Thread: Homebrew Bayrum Recipes

If you want to do it right, you need to use the right ingredients and you need to do it by distillation. The key ingredient to "Bay Rum" is leaves from the West Indian Bay Tree. This is not the same as the bay leaves you find at your local purveyor of herbs and spices. The correct leaves are from Pimenta Racemosa, your common bay spice rack bay leaf is from Laurus Nobilis. Those familiar with scientific names will recognize that these two trees are not only different species, but from totally different genis as well. You will also need a source of ethanol, traditionally, this is rum, but in truth any source will work. You can also add other herbs and spices to the mix as well, what ever floats your boat.

Production is by distillation and extraction using alcohol vapors. Do not confuse this with mix and macerate blending which yields an inferior product. Ideally, this would be done in a proper alembic or basket still, but if you don't have one, you can do a pretty good job with some common kitchen utensils. What you will need are:

A vegetable steamer-preferably stainless steel, but aluminum will work
Something to collect your product in, a wide mouth bell jar works well
Something to raise your collection vessel above the basket - an inverted saucer works pretty well.
Ice (optional)

Now for the process

CAUTION - YOU ARE GOING TO BE HEATING AN ALCOHOL MIXTURE AND PRODUCING ALCOHOL VAPORS. ONE OR POSSIBLY BOTH OF THESE ARE FLAMABLE. USE APPROPRIATE CAUTION. I ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ACCIDENTS, INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE THAT MAY OCCUR. THE FOLLOWING IS A GUIDELINE ONLY, AND NOT A DETAILED PROCEDURE. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SAFELY DEAL WITH FLAMABLE LIQUIDS OR VAPORS DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS. WEAR APPROPRIATE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT AND HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER READY AND AVAILABLE. BE SURE YOU HAVE ADEQUATE VENTILATION. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AFTER DRINKING ANYTHING STRONGER THAN A GLASS OF MILK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED-PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!!!!

Put the alcohol in the bottom pan of the steamer (where the water normally goes).

Place the basket on top of the steamer and set the your collection container on top of the spacer in the middle of the basket.

Put the bay leaves and any other spices in the basket surrounding the container.

Put the lid on the steamer upside down (yes, I said upside down, that means the concave side is pointing up, and the handle is pointing down. The handle should be either inside the collection jar or just above the top of the jar. You may have to play around with various jars and spacers until you find a combination that fits together. The inverted lid should be resting on the walls of the steamer basket, not on the collection jar.

If you are using ice, put a few cubes on top of the inverted lid.

Start heating the steamer, the idea is to boil the alcohol mixture. The alcohol vapors will rise up through the herbs on the basket and volatize the essential oils. Both alcohol and the EOs will condense on lid (this is where the ice helps), run down the lid and handle and drip into the collection jar.

You will need to experiment with the herb/alcohol proportions and the length of time to get the mix you want. The first few drops condensed will have a very high concentration of EOs, the longer you let it run, the more dilute the mixture will get.

Be careful when handling the lid, collection container etc because it is going to be hot. remember, you are doing this at your own risk, and there are hazards involved.