Apple Brandy

Grain bills and instruction for all manner of alcoholic beverages.

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S-Cackalacky
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by S-Cackalacky »

Red Rim wrote:Holy smokes Cackalacky! You usually have all the good answers, not all the good questions.

Yes cinnamon sticks in the thumper would work.
I was also thinking about putting store bought hard cider in there as well.
I typically drink it unaged however, like all distillations, it gets better with time.

As for this falls apples, I wouldn't pay a dime for them. Somebody you know has apple trees so loaded up that the branches are breaking and just let them rot away. Find them!
I am not very picky about the ones I use, the ones on the ground are breaking down already. That makes them perfect.
Never done a fruit fermentation except for a little wine many years ago. With the store bought juice it's got to be the easiest thing in the world to do, but maybe I should hold back on saying that until AFTER it ferments.

I think I'll just go with a little of the wash in the thumper. I want to keep it to a bare bones kind of product just to see how it taste in its simplest form. Maybe do some experimenting with flavors down the road a bit.

As usual I forgot to get an OG this morning before pitching the yeast. I expect it's pretty low since I followed the advice here and didn't add any sugar. Maybe with the deep heads cut that Jimbo recommends, I'll at least get a good sampling of the product.

I didn't think about asking for windfalls or culls, but I'll keep that in mind. I was hoping to find a processing plant that will sell the juice fresh from the press, but I'm not so sure that's possible. But then, there's always Costco.

Thanks everyone for all the good info in this thread.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by S-Cackalacky »

Compared to what I'm used to, this seems like a fairly slow ferment. Pitched yeast (EC-1118) last Friday (no OG). Monday the gravity was 1.023. Today it's 1.012. Maybe it'll be finished in a couple of days (1 week). Anyway, it seems to be progressing OK.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by Jimbo »

SC, I always let apple cider go for 30 days. It will go fully dry low and slow with 1118 to 0.998 or better
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo wrote:SC, I always let apple cider go for 30 days. It will go fully dry low and slow with 1118 to 0.998 or better
I can't imagine that it will take that long to finish. It dropped by more than .01 in just 2 days. But then, I don't have much to compare it to. Until now, I've only used baker's yeast and with the SF ferments I've done I was getting 3 day start to finish ferments. Of course I'll let it go as long as it takes, but I would think it should finish in a few days at the rate it's going.

Jimbo, how do you account for such long ferments? Do you keep your temps nearer to 65 dF, or so? I haven't checked the temp of the wash, but the ambient temp in the room is upper 60s to 70ish. I didn't get an OG, but I'm thinking that it was probably somewhere between 1.040 and 1.050. I'm happy with the taste/smell of the wash. Can't wait to run it through the pot.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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My apple wash just finished. Two full months after I started it. Of course there were other factors, low pH, cool temps it still took two months. Crazy!
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Re: Apple Brandy

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SC, its.not about taking that long, in the strict sense of the meaning. Cider just gets better with age. Some malolactic conversation of the malic acid. Clearing nice. Just better. Important for cider and maybe less so for Apple brandy, or maybe not...
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo wrote:SC, its.not about taking that long, in the strict sense of the meaning. Cider just gets better with age. Some malolactic conversation of the malic acid. Clearing nice. Just better. Important for cider and maybe less so for Apple brandy, or maybe not...
OK, but this leads to one more question - if I leave it to clear/age for an extended period of time, should I put it under an air-lock? I'm using a 5 gallon food-grade bucket with the lid loosely laying on it.

Thanks for all your guidance to this point.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by Jimbo »

yes to the airlock otherwise you might end up with a bucket of apple cider vinegar if the wrong bugs get in there.

although that might not be bad either. I'd love to make a barrel aged balsamic. they get really good after several years.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Thanks Jimbo. I airlocked it and threw in a couple of cups of new apple juice to get the yeasties fired back up for a good CO2 layer. I'm gonna leave it alone for at least a couple of weeks.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by Jimbo »

:thumbup:
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo wrote:I'd love to make a barrel aged balsamic. they get really good after several years.
Thanks for that idea, Jimbo. I've just done some homework and written up a method to get me started.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Teach us Chris. Share your writeup.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Apple season is over here, so this is a very industrial version, designed to get me started using readily available products from my local supermarket. From the next season on, I would be doing new calcs based on my fruit.

