Home Distiller

So I've been doing home distillation now for a bit and I have yet to crack the code for flavoring a batch of product. I have a friend who gets what he calls "peach shine" and always let's me have some. The taste is smooth and sweet. The look is cloudy, like someone added a simple syrup to it. ( Not cloudy bc of poor product).
I just ran a batch of apple. Basically apples, sugar and yeast. Plain and simple. The taste is smooth but taste like you expect... alcohol with a hint of apple.

Big question, how can I flavor it after proofing it down and make it taste even better?
I know there is a recipe section but I can't seem to find something on after the run recipes.

Any help is always appreciated.
Thanks to all!!

Plentiful recipes around. You're just looking at it wrong I think.

Check out: Shared recipes
viewforum.php?f=58

Example: Limoncello. (in the stickies at the top of the page)
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=73096


Lately I've been making a lot of maple liquor, I never get to drink any because my friends drink it all lol.

Oh nice. I think trying the limoncello but with apples sounds like a winner.
Any thoughts on cutting up some apples and dropping them in for about a week to steep?

Thanks for the help.

We'll that would be apple pie, very well discussed as it's popular.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=61943

Frosty36 wrote:Oh nice. I think trying the limoncello but with apples sounds like a winner.
Any thoughts on cutting up some apples and dropping them in for about a week to steep?

Thanks for the help.

Hi Frosty. Just an FYI. I’ve soaked a mix or cut up green and red apples in high proof neutral for a week then drained the spirit and added some sugar to the apples to extract syrup that was then added to the spirits. Basically, the panty dropper method but with apples. The stuff smelled absolutely nasty. I did not have the heart to dump it so I labeled the jar “Nasty Apple” and set it aside. I checked on it a month or two later and the nasty smell was gone and the stuff tasted sweet and delicious. I’m telling you this so that if you try it and it turns out nasty, be sure to let it mellow for a while and see what comes of it.

I think it may have been the apple’s skin that caused the nasty smell (just speculation), or possibly the type of apples I used (Granny Smith and I can’t recall the red apple variety). I told myself if I ever do that again I would peal the apples first. Have not done this a second time to know if it helps. I’ve also made apple pie that did not have the same bad smell, but that has a lot of other strong smelling stuff in it that could have covered up some smells.

I had a similar experience with blueberries. After the soak the whole thing smelled terrible. After a few months it lost the bad smell and was a sweet delicious drink. Again, possibly the skin?

I know it was not the spirit. The lemon and raspberry panty droppers I made with the same batch of spirits started off smelling wonderful.

Otis

OtisT wrote:I think it may have been the apple’s skin that caused the nasty smell (just speculation),

Otis I make a lot of apple pie , the recipe I use requires green and red apples cut into quarters, then macerated for a few weeks in the spirit ,I leave the skins on..........no nasty smells or tastes here. For the full recipe hunt around for " Wineo's Apple Pie"

Saltbush Bill wrote:

OtisT wrote:I think it may have been the apple’s skin that caused the nasty smell (just speculation),

Otis I make a lot of apple pie , the recipe I use requires green and red apples cut into quarters, then macerated for a few weeks in the spirit ,I leave the skins on..........no nasty smells or tastes here. For the full recipe hunt around for " Wineo's Apple Pie"

Yep, I hear ya. I have made AP too just a few times, skin on with no bad smells I could detect. I thought I said that in my post. I was not trying to say it smelled like that all the time when I use apple but that sometimes, from my experience and without knowing exactly why myself, apple soaked spirits have turned out bad smells and that if his turns up with a bad smell that he should try waiting it out and not toss it. I’ll try to be more clear next time. Otis

Thanks for that Otis. I'm using gala apples. So far they have given the best flavor out of the apples I used previously. Just curious, do you think that because you used Granny Smiths they could've given off the smell after being in alcohol for a bit? I wonder this just because of the sourness they have from the start. I have enough for a few jars so I think I'll do some peeled and some skin on just to see. I more so want to increase the apple flavor and then turn it into apple pie. The proof on this one turned out lower than expected so I can't cut it too much. Damn bread yeast. Wonder if a champagne yeast would be better.

Anyways thanks for everything. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Frosty36 wrote:...The proof on this one turned out lower than expected so I can't cut it too much. Damn bread yeast. Wonder if a champagne yeast would be better...

Run it again.

If you want a higher proof offstill, then another distillation will get you there. Trying to increase the sugar content in the ferment and squeezing out a higher proof offstill usually results in more off flavors and deeper cuts. So you get less quality product. Don’t fall into the “rookie mentality”... just run it again if you want a higher proof.

And be advised too that it will be cleaner, with less flavor when you do. But then again...that’s exactly what a higher purity will do for you.
ss

p.s. - Bakers yeast is good for cereal grain ferments and rums, while wine yeast and champagne yeast is good for fruit ferments. So, consider that when choosing the ingredients.

still_stirrin wrote: p.s. - Bakers yeast is good for cereal grain ferments and rums, while wine yeast and champagne yeast is good for fruit ferments. So, consider that when choosing the ingredients.

So just run what I have back through the still? Add anything or just put in what I have? Still making cuts as usual?

Not worried about losing what little apple flavor I have if it comes out higher proof.

By cereal grain you mean corn, wheat, barley..things like that?