new guy questions

First off,Im new to the website,and new to any kind of brewing or bottling.I'm sorry if this is posted in the wrong area. I make applepie shots for camping and partying,and was wanting to seal the jars or can them,because I make 3 gallons at a time.Ive also been told the longer it sits,the better it gets,as well as more potent.Im using half gallon mason jars,and wondering what the proper method is.I know alcohal boils off way faster than water,and im scared to ruin the batch.Any suggestions or methods would be greatly appreciated,and thanks in advance.
Here is the recipe if it helps out:1 gallon apple juice,1 gallon apple cider,1 bottle everclear grain alcohol(fifth)4 cups sugar,7 cinnamon sticks.Boil everything except everclear for half an hour,let chill overnight,add everclear with stick of cinnamon in each bottle.Tastes like applepie,but will put in the dirt.

A friend of mine makes this every year for our annual ski trip. He makes 3 gallons of it also and it tastes great. This year, we ended up only drinking a gallon of it and the rest sat for 2 months in a 3 gallon bucket until we had a get together to finish off all the leftover beer. It definately seemed a bit strong, but I think it's impossible for alcohol to get "more potent" without distilling it further.

As far as your jars go. I'm no help there. My mother cans fruits and pickles, so I'll call her tomorrow and see what I can figure out if no one has helped you by then.

I guess Im more concerned with it going bad in the fridge.Any ideas on how long something like this would last in the fridge?

I would assume it will last a good amount of time in the fridge. Nothing in that combo is going to go bad over time. The cinnamon might turn to dust, but other than that you should be fine.

The alcohol content should be high enough that you don't have to can or refrigerate. I mean, we bottle beer with only 5% ABV and we don't refrigerate that, and I make wine and put it in wine bottles and keep it for years. True, we use sanitized equipment and for my wine I use antioxidant but it's not really that important for keeping wines short term.

Sanitize your jars/bottles/whatever with a very diluted bleach solution (and rinse very well), or bake them at 350 for an hour and let cool in the oven, or use "sanitize" on the dishwasher, etc. That's it. No need to worry about it if you use a container that's sanitized and kept close.

I use small beer type bottles to package my apple pie. I don't refrigerate them, just cap them like beer. At 30 to 40% alcohol, there is not much issue with them going "bad". The bottles I have are going on 7 months sitting at room temperature and they are still favorites at parties.

Thanks for all of the advise. I cleaned the bottles with anti bacterial soap,and then boiled them.I used half gallon mason jars and filled them to the brim to keep as much air out as possible. I boiled the flat part of the lid for a few minutes,and then put them on the jars as tight as possible.It seems like it worked,because of the sound it makes when you open it.Thanks again

I might be worried about the alcohol eating away the rubber seal on the mason jars but I'm sure it's not that big of a deal as long as the jars stay upright.

I let a local bar owner sample my apple pie this weekend. He liked it so much,he decided he wants to start buying 3 gallons a week from me!We negotiated the price and came up with $30 per gallon.I'm pumped!

Makes no sense why he'd buy it from you. The recipe is nothing new and can be found all over the net. I'm just wondering why he'd pay you when he can make it himself and sell it for $4 a shot. I guess if he's willing to pay you...more power to ya.

Watch your arse - Uncle Sam doesn't like it when he doesn't get his cut

BTW, I LOVE apple pie