Balsamic cider vinegar
Targets
Acetic acid 6%
Sugar 13.3%
Ratio 1/2.2

DYC cider vinegar 4.1% acetic acid
Apple juice 10% sugar

Ratio

1l of DYC = 41g acetic acid
Therefore need 90g sugar=900ml apple juice
Total 1900ml @ 2.16% Acetic acid

To raise acetic acid to 6%, volume needs to drop to 680ml
This has to complete during aging, allowing for the angel's share
Therefore, reduce the 1900ml by half to 950ml
Reduce with low heat. 12hrs would be good.
I suspect ice jacking would make a very different product and would be well worth a try

Age in glass with a cloth bung
Age on various woods, use different wood each year
Make a batch every year
Use solera system
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by T-Pee »

S-Cackalacky wrote:Thanks Jimbo. I airlocked it and threw in a couple of cups of new apple juice to get the yeasties fired back up for a good CO2 layer.
Meh. Just toss a bit of table sugar in there. ;)

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Re: Apple Brandy

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T_pee, the trees are loaded with apples already this year. Should be a great season.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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T-Pee wrote:
S-Cackalacky wrote:Thanks Jimbo. I airlocked it and threw in a couple of cups of new apple juice to get the yeasties fired back up for a good CO2 layer.
Meh. Just toss a bit of table sugar in there. ;)

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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo wrote:I'd love to make a barrel aged balsamic. they get really good after several years.
Finished my boiled Balsamic today. Concentrated using a solar dish. The freeze jacked version is done too. Both are aging on Jack Daniels chips. Both need a rest for a few months, so I'm told, but they do taste very nice already and are in the pantry to be used. Using a cloth bung so that they can breath.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by bearriver »

For those near Washington, there are apple orchards over here on the east side of the mountains (Wenatchee). They will literally fill up your truck bed with apples for around $100. Alternatively, you can bring your own 55 gallon drum and they will filler up with fresh pressed unfiltered juice.

I'm doing a 50 gal ferment of Honeycrisp apple brandy this year. Just waiting for the late harvest.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by T-Pee »

When using apple wood for aging do you use the entire piece for toasting or just the heart like we do with oak?
I was driving along the fenceline of a local orchard and noticed a crapfull of aged wood from the trees...some as large as 8" diameter.
Was thinking I could talk to the owners into letting me cull a bit with the little Echo saw.

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Re: Apple Brandy

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NZChris, sounds delicious! Care to share a recipe or point us to one?

Bearriver, thats great! 50 gallons ought to make ya about 3 cases all said after cuts! nice.

Edit: posting with tpee. I dont know about others experiences with apple wood, but mine wasnt good. Came out odd, chemically, and missing the caramelly flavors Im used to from toasted and charred oak that compliment the suble apple flavors so well. IMO, $0.02, for what its worth.
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by S-Cackalacky »

I tried some apple wood chips with SF and got similar results as Jimbo mentioned. The chips were meant for the BBQ grill and may not have been properly time seasoned. It turned the SF cloudy and had that chemically smell.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo wrote:NZChris, sounds delicious! Care to share a recipe or point us to one?
Scroll up half a dozen posts for my industrial quicky version.


Aged Balsamic Cider Vinegar
Make cider vinegar to be added to next season's juice. To start a year earlier, you could freeze some juice to use as soon as this season's vinegar is ready, or buy some vinegar.

Start:
Mix vinegar and juice in about equal amounts, then slowly reduce by simmering down to nearly a third of the volume. Taking twelve hours would be good. Make enough to nearly fill your container. Size the container so that it holds at least twelve years worth of product.
In glass, age on various woods and use a cloth bung.
In a barrel, make long bungs out of the desired timbers.
Start using it after a couple of months.

