jbest123
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Joined: December 2010
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Post by jbest123 on Dec 21, 2010 8:33:29 GMT -5
I decided to make some applejack and searched the Web for recipes. As it turns out anything you can mix can be called Applejack as long as it has apples in it (being facieses here). I am sure the pioneers did not have additives they call for today, I also do not think they would be extravagant with there sugar to raise the alcohol content. I believe the pioneers would simply let there hard cider freeze and remove some ice to increase the alcohol. If my logic is correct my differences are, I added enough sugar to the cider to get an SG reading of 1.09 which should yield about 12 1/2 % alcohol and I will not bother with the freezing. John
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Deleted
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Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2010 13:13:09 GMT -5
Bootlegger! Actually, you made a cider. To make it apple brandy, you need to distill it. Freezer distilling could work, will work, but, unless you brew exceptionally clean, concentrating a ale by freezer distillation puts you at risk for bad alcohols to cause problems.
You made one heck of a strong cider though.
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jbest123
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Posts: 60
Joined: December 2010
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Post by jbest123 on Dec 21, 2010 15:12:48 GMT -5
Bootlegger! Actually, you made a cider. To make it apple brandy, you need to distill it. Freezer distilling could work, will work, but, unless you brew exceptionally clean, concentrating a ale by freezer distillation puts you at risk for bad alcohols to cause problems. You made one heck of a strong cider though. I started with apple cider, what I made is apple wine from apple cider not apple juice. Brandy is often called burnt wine (no freezing). What I tried to do was to emulate what they would have done in the late 16 and 17 century. I think I am prety close except I added sugar to raise the alcohol instead of removing water by freezing. John
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grapenut
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Post by grapenut on Dec 22, 2010 1:49:13 GMT -5
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Post by coppice on Dec 22, 2010 11:37:31 GMT -5
John I think you and land are both (sorta) using localism's. Tho' Lands descriptor of cold proccess distilled beverage is probably right.
Cider was back in the day of barrel storage soonish mildly alcoholic.
Man! the farther back you read in accounts, the higher the rate of alcohol consumption was. I dunno how anything got done. Fresh water just wasn't consumed... Tea and or coffee were for rich guys.
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jbest123
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Posts: 60
Joined: December 2010
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Post by jbest123 on Dec 22, 2010 11:54:36 GMT -5
John I think you and land are both (sorta) using localism's. Tho' Lands descriptor of cold proccess distilled beverage is probably right. I am very familiar with Freeze Distilling and the hazards associated with it. I chose not to use it because of the hazards. Evin with conventional stills there are hazards involved but they can separate the good from the bad alcohol which you cannot do with the freezing process. John
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Deleted
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Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2010 17:50:57 GMT -5
Oh, c'mon John, the fusel headaches and blindness usually go away. Usually.
I thought applejack had to be distilled in some manner to be applejack, thus either freezing or a still must be used.
Peronally, I do not use a still for two reasons, one is the risk of arrest, the other is the risk of burning down me or my house.
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jbest123
Junior Member
Posts: 60
Joined: December 2010
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Post by jbest123 on Dec 22, 2010 18:12:13 GMT -5
I thought applejack had to be distilled in some manner to be applejack, thus either freezing or a still must be used. Like I said earlier, just trying to emulate. It taste prety good for a green "wine" but I have some ideas for my next batch. John
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Post by stratcat on Dec 22, 2010 22:36:36 GMT -5
Between a Friend-girl and myself, we have almost one gallon of 11-year old cider left that I made on Halloween, 1999. By hand, I ground and pressed four gallons that day and used champagne yeast and added sugar to taste. It did the trick.
I haven't experimented with fractionalizing cider, though some folks do. It already knocks your block off without distilling it.
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