The "dunder" left in a still after an Apple/Pear Brandy run?

[Dolmetscher]

I have been reading a lot on making Rum from molasses and various other cane-based sugars (panela, turbanado, demerara, et cetera). Those recipes say that after you distill the fermented molasses/sugar solution to make a run of Rum, it is important to save the remaining "dunder" liquid that is left in the still to make the next batch of rum. The more times you recycle this dunder, the stronger and more appealing the aroma and flavor becomes.

Now, I am making a batch of apple brandy. I have done this before by using crushed whole apples, unfiltered apple juice, cans of apple juice concentrate, and a small amount of white sugar, just to get the ABV% up. I then distilled and diluted the brandy to 40% (80 proof) and tossed in a few charred oak chips to "age" for 2 years. After two years, the end product was marvelous. I was so pleased. The smell was a beautiful apple aroma. The flavor was unmistakably apple. But... the cost, with all the organic apples, unfiltered apple juice, and apple juice concentrate etc... the whole thing was quite expensive. So, my goal is to try to get the same depth of apple flavor/aroma, but not have to spend $100 per run.

Would reserving and reusing the apple 'dunder' from the still work in the same way for Apple/Pear Brandy as it does for rum? Or is there simply too much organic material in Apple dunder, and it would simply spoil/rot/putrefy, and ruin any future batch(es) of Apple/Pear Brandy?

[LWTCS]

Goose has talked about pouring hot slop from fruit over some rye and sugar,,,,,can't remember exactly...I bet Tater or Dunderhead remembers how it goes?

[rtalbigr]

Would reserving and reusing the apple 'dunder' from the still work in the same way for Apple/Pear Brandy as it does for rum? Or is there simply too much organic material in Apple dunder, and it would simply spoil/rot/putrefy, and ruin any future batch(es) of Apple/Pear Brandy?

An interesting thought. I use backset with virtually all my AG's and aged dunder with my rums, so it seems to me a perfectly reasonable idea to use backset from a fruit must. As I am planning on doing some brandies late next month I would be interested in your results. One thing to consider is that backset is fairly acidic so you need to keep that in mind.

Personally I'm planning on building a thumper just for running brandies and experimenting with different charges in the thumper to see how they affect flavor during my spirit runs.

Big R

[Tater]

Goose has talked about pouring hot slop from fruit over some rye and sugar,,,,,can't remember exactly...I bet Tater or Dunderhead remembers how it goes?

here is thread http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... s#p6930355 Using spent fruit wash makes for a fair sugar head likker .But to my taste its not brandy like. Makes fair stuff for your liquors and kahlua and such.

[Dolmetscher]

I use backset with virtually all my AG's and aged dunder with my rums.
...backset is fairly acidic so you need to keep that in mind.
Personally I'm planning on building a thumper just for running brandies and experimenting with different charges in the thumper to see how they affect flavor during my spirit runs.

Couple of questions...

1. What is an "AG?"
2. What is the difference between "Backset" and Dunder?
3. What does it matter that backset is acidic?

Basically, I have a 5 gallon bucket apple mash sitting in my garage finishing up a long ferment. It has the following in it:
20 lbs of apples (cored and shredded)
3 gallons of unpasteurized apple cider
2 lbs brown sugar
3 lbs powdered sugar (added before I remembered that powdered sugar has corn starch in it... Doh!)
12 fl oz. Orange blossom honey.
5 crushed campden tablets
pectic enzyme
yeast nutrient
1 pouch Wyeast Cider Yeast.

When I take the top off the air-locked bucket to stir the cap down, I can tell that most of the shredded apples have broken down into juice and probably sludge at the bottom of the bucket. I plan to use a grain back or cheese cloth to strain the liquid into a glass carboy soon. I will squeeze the peels and solids, and then I had just planned to toss that stuff into compost, or maybe cook it down into apple butter just to see if it's good or gross.

Then I was going to add more apple cider to the carboy to top it off at 5 Gallons. I imagine I will probably need at least 1-2 gallons once all the peels and solids are gone. Then I was going to let it all rest and settle for at least two weeks before I rack it into the still. My original question was.... After I run this mash through the still to get my first run, there will be 2-3 gallons of the spent apple liquid in the still. THIS is what I was calling "dunder," although, I'm probably misusing that word. I was wondering if I should use that to make my next batch of apple brandy, or just toss it?

Thanks for all the input guys!

[rtalbigr]

Couple of questions...

1. What is an "AG?"
2. What is the difference between "Backset" and Dunder?
3. What does it matter that backset is acidic?

1. All Grain
2. Dunder is what's left in the still from a rum wash, backset is what's left from grains and sugar heads.
3. If it makes the wash/must too acidic it can have a deleterious effect on the yeast.

My original question was.... After I run this mash through the still to get my first run, there will be 2-3 gallons of the spent apple liquid in the still. THIS is what I was calling "dunder," although, I'm probably misusing that word. I was wondering if I should use that to make my next batch of apple brandy, or just toss it?

What you will have left is actually backset. Whether you use it or not is up to you. It can be used for two purposes generally. 1) to lower the pH of the wash/must, & 2) It will add some depth the the final flavor.

Big R