Annually:
Check that you have enough vinegar ready for next season's Balsamic addition. Have enough to be able to replace what you have used. Cider vinegar keeps well, so you wouldn't have to make it every year.

Mix cider vinegar with about an equal amount of this season's juice, then slowly reduce by simmering down to half of the volume. Taking twelve hours would be good.
Add it to the container.
If necessary, change the wood, or bung, being careful not to overdo the wood.

In about twelve years we'll know how well this works :D
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Thats great Chris thanks. How do I get the vinegar started? Dont you need a 'mother'?
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Our job is pretty much done when we've finished pressing.

You could just leave the lid off some of your finest hard cider and wait for the fruit flies to inoculate it.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo I've got some Free kiln dried American white oak board about 12 inches wide 15 inches long. It was a cut off due to bark edge showed on end of long board. I can see the bark side of the cut off so I know the other side will be the heart or near it. I read one of your post somewhere about knocking off some of the Alligator char and washing the dust off. My plan was to cut some 6 inch long squares from the heart side. There going to be 3/4 inch square because of the board thickness. Then either bake at 400 per parent site chart http://homedistiller.org/aging" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow in a can with small hole until steam stops or either wrap in tin foil in my oven until steam stops. Tell me what you personally do there. Also the alligator char the outside knock off aligator char rinse and use per your past comments. My questions is the what degrees in oven, what do you use to. Thought about 400 for mix of vinilla and toasty but I havent a clue really and you know what taste best from past trials and error. Also tell me about purpose of knocking off char and your thoughts there. I think you told me before 6 inch piece per quart, 6 months is nice 2 years is ausome. I read about over oaking and dont want to do that. Also is using this kiln dried wood fine to use. Do I soak in water as some do before use. School me plz.

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Re: Apple Brandy

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400 for 2-3 hours, then char the outside over a fire or with a propane torch. I dont really knock the char off. I toss the sticks in a bucket of water as Im charring them. After a soak for a couple hours I rub the sticks together in my hand underwater, 3-4 at a time. It kind of knocks the loose crap off. then toss em in yoru likker.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo wrote:400 for 2-3 hours, then char the outside over a fire or with a propane torch. I dont really knock the char off. I toss the sticks in a bucket of water as Im charring them. After a soak for a couple hours I rub the sticks together in my hand underwater, 3-4 at a time. It kind of knocks the loose crap off. then toss em in yoru likker.
^^ This!

I put them in a cheap aluminum roasting pan with foil over it in the oven. Easy and works a treat.

tp
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by RevSpaminator »

I've used apple wood with UJSSM for a couple of years now and I've had great results. I don't char it as dark as oak. I put in the oven at around 350 for 2 to 4 hours. I know when it is done because it smells like the taste I want to add to my drink.
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Re: Apple Brandy

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Jimbo let me tell you a little about what I've did and give me your thoughts. I cut out four 6 inch heart sticks. I toasted two of them at 400 for 3 hours and they come out a dark brown. Took them out to the grill and charred them with the torch to alligator back on all 4 sides. I dip them in water and rub them around in my hands a little and about 2 inches broke off one and all the way to the middle is charred pretty bad. I figured I over torched them. So I threw the other two in the oven for two and half hours and toasted them up. They come out a lighter brown than the other two. Instead of charring these two with the torch, I soaked all four in some distilled water for 3 hours and tossed in one charred and one toasted at 53% . Its kept in an enviroment that has nice dialy tempature swing. After a few days now I have a slight carmel color and evrything looks great smells a litttle smokey.

These loud smells off the sticks are all new to me. I know in the end game, its all about aging time. I can tastes the changes its allready made and its nice. The toasted sticks smelled so good I wanted it in there. Couldn't see much difference than store bought toasted chips that look the same way. I just really want to know your long term thoughts on it. Should I still only have used the proven charred, or two toasted or all four. Could four over oak half gallon at 53%. Just some thoughts, and again thanks for all your knolledge.

SB
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Re: Apple Brandy

Post by Ghostpepperman »

You can get the EC-1118 at Amazon.com ten pack for 7 or 8 dollars
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