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| Water Power for the Crusher |
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| Wood for the Fires |
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| Cane Crusher |
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| Wood Fired Cooker |
What is really needed to produce rum? It is not as complicated as you might think. Rum is made by fermenting a sugar cane derivative, whether it be fresh pressed sugar cane juice all the way to the lowest grade of Molasses, this is all that is required. Next we cook the cane syrup for a short period of time and then it is off to the fermentation tanks where yeast is added to start the fermentation process and create the alcohol. In the tanks, it usually reaches upwards of 15% alcohol. Next it is off the still where the alcohol is distilled from the wash yielding a high percentage alcohol rum. Finally it is cut to the desired proof and bottled for consumption.
This all sounds very simple, and the basics of it are. The hitch comes in amassing all of the equipment necessary to do these "simple " things. On a very small scale you can pretty much make a still in the garage. A copper pot, a heating element, and some copper tubing are most of what you need to create your still. After all it has been dome for centuries all over the world.
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| Fermentation Tanks |
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| Wood Fired Still |
Seeing things being done in a back to the basics way at the River Antoine Distillery in Grenada, was a real testimonial to the people of the islands during the early 1800's. Today at River Antoine Distillery you to can see rum being produced just as they did back then. Wood fired cookers and stills and water powered cane crushers, all used to create some pretty good strong rum. Like they say there,"It is not rum,its River".
