How does one go about making Applejack?

[felix]

TH, you would be best off getting access to a commercial cider mill. Speed of crushing and pouring are critical for that fresh taste found in a good light wine type, which a good alcoholic cider should be. The "Tippen" varieties have a fair amount tannic acid to make a longer lasting than usual white wine. If none around, include a few ripe persimmons per gallon (puckery taste is the tannin). Crab apples have a good amount of tannin also, like Bruce said. ... felix

[BABore]

BAB,

That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I needed to get an idea of the process and some of the gear that's involved. Will start searching around for books to learn the ins and outs. Might as well buy the right gear to do it correctly, and learn the complete process the right way. We have a bunch of apple trees around here and if you know where to look many more that grow wild. Not too sure of the type of apples they are since most of them are much older than I am. Will have to do some research into that as well.

Going to make an apple press soon just to juice some of the apples. Way too many apples to do anything else with. I'm already tired of canning. Maybe by this time next year I'll be ready to make a brew with it.

I live in a small community that won't have any brewing clubs. Boise is 4 hours South and I have a trip planned there in a couple of weeks. I'll call Brew Con and see if they're open on the Saturday I'll be near. Maybe I can stop in and yak with them for a while, pick up a couple of books.

I'll start working on my knowledgebase and perhaps I can ask questions of you regarding the process now and again.

Thanks!

TH

Sounds like a smart plan. Give me a shout anytime if you wish to discuss things. I went through the homebrew clubs listed on the AHA. Not a single one in Idaho. You can probably Google search up a few forums in short order. Most beer guys will dabble in cider and meade's. The wine guy's, well they're alot like trap shooters at some clubs when you show up with a Mossberg and hunting loads.

[felix]

Agree'd. Wine folks are the [edit] of the fermentation trade. You have to ignore that personality trait and concentrate on the facts they proport/propose. Most are correct, but must be taken in context of their backgrounds. Like some gun nuts we all know. ... felix

[BABore]

Gee Felix, tell us how you really feel.

I was going to say snooty, but decided on an analogly most would recognize.

You are correct, none the less. Most are very knowledgeable. Just don't tell them you want to make cider or country wine. Tell them you want to make a good chard, gwertz, or baco. Same princples apply.

Also, avoid the Italians. They'll have you stompin the apples with some mustached, fat broad and using olive oil for a fermentation lock. You ever taste grappa? The wops around here freeze their crappy wine and call it smash?

[leadeye]

I got started with a starter kit for my birthday and made 5 gallons of wine from frozen fruit juice. Jack Keller's website helped a great deal. Paw Paws are about ready for harvest so I am making my second batch of that wine in about a week.

I don't think you can legally distill spirits in the US for any reason.

[smokemjoe]

Smash up 60 lbs. apples,Add 19 lbs. sugar,9 teaspoons of yeast nutrient, 2 tablespoons Acid Blend,1and 1/2 teaspoon Pectic Enzme, 8 gallons water,and 1/2 teaspoon Metabisulphite or 9 camden tables, This kills all the bad yeast off so it will not make vingar, Let stand 48 hrs. Then add 2 packets of Lalvin EC1118 yeast ,This is your good yeast cells., Let work for 10-11 days, strain off and put in carboy jugs, strain off again in 3 month and let sit for 6 months, Rack and bottle, 10 -12 %, I used mackintose apples, Joe

[223tenx]

J haven't bought from them in a while, but E.C.Kraus used to have the best prices on wine/beer making equip.

[Triggerhappy]

Smokemjoe,

Thanks for the post. Simplicity is always welcome.

223tenx,

Will check them out.


Still an ongoing project. Working on an apple press and rounding up some of the required hardware. Have to get these apples out of the tree, freezing at night here now. The full blown applejack project may have to wait until next year when I can be more ready.

TH

[Wayne Smith]

Distilling is an absolute no-no!! Make no mistake about it, revenooners are real and hard at work. Federal crime, too. You need licenses and to pay taxes and who knows what else to get away with distilling. Bad enough that it needs to be a full time business to make it worth while.

Beer and wine are different, there you have the 200gal./yr limit and for personal use only, no sale. Sharing and trading are probably looked upon as within the law, but I'm not sure.

[smokemjoe]

How long do you leave the apple sauce that has settled in the bottom of the car- boys now.Got 3- 6 gallons cboys like that now, I added some stuff from the wine house to clear it up,, Thanks- JOe

[Triggerhappy]

Wayne,

Thanks for the insight. I'll only be making apple and pear wine. I don't cross the line, ever. If concentrating the wine isn't legal we'll simply be drinking wine.

A friend gave me a bottle of home made plum wine last week as a thank you for something I helped him out with. Was quite good. Saving the rest of the bottle for the holidays. He had also made some cherry wine but I didn't get the chance to try it.

Most of the apples froze on the trees and were lost to the deer, elk and turkeys. Guess I'll hope for a good year of apples next year. In the mean time I'll work on an apple press for apple juice and wine making.

Has anyone ever seen a wine press that uses a lever and weight rather than a jack screw? Was thinking one day while canning that it would be less work if a person didn't have to keep cranking the press to maintain pressure on the apple pulp. Was thinking that a lever that pushed down on the piston (fulcrum) would be a better idea. Simply add apples and set the weight on them. As they squashed the weight would stay constant and not require attention. More weight could be added to the end of the handle until it's right. Comments - ideas?

I'd bet that pear wine would be great. Anybody tried some?

Thanks TH.

[223tenx]

There used to be an old guy semi-locally that sold beer/wine making supplies out of his basement. His wife liked sweet wines and that's all he made. All his wine had bananas in it too. It added mouth feel or body to the finished wine except in his case all his wine tasted like sweet banana wine regardless what it was made from. Kinda yucky, but I spent many Friday evening at his place drinking that yucky banana wine then driving 40 miles home. (good ole days)

[smokemjoe]

I made 8 Gallons, Its done working and racked it, so far got 6 gallons clear wine, with a vine o meter it test at 14 per cent, Its very dry and has the mactintosh apple tast. Still got 8 gallons of mash to settle out, I will sweeten the wine later.