2021 55 gallons of Slivovitz

[NZChris]

From 50 gallons at 7%, I'd be lucky if I got a quality heart cut much over 5 gallons.

Maybe you should have pitched your desired yeast at the beginning instead of letting of letting wild yeast and bacteria get a head start?

[CikCikCikPogodi]

signal-2021-09-28-080447.jpgI did not use the seeds because I believe it would sit on the bottom of the pot and burn.

When I put lots of skin and pulp in the pot the alcohol increased by 25% or more.

The juice with no pulp gave me much less.

From 50 gallons of 7% wine and collecting down to 10% I got 9 gallons total.

If I cooked the seeds I think I would have 10 gallons.

I would like to bottle 6 or 7 gallons at 45% alcohol. I will cook it again in 2 weeks.

I am very angry that this barrel did not got to 10% wine. Something slowed the k1-v1116 yeast.

My plums are just starting to ferment in barrel. Now I need to stir it everyday until everything collapses.

Seeds never stick for me. It's only if it's left for too long.

[Slivovitz]

[/quote]
My plums are just starting to ferment in barrel. Now I need to stir it everyday until everything collapses.

Seeds never stick for me. It's only if it's left for too long.
[/quote]

Please explain how you mix your fruit. I put all of the fruit in together and then let it sit for five or six days until it is soft enough to mix into juice. Then one day after the first mixing, stir and mix that again so it is more liquid.

Do you use wild yeast on the fruit or do you add yeast? If you add yeast what type is it?

When you cook it what do you do to keep the seeds from sitting on the bottom and burning?

[Slivovitz]

Maybe you should have pitched your desired yeast at the beginning instead of letting of letting wild yeast and bacteria get a head start?

I believe the problem we had last year as well as this year is that there is too much fruit jam and not enough fruit juice. After mixing the fruit a very thick cap forms on top which does not ferment completely.

Also when using sugar and fruit I take 3 gallons of sugar and fruit water and for the yeast in that for six or eight hours before I put it into the barrel. This gives me a very strong Yeast Starter.

When I use fruit only and no added sugar I took the yeast put it in the warm water allowed it to rehydrate then added it to the barrel. It's possible that the yeast did not multiply as much as they could if I gave it some juice before putting it in the barrel.

[Ben]

Could the jam be broken down with pectic enzyme?

[NZChris]

I believe the problem we had last year as well as this year is that there is too much fruit jam and not enough fruit juice. After mixing the fruit a very thick cap forms on top which does not ferment completely.

I did one of those this year. I'd given away the last of my pectinase just before I was given 170kg of Kiwifruit. Trod them wearing gumboots. There wasn't much juice at all, just pulp. It formed a huge thick cap that had to be pushed at least once day for six days. EC 1118 pitched at the start and the temperature controlled by the amount of lagging around the fermenter. It had fermented out by day 10 and was pressed and run on day 12.

[Slivovitz]

I added a large amount of pectic enzyme and it definitely helped with converting a lot to juice. The problem is the cap was so thick that it never fermented properly. It was not pushed down after the fourth day.

I believe adding the yeast after the wild ferment began was not a bad thing but unfortunately it also exposed the entire Barrel to lots of oxygen which gave a little bit of vinegar bacteria a chance to start growing.


I used k1-v1116 which is very good for what I was doing.

Investing $500 in plums this year and getting 7% wine instead of 10% wine is a very expensive problem. With 400 lb of fruit we are talking a difference of 1or2 gallons likker at the end.

We will do the second distillation in 10 days. We will determine how successful this year was at that point.

Using stone fruit like peaches plums apricots going forward I will always use pectic enzyme. It doesn't harm the flavor it doesn't harm the yeast but it definitely gets a lot more juice from the fruit.

My family in Hungary uses pectic enzyme every time they do fruit likker.

[CoogeeBoy]

On pectinase or pectic enzymes, anyone know if this occurs naturally or can be made at home? Presumably from high pectin fruits such as apples or citrus

[The Baker]

A lot of wine was made in my area in the old days, often in big, open concrete fermenters.
The cap was regularly pressed down (I don't know but I think at least once a day) to keep it moist and so that the goodies in it fermented.

Geoff

[Oatmeal]

Investing $500 in plums this year and getting 7% wine instead of 10% wine is a very expensive problem.

I have a bit of old wine I made years back to try distilling some brandy from, but no fruit ferments for the foreseeable future.

Enjoy reading about fruit adventures!

