maceracting and alcohol content

[Shovelhead89]

I'm trying out several different applied pie recipes, some that involve maceracting apples for a week and straining and some that don't. To make a fair comparison on recipes I'd like there to be equal alcohol content in each batch. Any idea how much alcohol an apple would suck up per 250 ml of pure (95%) ethanol? If it sucks up 100 ml of alcohol it will take the abv down so much that it's no longer a fair comparison for tasting purposes. How do distillers that macerate calculate their finished abv?

[still_stirrin]

I wouldn't macerate at 95%ABV. Temper to 40-45%ABV and then macerate. At that high of proof (95%ABV) you'll extract different flavors out of your fruit, especially the apple skins.

As far as final drinking proof, you simply calculate the %ABV considering juice or simple syrup volumes added. There's a calculator on the parent site for that.
ss

[Shovelhead89]

Thanks for the tip on the proof I'll make sure to knock it down as much as possible next time.

I get that but when I made my pineapple shine and bit into one of the chunks in the jar I realized they soaked up alot of ethanol, therefore decreasing the abv. (They sponged up some of the ethanol therefor it was no longer in the liquid but removed from the beverage when the pineapple chunks were removed)

[Monkeyman88]

The ABV would have stayed pretty much the same. I doubt the pineapple was picky and absorbed only the ethanol. It would have been soaked with the same ABV is was sitting in.

[Shovelhead89]

The ABV would have stayed pretty much the same. I doubt the pineapple was picky and absorbed only the ethanol. It would have been soaked with the same ABV is was sitting in.

Ok I guess that was my question. It's just that they were like biting into a cube of pure ethanol.

[Copper Thumper]

The ABV would have stayed pretty much the same. I doubt the pineapple was picky and absorbed only the ethanol. It would have been soaked with the same ABV is was sitting in.

+1

[moosemilk]

The ABV would have stayed pretty much the same. I doubt the pineapple was picky and absorbed only the ethanol. It would have been soaked with the same ABV is was sitting in.

Ok I guess that was my question. It's just that they were like biting into a cube of pure ethanol.

If you put them into 95% abv, then it would be like biting into a cube of pure ethanol.

[Shovelhead89]

The pineapple was 35

[Oldvine Zin]

The pineapple was 35

A lesson that I just learned is figure out the water content of the fruit, that is your alcohol dilution factor to input into the calc. Your pineapple was prob at the original abv minus whatever dilution it caused.

But don't just take my word for it, I'm new to this and still learning

[NZChris]

A lesson that I just learned is figure out the water content of the fruit, that is your alcohol dilution factor to input into the calc. Your pineapple was prob at the original abv minus whatever dilution it caused.

But don't just take my word for it, I'm new to this and still learning

That works. You (should) already know how much alcohol is in the base likker. Do some homework to find out how much water is in the fruit, do the calculation, then, as long as you are not in a hurry, the alcohol % will equalize throughout the maceration.

[bearriver]

I wouldn't macerate at 95%ABV. Temper to 40-45%ABV and then macerate. At that high of proof (95%ABV) you'll extract different flavors out of your fruit, especially the apple skins.
Ss

+1 As been my experience with it.