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How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:03 pm
by jayka
Hi All,

Thought I would share my Recipe for Apple pie moonshine https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=81252 with home made apple juice concentrate for those who cant find it to buy.
Basically apple juice concentrate is apple juice with the water removed making it super apple juice.
So when you add it to your liquor it should have a good strong apple flavour.

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:11 pm
by jayka
Step 1. buy some Apple juice as close to 100% as possible.
Juice.jpg

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:12 pm
by jayka
Step 2. Pour it in a jug and freeze.
freezer.jpg

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:14 pm
by jayka
Step 3. Tip Frozen juice out into a strainer and place over top of a bowl.
iceblock.jpg

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:17 pm
by jayka
Step 4. Allow iceblock to melt. the juice should melt first leaving the water behind still frozen. be sure to keep an eye on it because if you let it all melt you have wasted your time and will need to start over.
melting.jpg

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:22 pm
by jayka
Step 5. You now have concentrated Apple juice. It should take like straight unmixed cordial. So when you use it for your moonshine it will still have a reasonable strength apple flavour. I then collect up my concentrate in my now empty apple juice bottle and keep in the freezer until i have the required amount of concentrate. it takes me about 6lt of 100% juice to get 2lt of concentrate.
concentrate.jpg

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:13 pm
by The Baker
Bloody hell.

I never thought of that.

Geoff

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:25 pm
by jayka
Yeh I hunted high and low trying to find it in australia and couldnt get it anywhere. at least not at a reasonable price.
if you use straight applejuice its pretty lacking in flavour once you thin it out 50/50 with liquor. but if its concentrated it just puts it back to where its meant to be.

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 9:50 pm
by Zeotropic
Now for the apple pie recipe.....
I don't actually know what it is and it seems to be fairly popular lately.

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:06 pm
by jayka
Yeh I hadnt actually tried it until now. first saw it on that moonshiners show. I probably wouldnt use corn whiskey again. have found I'm not the hugest fan. would definitely use apple brandy or a neutral next time.

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:20 am
by Deplorable
jayka wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:06 pm Yeh I hadnt actually tried it until now. first saw it on that moonshiners show. I probably wouldnt use corn whiskey again. have found I'm not the hugest fan. would definitely use apple brandy or a neutral next time.
While "Apple pie Moonshine" is a recipe that will mask the harsh bite and flavor of poorly made 'shine when sweetened and spiced, I've found it best when made with NGS. Whiskey, or a "rumsky" such as UJSSM, or KSSF, will require a lot of apple flavor. Try adding your homemade concentrate to a jug of unfiltered apple cider, and brown sugar and mull your spices in that mix. Then after it cools add your alcohol. Then give it time for the flavors to marry in the jug a while. It'll be better, but IMO it's only a novelty drink for passing around a bonfire on a cool fall evening.
YMMV

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 9:34 am
by NZChris
I proofed oaked apple brandy to 40% with freeze jacked apple juice a few years ago. It was four years before I had anything really nice to say about it. I haven’t sampled it for 18 months.

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewto ... =7&t=54938

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:02 pm
by jayka
Deplorable wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:20 am a jug of unfiltered apple cider,
I came across this term a lot when looking at recipe's. In Australia apple cider already alcoholic. I feel like when others mention using it they are referring to something else.

On that. I feel like I should mention my reasoning for making apple pie moonshine was for Christmas presents. I wasn't about to go giving out 20bottles of my good aged whiskey to people who weren't going to appreciate it. And I only run a pot still ATM so I figured it wasn't a bad idea. Kinda christmasy. Next year I will have my reflux so might go for more of a flavoured vodka or something. But done in a similar fashion so it can be drunk neat on ice but still be full of flavour for all the drinkers who aren't so good with subtle flavours.

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:46 pm
by Deplorable
jayka wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:02 pm
Deplorable wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:20 am a jug of unfiltered apple cider,
I came across this term a lot when looking at recipe's. In Australia apple cider already alcoholic. I feel like when others mention using it they are referring to something else.
Gotcha. Up here where the toilet water swirls the other way, alcoholic cider is called "hard cider". :wink:

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 6:57 pm
by jayka
So what is apple cider to you? From picks it looks like an apple juice with pulp

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:09 pm
by GreenEnvy22
Interesting, in the past when I've back sweetened apple cider, I've bought some 100% apple juice at the grocery store and just simmered it for a couple of hours to thicken it up.
Might have to try the freezing route.

Re: How to make apple juice concentrate at home

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:20 pm
by Tabucowboy
In the U.S. this is the difference between apple cider and apple juice.

Apple cider is made from apples that are washed, cut and ground into an "apple mash" similar to applesauce. The mash is then wrapped in cloth and pressed into fresh juice. ... On the other hand, apple juice undergoes filtration to remove pulp and is then pasteurized to extend the shelf life.