Woolworths apple juice ferment - aiming for German Shnapps

[Bosvelk]

Couldn't find a direct recipe for this so this is what i have done
60 L fermenter
56L Woolworths brand apple juice 99% fruit juice - no preservatives or added sugars
3.6kg white sugar to bump abv to 10-11%
2-3 tea spoons DAP (could use tomato paste but I was at the brew shop)
3 - 5g packets of lalvin ec-1118 (re hydrated as instructions say)

Currents bubbling away hard :)

Plan is to run it over 4 plates (maybe 3 advice??) end up with the German style shnapps

Any thoughts?

[hillzabilly]

Was going ta try something similar using ,apple cider kits with the apple juice concentrate from the home brew shop,I would try using little or no sugar as it's only going ta dilute ya flavour,and a run very slowly thru ya pot with the first batch then try one with plates to compare results with,some of these things rely on the type of apple or fruit being used,thats why I thought the concentrate may be better as its more likely going ta be the right type of apples used.Did some pears we got cheap like this and the result was very small and lacked good flavour ,and after some research found the type of fruit can have a big impact on the result,and one german bloke I used ta work with explained the still he used in his willage was steam heated as they distilled the mash with the fruit too get maximum flavour,wich is something that is tradditinal for grappa as well.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluc]

I was thinking of trying this very thing this winter let us know how you go :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Bosvelk]

I thought 3.6 kg sugar was not much for 60L haha considering the amount you use doing a tpw or a rum wash haha
I've never done home brew beer so wouldn't really know where to start with the homebrew kits with out doing some reading first.

I've been to Germany a few years back and that's what got me interested in stilling and shnapps, his was done from all fruit mashs but seeing as stone fruit season is gone I thought I'd try somthing during winter and oh boy does my little brew shed smell amazing :)

[Wobblyboot]

I do it every year with fruit. With apples I core them and rest goes in fermenter and then all into boiler when finished, makes a very nice drink in a year or so :handgestures-thumbupleft: haven't tried just juice, let us know if the flavours make it up the column?

[Bosvelk]

That's what I'm worried about
Not sure how many plates to run :/ (may have got my bubbler parts on Friday) :) :) :)

[Bosvelk]

I do it every year with fruit. With apples I core them and rest goes in fermenter and then all into boiler when finished, makes a very nice drink in a year or so :handgestures-thumbupleft: haven't tried just juice, let us know if the flavours make it up the column?

Do you run yours with 3 or 4 plates?

[Wobblyboot]

4 plates. I have some that is over a yr old now, will compare it to what I made on the old pot :-B

[wynnum1]

Is there anywhere that the concentrate can be purchased if you had concentrate could water down to required gravity and not have to add sugar.

[hillzabilly]

Is there anywhere that the concentrate can be purchased if you had concentrate could water down to required gravity and not have to add sugar.

Have a look in a HBS they useually have it around the beer malt tins ,is used for apple cider and may come with yeast as well that suits the flavour profile ya lookin for,I was going ta try a few myself one day.Have a snoop at https://www.ibrew.com.au/collections/cider cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[Bosvelk]

Would be more expensive todo it that way mind you, any way I will let you all know how it turns out

[wynnum1]

Is there anywhere that the concentrate can be purchased if you had concentrate could water down to required gravity and not have to add sugar.

Have a look in a HBS they useually have it around the beer malt tins ,is used for apple cider and may come with yeast as well that suits the flavour profile ya lookin for,I was going ta try a few myself one day.Have a snoop at https://www.ibrew.com.au/collections/cider cheers hillzabilly ;-)

The super markets are selling cheap tined fruit from South Africa would think 200 liter drums of apple concentrate would also be available packaging would be a big cost with the apple juice fast food must be buying in bulk .

[Bosvelk]

Ran it on Monday, ended up with 2.4L hearts at 92%
The flavour has carried over Nicely :)
Will let it is a few days then water some down to 40% for a clear schnapps and then some on French oak also some to get diluted down with appl juice to 35% to make a liquor

[copperhead road]

Ran it on Monday, ended up with 2.4L hearts at 92%
The flavour has carried over Nicely :)
Will let it is a few days then water some down to 40% for a clear schnapps and then some on French oak also some to get diluted down with appl juice to 35% to make a liquor

Is that an average yield from a 60 litre wash?
For some reason I was thinking you would get more, maybe from all the reading I have done they must have been talking about a 60 litre spirit run not a 60 litre wash.

Anyways cool easy way to make a apple brandy by the sounds of it, well done :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluc]

Yep thats about right. Would be a long day with a 60l spirit run :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Kenster]

Wobbly, i have a heap of apples but was reluctant to try as i was afraid the flav carry over would be only slight and not worth the exercise. Do you get a distinct apple flav? How many kg of fruit would u use.( have used plums and the flav is 'just')
Do you think/know whether the apple skins impart flav as i have a little machine which cores/slices and peels them...maybe i just collect the peels?
Hillzz... Pears??? any reasonable result with decent flavour carry over? Tail end of fruit season...busy, busy.
Sorry, this is a bit off topic re. this post.

[Wobblyboot]

Wobbly, i have a heap of apples but was reluctant to try as i was afraid the flav carry over would be only slight and not worth the exercise. Do you get a distinct apple flav? How many kg of fruit would u use.( have used plums and the flav is 'just')
Do you think/know whether the apple skins impart flav as i have a little machine which cores/slices and peels them...maybe i just collect the peels?
Hillzz... Pears??? any reasonable result with decent flavour carry over? Tail end of fruit season...busy, busy.
Sorry, this is a bit off topic re. this post.

I havnt tried just the juice. I did some other day, cored 25kg of apples and put them in a 60l fermenter with 2kg of sugar, the same as I do every year. I havnt tried any1 else's so hard to compare :think: but If I gave u the demijohn to sniff that they in, u will recognise what it is straight away if that helps, same with the mango. Iv tested that on mates.

[bluc]

Hey bozzy wich juice did you use? Did you grab a couple boxs or a few bottles at a time?

[Bosvelk]

30 x 2L woolies brand apple juice the 99% fruit juice one
Did 3 trips over 3 days and 2 different stores haha drive past 2 on the way home from work
Just told them it was for work do if they asked haha

[bluc]

Lol yea was thinking i will tell them am making apple cider i reakon. See if i can get them all at once in boxs..