apple jack

[jonbomb]

I was refered to this thread from an original one that I made. Here is my question. I was thinking of making a hard apple cider then jacking it. I was told that this technicaly is not apple jack.

I was told apple jack is more of a brandy...but I feel like thats not the traditional way it was made. I feel like in colonial times instead of it being 40- 50% alcohol it was like 10-20 or even 30 percent.

Now, with that stated. I want to make apple jack the traditional way. Hard apple cider freeze destill it a bunch in order to get a more flavorful higher content cider. What are the steps?? I was thinking of making my own apple cider with a press . Make it fresh.... but someone also told me I can make it with apple cider out of the bottle. What way is better for this process...

I read the post about freezing the cider then drilling a hole in the ice and draining the rest out into another container and repeating that process.

 

[truckjohn]

If you want to try it out, just try it out.... You are *Way* over thinking the whole thing.... Freeze cider in a bowl. When ice crystals start forming on the top -- scoop them out with a kitchen strainer. Repeat as needed to make you happy...

Read the comments about "Headache juice" very carefully -- Apples tend to produce a little Methanol because of the Pectin breaking down into Pectic acid and Methanol -- It's not from the yeast fermenting it.... It's a totally natural thing when the pectin breaks down -- and yes.... fresh pressed sweet non-alcoholic cider actually contains a little methanol because of this.... Apples are just naturally quite high in Pectin...

When you freeze concentrate it -- you concentrate this small amount of methanol into a larger amount of methanol.... and you get headache juice....

The big industrial processing houses use a whole series of treatments to filter out the Methanol so it doesn't stay in the concentrate....

Thanks

John

 

[jonbomb]

Alright so I will keep it simple.

 

[jamesjensen1068]

Jonbomb, So did you make some Apple Jack? If so how did it turn out?

Cheers

 

[mikefox]

If you pasteurize the must before fermenting(like most do with their ciders) you should destroy the pectolase (pectic enzyme) wich breakes down Pectin into Pectic acid and Methanol,thus the rezulting ferment should mostly contain ethanol.
Also fermenting at a temp. in the lower limit of the yeasts tolerance range should prevent it from fermenting fusels(higher-order alcohols),because at temperatures above 80°F, yeast can produce too much of the higher weight fusel alcohols which have lower taste thresholds than ethanol.
And about the legal issues FRACTIONAL FREEZING is a process to separate two liquids with different melting points which technically is legal because its a form of CONCENTRATION,while DISTILLATION is a process which separates two liquids with different boiling points, so there is a big difference between CONCENTRATION and DISTILLATION.
Also even if distillation is ilegal its still ok to talk about it.

 

[CampFireWine]

If I remember right from the last time i looked it up, you can get 30% ABV if you freeze it to -30F. Some ice cream freezers will go to -20F which can get you 20% ABV.

I got the crazy idea of freezing with dry ice to get (50%?) ABV but I never done it because the 20% I make now, without concentrating, is the upper limit of what I can drink.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Also even if distillation is ilegal its still ok to talk about it.

Not on this forum.

 

[Inkdrop]

OK. There are hundreds of threads on apple jack, and none of them seem to have a step by step with a recipe that actually tastes good. I keep reading threads that say "tastes harsh", but someone always seems to have a friend who made it and it tested great. Is there anyone on here who actually makes applejack, and it actually is good quality. If so, could you please chime in and let us know your process, I would really like to try this.

 

[MindenMan]

