I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong, intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot of
the water out? TIA.

Rob

I don't really know much about freeze distilling. But I know a friend of
mine tried this with his freezer and homemade cider. He froze and drained
off the liquid, and repeated. He said it tasted good but was a ticket to
headache city. My guess is fusel alcohols, but im no expert. I'm not sure
how you would be sure to avoid this problem.

john

Vic Whirlwind wrote in message ...
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong,
intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot of
the water out? TIA.

Rob

Vic, you may want to ask in Rec.Crafts.Distilling. They seem to be
knowledgeable on this procedure.

Brian


Vic Whirlwind wrote:
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong, intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot of
the water out? TIA.

Rob

I am just getting into all of this, but I will look into it, for sure.
Thanks.

"John Misrahi" wrote in message
...
I don't really know much about freeze distilling. But I know a friend of
mine tried this with his freezer and homemade cider. He froze and drained
off the liquid, and repeated. He said it tasted good but was a ticket to
headache city. My guess is fusel alcohols, but im no expert. I'm not sure
how you would be sure to avoid this problem.

john

Vic Whirlwind wrote in message ...
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong,
intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot of
the water out? TIA.

Rob

In those lands north of most of us, you can leave the bottle of wine
in the trunk of the car and the cold will drive off about half of the
volume.

If you set your freezer for max. cold and wait several days for each
container to freeze, the ice crystals are bigger and can be separated
without melting. I used a sanitized stainless strainer over a large
funnel and small portions of the frozen stuff to avoid melting. The
flavor is as intense as you could want--remember that the acid is also
concentrated by removing water.

The headache comes if you add the full amount of metabisulfite before
you freeze the batch. Freeze first, decant off the ice, then
stabilize and clarify if necessary (you might have to give the conc. a
month in a carboy to rack).

Irene

"Vic Whirlwind" wrote in message . ..
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong, intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot of
the water out? TIA.

Rob

Thanks, Irene. What you say is very helpful. I have already put a crushed
Campden tablet per gallon of cider. I see that they are potassium
metabisulfite. Does that mean that I shouldn't make them into applejack, or
is that a different metabisulfite you mean?

Vic

"Irene" wrote in message
om...
In those lands north of most of us, you can leave the bottle of wine
in the trunk of the car and the cold will drive off about half of the
volume.

If you set your freezer for max. cold and wait several days for each
container to freeze, the ice crystals are bigger and can be separated
without melting. I used a sanitized stainless strainer over a large
funnel and small portions of the frozen stuff to avoid melting. The
flavor is as intense as you could want--remember that the acid is also
concentrated by removing water.

The headache comes if you add the full amount of metabisulfite before
you freeze the batch. Freeze first, decant off the ice, then
stabilize and clarify if necessary (you might have to give the conc. a
month in a carboy to rack).

Irene

"Vic Whirlwind" wrote in message
. ..
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong,
intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see
involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot
of
the water out? TIA.

Rob

Don't add any more. Make sure the fermentation is completely done (at
least 2 months in the secondary) and then freeze away. After you
have separated the ice, put the liquid into a carboy with airlock and
give it a month to let it throw any sediment. If it needs
clarification, use a light amount of bentonite (5-10 grams in 5-6
gallons).

Irene


"Vic Whirlwind" wrote in message ...
Thanks, Irene. What you say is very helpful. I have already put a crushed
Campden tablet per gallon of cider. I see that they are potassium
metabisulfite. Does that mean that I shouldn't make them into applejack, or
is that a different metabisulfite you mean?

Vic

"Vic Whirlwind" wrote in message
...
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong,
intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot of
the water out? TIA.

Rob


That could work, but a low tech approach would work as well. Unlike a pot
still which boils at the average temperature of the various chemicals it
contains, an ice still has lots of ice crystals. Essentially, the frozen
cider is mashed up and it drips out from the frozen water crystals. The
crystals colder than the freexing point of water freeze water out of the
mix. More like a column still in that respect. Of course, some water gets
through. If you repeat the process on the result, more ice crystalizes
because the mix goes below the freezing point of water again. Strain out the
water (ice) and repeat.

If you want greater efficiency or want to freeze out something other than
water, try a lower temperature.

