Sweetening Applejack made from Apfelwein

[Listen_Up_Sonny]

Hi all,

All this talk about applejack has given me the bug to try it.

I have a couple carboys full of apfelwein that I need to clear out for the fall, and I've decided to turn one into applejack. I believe that the dryness of the apfelwein might need to be sweetened to make a pleasant applejack.

I was thinking about adding two cans of AJ concentrate and immediately freezing and concentrating it. If I do this, I think that adding campden is unnecessary because the drink will immediately be concentrated and attenuate any yeast. Is this a correct assumption?

Also, does anybody with experience think I'll get good results? I believe that the apfelwein will need to be sweetened to offset the alcohol, but let me know if you think this is a decent plan.

Also, how important is aging for applejack?
Thanks much

 

[RPowell]

Also, how important is aging for applejack?
Thanks much

I am on my first batch of applejack. I tasted it out of primary and again after 2 weeks of secodary plus a few days of cold crashing before freezing. There was a definite difference to me even after such a short time. Cant wait till after first freeze

 

[MindenMan]

I make apple jack all the time now. What I do, is let the cider ferment until it is just slightly sweet to the taste. Yes, I have a hydrometer, and no, I don't use it when making cider/applejack. You could definitely add aj concentrate. If you have 5 gallon carboys, in my opinion, you will need more than two cans of ajc. Having residual sugar does a couple of things; one is to add apple flavor back, and the other is needed to mellow out the alcohol over time.You can check my other posts about my making applejack, but a year later, what started as "sweetness" became so much more in terms of flavor and mouth feel.