I have made many batches of hard cider, and over half of them were freeze concentrated. ( hereafter referred to as AJ) Do not be fooled, AJ is deceptively strong. You can look at some of my prior posts here if you need more info. Fermentation diminishes the apple flavor or at least to me it does. I stopped fooling around with different recipes using different sugars, because all it did was make high alcohol crappy tasting hooch, in my opinion. I get the best cider for the money I can, not using any reconstituted juice off the shelf when I can.
If you start out using 2 liter bottles like I did, if something goes wrong, no great loss. Back to my point, I use this method: pour 1 can FAJC, into a 2 liter bottle, and top off with store bought juice/cider. If I remember correctly, the O.G. is somewhere in the 1.080's. Add your yeast of choice, I use ESB 1968 as it doesn't ferment to completely dry. My freezer, in the beginning, was set to 10* F and I would freeze the bottles for 2 days, and then turn them upside down into a glass/tumbler and I would taste at different points during collection. The first couple of ounces are super high ABV, and as the color bleeds from the ice, so does the alcohol ABV. Let's say the S.G. of the cider is 10% ABV, that would mean that 6.5 oz of 200 proof alcohol is in there. But I digress, you could freeze and refreeze, etc. but it's not likely you'll get anywhere close to 200 proof by this method. The reason I use FAJC in my cider does two things: 1) it helps with the final flavor, and 2) there is enough residual sugar to take the alcohol edge off of the AJ. Think of schnapps, definite alcohol presence with a smooth, kind of sweet flavor to sip on.

 

[RukusDM]

I cant imagine any ATF agent wanting to waste his time on a guy Jacking a few gallons of cider even if it was illegal.

Hell even if you happened to raise its temperature and had come clear liquid end up in a glass I cant imagine him wanting to waste his time even though it is illegal.

 

[Kdog22]

OK. There are hundreds of threads on apple jack, and none of them seem to have a step by step with a recipe that actually tastes good. I keep reading threads that say "tastes harsh", but someone always seems to have a friend who made it and it tested great. Is there anyone on here who actually makes applejack, and it actually is good quality. If so, could you please chime in and let us know your process, I would really like to try this.

My first try actually came out delicious..

I made a gallon of apple wine using 3 cans of apple juice concentrate, a cup and a half of sugar and water to top off to 1 gallon. Fermented with Premier cuvee yeast. Bulk aged to 7 months. Right at 7 months is when the hot alcohol flavor had mellowed considerably and the apple flavor had come out more. I backsweetened it with most of a can of apple juice concentrate. I mention that because the product I concentrated tasted good as is. I think it's key to have a good tasting product to start with before you concentrate it. All those flavors good or bad get concentrated.

I poured out a healthy glass from the gallon water jug to make room for expansion when freezing, drank the glass, then threw it in the freezer. The resulting 1/3 of what I started with was awesome! It was strong but fairly smooth. Lots of apple flavor. I dissapeared entirely the next weekend.

 

[Rambunctious]

I have done this with my hard cider and went so far as to jack" freeze and separate" the Jack twice more. Got it to the point it would no longer freeze just slush. Est 60 proof. Very sweet apple taste and hot alcohol. I had produced 5L. It was actually not a bad after dinner sipper. Like a fine cognac. Flavor did not change over the 11 mos. I consumed this. Recommend be sure to ferment your starting cider absolutely dry as any left over hint of sweet multiplies as does the alcohol. Gently warmed with a cinnamon stick was like sipping warm apple pie. Would have made a great mini ice cream topping or float...... Got to go start me a batch of hard cider just read what I typed.

 

[MarkKF]

I have done this with my hard cider and went so far as to jack" freeze and separate" the Jack twice more. Got it to the point it would no longer freeze just slush. Est 60%a.b.v.

What was your starting ABV and how much did it get reduced? Cuz I started with 7-8% and reduced 5 g. to about 1.75 g. I estimate 20%. I can't imagine 60!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Est 60%a.b.v.

At 60%, it should light on fire. You sure you don't mean 60 proof (30% ABV), which would still be VERY strong for a jack?

 

[Rambunctious]

I think you are right what I had ment was 60 proof. These are of course only estimates. But I can say it would no longer freeze to the point I could strain off any more ice.

 

[Rambunctious]

I have 6-16 oz bottles of hard cider left. Guess I will jack , jack and jack the jack, then a trip to the brew store for an alcohlometer," good excuse for the trip", and we will see what I get. The hard cider was 8%ABV. good stuff but jacked , jacked jack was good too.
I accuracy will be compromised due to residual sugars and low content, but WTH. 6 gal of ginger beer ready to bottle.

 

[MarkKF]

I have 5 gal of Strawberry cider still in a car boy. Painfully dry! Tempted to jack it but not sure I was to give up all that cider. Wonder if the flavor would get lost in the discarded ice.

