Jacking around

Hello,
I know the process of jacking or freeze distillation is somewhat controversial. So I'll speak in hypotheticals.

Suppose I have a batch of cherry cider that I carbed and bottled 11 months ago. It turned out very dry and I don't necessarily enjoy drinking. It's fine I just don't like the bone-dryness of it (it was my third batch of cider).

If I decided to jack it, what is the best way to get rid of carbonation?

Btw- it's delicious in its new form. Perfect amount of sweetness and cherry flavor, but it's still a little bubbly. I want a still cherry jack.
It was the perfect drink on the ski lift the other day.

Here's a tip- use those foil pouch Capri Suns as a disposable, soft flasks.

Freeze concentration is not at all controversial, so don't be concerned about that.

I've never done it, at least not on purpose and not with great results, but others certainly have and can give advice I'm sure.

I've done but not with aged or carbed cider. I did it with month or two old still cider. It's hot after jacking and takes a year to be drinkable. Had some yesterday during the first wildcard game.

Thanks for the info.
What I've done was to pour the cider into a plastic 2 liter and shake the snot out of it to release the carbonation. Then freeze the plastic bottle. I guess I can also just let the finished product sit out uncovered for a bit so the co2 releases. I'm not sure if this will lead to oxidation problems. Maybe if the concentration has a high abv it won't matter.

Ps. I also had a few cherry ales (Papazian recipe) sitting around for about 18 mos. I used sweet cherries instead of sour so it wasn't the best. I'll be pouring one or two of those in w cherry cider before I jack it. It'll be interesting to see what flavors pop out.

Why not poke a small hole or three into the plastic jug and let it release the carbonation while in the freezer?

That's a good idea. I was just concerned that it would oxidize the jacked cider. I'm not sure if the high abv protects from oxidization (or oxidation?). So far, most of the carbonation seems to be disappearing. Either way, it tastes great. So much so that I may do a batch of apple cider just to jack. Great ski lift drink.
Thanks for info.

When I made Jack I never worried about oxidization.

I poured it through a strainer and funnel. I shock the jugs.

Two years later it still tastes great.

As long as the jacked portion doesn't get bottled and aged and then gets opened. In my experience two days is the limit before the aged jack starts to oxidize; even once clear jack starts dropping bitter tasting trub. I have never put an open bottle of jack in the freezer after opening, so I can't comment on that.

Holy cow!!! It taste great! The super dry and tart cherry cider is sweeter and more complex post jacking. After I jacked I left the container holding the jack open and occasionally swirled. Most of the fizz is gone. I am considering doing another batch of cherry cider for the sole purpose of jacking. I may even try to let it age and maybe sit on some oak cubes.

If I do I'll write another post.

Thanks everyone for the info.

So glad I found this thread. I am completely new to home brewing, and decided to start by making a batch of Apple Jack. So far the process has gone pretty good. I am currently in the "thawing" stage (letting the frozen cider drip into a jar).
I have noticed that the Apple Jack looks carbonated? is that normal? Also, Will I need to add something to prevent the Apple Jack from fermenting further after I seal it in the Jar? Thanks guys!!

My process:
1 gallon store bought cider
1/2 pound cane sugar
wine yeast
bentonite
yeast nutrient
2 weeks in primary
racked into secondary after 2 weeks
added finning agent and let sit for 10 days
racked into plastic jug and placed into freezer

Not sure why last reply didn't post.

Basically I was asking if you guys use anything to prevent your jacked cider from fermenting further after you seal it in a jar? I am currently watching my frozen cider drip into a jar and it looks carbonated.....is that okay?.... I am a home brew rookie and literally know nothing.

I have jacked a portion of four batches, so I'm far from being an expert. By looking at your method, it seems that your batch should be all done fermenting but a hydrometer check would be a good idea.
One thing I have noticed is that jacking really intensifies the flavor and partly the sweetness. I can't imagine jacking a sweet or semi sweet cider. For my taste it would be overly sweet, to the point of not being drinkable.

If the alcohol content is higher than what your yeast can tolerate, fermentation cannot happen. If you jack correctly, it is impossible for it to ferment further. Collecting the decanted liquid of your apple jack at -10 ° F gives you 40% abv. Letting it thaw will give you a much lower abv. Hope that helps officer boozer.

Thanks for the info. I finished my Apple Jack yesterday. After two rounds of freezing, I ended up with about 36 Oz from my 1 gallon batch. Taste pretty good to me, and definitely a good amount of booze. For my first time brewing I am pleased. I plan on starting several different 1 gallon batches here soon. I want to change up the yeast, cider, sugar, and fermentation times to find out what works best.

I wish I had made some high octane cider last fall. It's been below zero here the last couple days, good for jacking outdoors. Next year for sure.

If all of you already know this then please forgive me, for those that are really new this may help. If you don't fortify your cider before fermenting you will end up with approximately 5% ABV. This means that of a full 1 gallon jug of hard cider you have 6.4 oz of pure alcohol; the catch is you won't be able to pull (drain) just the alcohol and leave all the water behind. If you have a super cold freezer (colder than -10F) and you leave it in the freezer for something like a week, not just two or three days(I will explain later) the "pure" alcohol will rise to the top giving you the best chance to recover the highest proof liquid from your jug. If you only draw about 12 ounces, you will have something worth bottling and aging; no, it probably won't be 100 proof like we would hope from using simple math, but it will be worth keeping. After you draw off your designated quantity, there will still be alcohol in the ice, not much but there will be some; make spritzers or something else. Or, you could add in a 12oz can of FAJC and set it off to ferment again.
When I start a batch of "jack" cider, I always run the alcohol content as close to 18% as possible to get the best possible yield with the least amount of work on my part. Using a combination of FAJC and sugar will make very tasty applejack; the addition of "extra" FAJC adds a bit more "bite" after concentrating.