I was fiven 45lb of apples

[newbie1982]

Now what?
I want to ferment and distill it of course. I don't have a press but I do have a really nice restaurant grade processor, I threw a few apples in it and it made apple sauce in short order. Just wondering if this will work and how big of a fermenter I should put it in and how much water and sugar (if any to add I'm not sure what kind of 31sg to expect from the apples

[der wo]

The last time I mashed apples I added 1l water per 10kg apples. No sugar.

[newbie1982]

So this isn't going to make very much

[der wo]

After cuts 350ml pure alcohol per 10kg apples. Single run reflux still.

[der wo]

Of course you can add sugar. As long you have only a small stock of spirits at home, it's ok IMO. It's even ok to use sugar for 18% and turbo yeast IMO. Not those 48h ones. There are better turbo yeasts, simply an alcohol tolerant wine yeast and the needed nutrients for a slow but complete fermentation up to 18%, the Prestige fruit schnapps yeast for example. Back on topic:
Pushing a 6% mash with sugar to 12% will not half the aroma. But it will have noticeable less aroma. So when you come to a point where the amount of product isn't such important anymore, I would stop adding sugar.

[newbie1982]

So this isn't going like I wanted. I have 5 gallons of apple sauce. This stuff is thick I added the 2 liters of water per 10 kg of apples and this stuff still looks like apple paste. All I've ever done is corn washes and one attempt at an all grain. I can't even get a sg reading this stuff is so thick. I need some advice of where to go from here.

[der wo]

Pectolytic enzyme would help a bit. And to mash the apples when overripe. Or to mash only ripe apples and let the other apples ripen a few days longer and add them to the mash later.
You don't need to take a SG reading. If you want to calculate something, google the normal sugar content of apples.
Aerate it and pitch the yeast.

[newbie1982]

So I can't leave well enough alone I split the apple puree between 2 buckets added sugar and water now I have one at 1.084 and the other at 1.090. Why can't I just leave things alone.

[newbie1982]

I'm just going to through some bakers yeast in and see what happens

[cuginosgrizzo]

Eddie, baker yeast is not the best choice for apples, and fruit in general. Most here use a wine yeast, like EC -1118