Anyway, there's a collective here that harvests fruit from peoples trees who can't cope with all the fruit. Maybe your are has something similar. You might be able to find some less expensive sources fruit.

My life goals include owning an orchard someday...strictly as a gentleman farmer, of course.

[NormandieStill]

On pectinase or pectic enzymes, anyone know if this occurs naturally or can be made at home? Presumably from high pectin fruits such as apples or citrus

They occur naturally but more in bacteria and (possibly) yeast. But a bag of the stuff from a homebrew shop costs peanuts and goes a long way.

[Slivovitz]

Where I live even Farmers Market fruit is expensive. Generally the same price as the grocery store. Unfortunately having a high-income community who likes to pretend they live like common people and it drives up the prices.


I now have a direct line to several Orchard owners which it's me fruit at $1 or $1.25 per pound. That is considered wholesale price when you do fruit one barrel at a time it's still expensive.

Wild plums grow everywhere but you need to keep a Barrel near the trees so you can throw it in as it's harvested. I just don't trust people will not do something to my barrel of fruit.

[The Baker]

Wild plums grow everywhere but you need to keep a Barrel near the trees so you can throw it in as it's harvested.

Sit the barrel in the back of a ute (you know, one of those truck things with a tray)
or in a trailer??

You won't have to lift it when it's full, either.

Geoff

[Ben]

On pectinase or pectic enzymes, anyone know if this occurs naturally or can be made at home? Presumably from high pectin fruits such as apples or citrus

I can't site the source but I remember reading it is produced from a cultivated fungus. It does occur in fruits like grapes, but not enough to counter the pectin that is already in the fruit (IE grape jelly)

[CoogeeBoy]

On pectinase or pectic enzymes, anyone know if this occurs naturally or can be made at home? Presumably from high pectin fruits such as apples or citrus

I can't site the source but I remember reading it is produced from a cultivated fungus. It does occur in fruits like grapes, but not enough to counter the pectin that is already in the fruit (IE grape jelly)

Thanks Ben

[Slivovitz]

150 proof, 75%!

Huzzah!

The second distillation is complete.

I ran 45 gallons total, 10 gallons each time. 16 hours start to finish!

I cooked with pulp with some stones. I regret not leaving all the stones in. I lost lots of alcohol leaving stones and pulp in a bowl.

I collected each 10 gallon pot to 12%. I got 9 gallons after the first distillation.

3 weeks later I did the second distillation of 9 gallons.
The first 250 milliliters was 75%!

I used 12 jars to collect the strong heads and beginning of the heart cut. I used a 1 gallon glass jug to collect the heart. The heart cut averaged 60% and the heads averaged 70%! The last of the run was collected down to 30% in 6 more jars.

I was unable to stay awake until 01:30 cooking so a friend helped complete the second distillation.

The taste was good even at 60%. I will make the blend and final proofing to 45%. Total collection on second run was 3.25 gallons average 65%.

Beautiful crystal clear slivovitz!

More information to share when I blend it for deinking.

9 gallons after first distillation

[CoogeeBoy]

20211023_182907.jpgHuzzah!

The second distillation is complete.
.........

More information to share when I blend it for deinking.signal-2021-09-28-080447.jpg

Forget the information, I want some for myself!

Great result and thank you for your post Mr (or Ms) Slivovitz.

[samwell]

20211023_182907.jpgHuzzah!

The second distillation is complete.

I ran 45 gallons total, 10 gallons each time. 16 hours start to finish!

I cooked with pulp with some stones. I regret not leaving all the stones in. I lost lots of alcohol leaving stones and pulp in a bowl.

I collected each 10 gallon pot to 12%. I got 9 gallons after the first distillation.

3 weeks later I did the second distillation of 9 gallons.
The first 250 milliliters was 75%!

I used 12 jars to collect the strong heads and beginning of the heart cut. I used a 1 gallon glass jug to collect the heart. The heart cut averaged 60% and the heads averaged 70%! The last of the run was collected down to 30% in 6 more jars.

I was unable to stay awake until 01:30 cooking so a friend helped complete the second distillation.

The taste was good even at 60%. I will make the blend and final proofing to 45%. Total collection on second run was 3.25 gallons average 65%.

Beautiful crystal clear slivovitz!

More information to share when I blend it for deinking.signal-2021-09-28-080447.jpg

Hey Slivovitz,
How was the finished product after dilluting to 45%? Did you do another Slivovitz run this year?
Cheers.