 

[Rambunctious]

I have 5 gal of Strawberry cider still in a car boy. Painfully dry! Tempted to jack it but not sure I was to give up all that cider. Wonder if the flavor would get lost in the discarded ice.

Take off 2 qts and try it. If it is ok do the rest.

 

[TimBrew_]

I'm definitely going to try to make this one of these days. Think I read enough posts around here that I can do it lol.

 

[Kdog22]

I have 5 gal of Strawberry cider still in a car boy. Painfully dry! Tempted to jack it but not sure I was to give up all that cider. Wonder if the flavor would get lost in the discarded ice.

In my experience so far, the flavor should not get lost in the ice. Literally all that's left behind is water in the form of ice. You can even see the color drain from the block of ice left behind. The alcohol and associated flavores drip out and therefore concentrating all of the flavors. Fruit flavor and alcohol flavor are both enhanced in this process.

 

[Schott703]

Dies anybody know if in the freezing process cloudy goes away to? Or will the apple jack product be cloudy as well

 

[Rambunctious]

Some will but color will get deeper, darker hue, flavors intensify as well as A.B.V.

 

[Setesh]

I'm reporting back on my apple jack experience.

I had a 6 gallon carboy full of cider sitting in the corner of my room for 8 months now because it turns out I don't like cider and neither does SWMBO. After finding out about apple jack here I tried a test batch in a 6 cup rubbermade container, and it was easy to do. I froze it then put the whole thing upside down in a colander over a bowl. The apple brandy that I collected was interesting enough that I gave it a whirl with the rest.

I put the rest in a 5 gallon bucket and put it in the deep freeze, cranked the temp setting to the coldest option and by morning I had ice....lots of ice:


This first removal of ice cut the volume in half:


Back in the freezer it went. The next time cut the volume in half again. I did this 6 times. The last time I had only a tiny amount remaining in the bottom of the bucket, and no more ice would form, not even after leaving it overnight at the coldest setting, which turned out to be -23F. I bottled it in a 750 swing top and a 750 Jim Beam bottle:


A little more than 5 gallons of hard cider turned into 1.5 liters of apple jack. This stuff is extremely potent though. Turning the freezer down to the lowest setting may have been a mistake as I'm guessing this stuff is at least 60 proof.

It was a neat experiment, but I won't ever do it again. It was a lot of work and I'm not crazy about the end product. At least I have my 6 gallon carboy back in action though.

 

[Rambunctious]

Drop in a cinnamon stick for a couple mos. Come cool Oct. weather sip it like a fine brandy. Yum.


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[Setesh]

Drop in a cinnamon stick for a couple mos. Come cool Oct. weather sip it like a fine brandy. Yum.


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That's a good idea, I'll check the cabinet and see what I have. I wonder if mulling spices would work?

 

[Setesh]

Turns out we don't have cinnamon sticks, but I did have mulling spices. I poured some applejack on top of the spices in a small container. I'll let that steep for a while and see what comes of it.

 

[Schott703]

1 can of AJ concentrate in 1 gallon of finished Jack, add a 1/4 to 1/2 cinnamon stick to each quart. 1 month later it's awesome and smooth

 

[Schott703]

1 can of AJ concentrate in 1 gallon of finished Jack, add a 1/4 to 1/2 cinnamon stick to each quart. 1 month later it's awesome and smooth

 

[manderson706]

I made some recently and I back sweeten to taste with apple concentrate. My friends and I loved it. I froze the cider in plastic oj bottles and then flipped them upside down in mason jars until the ice in bottle was white and then repeated multiple times .. took too long though .. happy brewing

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[DirtyOTG]

I just mad a 1 gallon test batch using Motts apple juice, 2 lbs of honey and EC1118. The taste was great, turns out I prefer the taste of honey rather than the brown sugar I usually use. The only problem is that even after cold crashing for 48 hours and the freezing process, it still turned out pretty cloudy. I didn't bother using any finings as every other batch of Jack I've made turned out crystal clear. Any suggestions as to why it's still cloudy and if there is any way to clear it up?

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