I don't know how much concentration you want, but I've never had apple jack
so good off the shelf. Not even close. I never understood Steinbeck's
fondness for it until I had some of the homemade variety a friend made using
that method

Don't tell the government. Culture is basically illegal in America now.

Hmm. Makes me think of a subject on topic for this group. Since the
distillation intensifies the flavor and alcohol aspects, I be there's a
dodge to make it legally too (but not quite as strong). If the apple
elements were freeze concentrated before fermentation, distillation might be
avoided. As long as the alcohol was then below 25%, it would be wine with no
gov't issues. Hmmm. Yum, slurp

Worth a try!

"Chia Pet" Chia wrote in message
...

"Vic Whirlwind" wrote in message
...
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong,
intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see
involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot
of
the water out? TIA.

Rob


That could work, but a low tech approach would work as well. Unlike a pot
still which boils at the average temperature of the various chemicals it
contains, an ice still has lots of ice crystals. Essentially, the frozen
cider is mashed up and it drips out from the frozen water crystals. The
crystals colder than the freexing point of water freeze water out of the
mix. More like a column still in that respect. Of course, some water gets
through. If you repeat the process on the result, more ice crystalizes
because the mix goes below the freezing point of water again. Strain out
the
water (ice) and repeat.

If you want greater efficiency or want to freeze out something other than
water, try a lower temperature.

I don't know how much concentration you want, but I've never had apple
jack
so good off the shelf. Not even close. I never understood Steinbeck's
fondness for it until I had some of the homemade variety a friend made
using
that method

Don't tell the government. Culture is basically illegal in America now.

Hmm. Makes me think of a subject on topic for this group. Since the
distillation intensifies the flavor and alcohol aspects, I be there's a
dodge to make it legally too (but not quite as strong). If the apple
elements were freeze concentrated before fermentation, distillation might
be
avoided. As long as the alcohol was then below 25%, it would be wine with
no
gov't issues. Hmmm. Yum, slurp

Worth a try!


Duh! It just occurred to me the work is already done! I bet that taking
frozen apple juice and preparing it at a triple concentration, then
fermenting will make an awesome apple wine.

Has anyone tried this?

Fermentation is much harder with concentrated fruit juice/syrup. I
tried twice, and found that the primary lasted three weeks and I was
worried about undesirables starting to grow.

It is much more efficient to ferment first and then to freeze. Once
the sugar is gone the ice separates very well from the other
components.


"Chia Pet" Chia wrote in message .. .
"Chia Pet" Chia wrote in message
...

"Vic Whirlwind" wrote in message
...
I am making apple cider and am very interested in making a strong,
intensely
flavored applejack without buying a still. All the recipes I see
involve
bringing the temperature down more than my freezer will go. Would it be
possible to use dry ice to bring the temp down far enough to get a lot
of
the water out? TIA.

Rob


That could work, but a low tech approach would work as well. Unlike a pot
still which boils at the average temperature of the various chemicals it
contains, an ice still has lots of ice crystals. Essentially, the frozen
cider is mashed up and it drips out from the frozen water crystals. The
crystals colder than the freexing point of water freeze water out of the
mix. More like a column still in that respect. Of course, some water gets
through. If you repeat the process on the result, more ice crystalizes
because the mix goes below the freezing point of water again. Strain out
the
water (ice) and repeat.

If you want greater efficiency or want to freeze out something other than
water, try a lower temperature.

I don't know how much concentration you want, but I've never had apple
jack
so good off the shelf. Not even close. I never understood Steinbeck's
fondness for it until I had some of the homemade variety a friend made
using
that method

Don't tell the government. Culture is basically illegal in America now.

Hmm. Makes me think of a subject on topic for this group. Since the
distillation intensifies the flavor and alcohol aspects, I be there's a
dodge to make it legally too (but not quite as strong). If the apple
elements were freeze concentrated before fermentation, distillation might
be
avoided. As long as the alcohol was then below 25%, it would be wine with
no
gov't issues. Hmmm. Yum, slurp

Worth a try!


Duh! It just occurred to me the work is already done! I bet that taking
frozen apple juice and preparing it at a triple concentration, then
fermenting will make an awesome apple wine.

Has anyone tried this?