconuts.

[angelsword]

Not to sound racist, but hire a Mexican! My sous chef Oscar (Mexican) was watching me struggle to open a coconut (as I made a coconut infused rum about 3 months back) I was just CLAWING at it making a sweet mess. He took it and had it cracked and peeled in less than 2 minutes. Hire a Mexican!

It isn't the opening of the coconut that takes the time. I lived in Mexico for about a decade and have literally opened truckloads of coconuts. It is what I do then that is labor intensive.

[RumBarPhilly]

Yea, i got the three-eye part down, but that only gets you so far.