Distilling an Apple Cider wash

[RuddyCrazy]

G'day Guy's,
Early last year I tried this out and the results are outstanding to say the least, now for members with a T500 with the pot still attachment this would work a treat.

As I make apple cider as a shed drink which is bery nice on a hot day when cooled on ice, I always leave about 3 litres in the fermenter so i can do a series of strip runs to get enough low wines to do a spirit run using my MiniMe pot still. Then I water it down to 65% and put it down in a moccano jar with some toasted/charred French Oak. That first batch was left for 7 months to age and with the few people that have tasted reckons it is a winner and they love the smooth tasting and the after taste which is just sublime. :obscene-drinkingdrunk:

Now if one was to this with a 25 litre boiler a 50 litre cider ferment would be the go then after 2 strip runs the spirit run should produce a good yield of product to age with several bottles to enjoy after aging.

The old adage of hurry up and wait does apply to this recipe so if one does make apple cider as a drink it may pay to dabble in distilling a batch.

Cheers Bryan

[EziTasting]

G'Day Bryan,
you are really pushing the boundaries, I love it!

I have a collection of apple cider bottles that are selfcarbonated but taste ... meh... and I have been wondering what to do with them... now you've given them a new purpose!
Guess that when you are equipped as we are, it doesn't matter if the experiment doesn't work out, you can always salvage the ethanol with some flavouring... But I don't have a 'Mini-Me' Potstill.

Watching with interest.

[RuddyCrazy]

G'Day Bryan,
you are really pushing the boundaries, I love it!

I have a collection of apple cider bottles that are selfcarbonated but taste ... meh... and I have been wondering what to do with them... now you've given them a new purpose!
Guess that when you are equipped as we are, it doesn't matter if the experiment doesn't work out, you can always salvage the ethanol with some flavouring... But I don't have a 'Mini-Me' Potstill.

Watching with interest.

Eh Ezi no excuses now get off ya butt and build a mini and lets just hope you can build one faster than Zac :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[EziTasting]

Eh Ezi no excuses now get off ya butt and build a mini and lets just hope you can build one faster than Zac :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Just wondering ... :think: are you making fun of me Sir?!?! :romance-kisscheek:

Lol

[RuddyCrazy]

are you making fun of me Sir?!?! :romance-kisscheek:

Lol

Who me never :teasing-neener: just can't wait to see the build pic's :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[dans.brew]

Did this exact thing myself a while back. Had quite a few full bottles of cider laying around left from my cider making days.
The prob was i could only find half of them at the time so my yield wasnt real big for my effort, but i hate to waste so ran it anyway.
The finished product wasnt great by my taste buds, but it went on oak and to the back of the cupboard... that was prob nearly 2 yr ago. Got me keen to go taste it when i get home.

[ethanolrob]

We have a local commercial cider maker here (Jolly Miller) and I have just distilled a 25l batch of 6% Cider in my T500 Alembic Pot still. Made 4L in the stripping run and spirit run has ~200ml Foreshot, ~500ml@75% Head, ~1litre @70% Heart and 500ml @40% tails... fell off below 20% soon after and I stopped.

Comparing to a clean spirit run of Turbo Sugar, it definitely is different on the pallet... the barn mezzanine smelt of alcoholic apple for a few hours.

Thinking this needs good ageing in oak barrels after dropping to ~40-45% (leaving ~40% after angels share?). Should get about 3litres of 40-45% out of it.

How long until everyone thinks it is ready?

[bluc]

Depends on age and size of barrel. I used to like rum at about 3mnths out of a 10l barrel but is just about spent now. Domino in glass give it 6-12mnths with regular time with lid off. I have not got round to apple brandy yet but is on my list :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[RuddyCrazy]

In January last year I did an apple cider run and also put some licorice root and some dried manzano chilli along with a few other herbs, put it down in a large moccona jar and had a taste of it every 3 months. Every tasting said it needed more time and finally after 13 months it has come of age and early next month I will be entering it into the liquor category at a local country show. One of my wifes friends enters every years and seem to win every year so time for me to go steal some golry and finally win a ribbon.

Cheers Bryan

[dans.brew]

Good on ya Bryan!
I just tasted the cider i ran through the bubbler 3 years back and it certainly taste a lot better and has a good apple punch to it.