Apricot brandy

[BackyardBrewer]

Well I pulled a heap of apricots off the tree, filled a 25L bucket to the brim

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I couldn't help myself, I had to give them a boil in a bit of water and sugar first:

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Then I hit it with the hand blender:

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Then repeated the process until I had a 30L fermenter with about 24L of apricot purée. It's super sludgey even after topping up to 27L with water.

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The plan is to go get some wine yeast tomorrow and do another fermenter full but with maybe more water. There are still loads of apricots so at least another 40-60L of wash.

This will be the first run I do when I get Mr-E's bubbler.
:-)

[BackyardBrewer]

Hmmmmm I just read Crow's plum brandy post again and I'm worried this is way too thick ?? It's easy 17-20L of puréed fruit. Fuck all water. Certainly not 10L.

Should I rack off half and water it down maybe?

[crow]

BYB
do the next one without stewing as this will dramatically change the final favour. I'm not saying for the worst but you won't know if you don't do side by sides ok. I would just get a paint of plaster drill mixer and mush them that is to sayDon't cook them word is its not as good and does not ferment as good PS how did you get on with grape and grain, I think I would go with a white wine one for these, the other option is to get some ground fruit soft, damaged , deteirated fruit would be best and see if you can make a starter yeast colony from wild yeast strains. keep in mind that many wild yeasts won't tolarate ABVs above 12% so hyro readings before adding sugar would be an idea :handgestures-thumbupleft: . As I said let me know if getting yeast is a problem
PS ODs rule of thumb is 5kg, 5ltrs and 25ltrs of water its just a rule of thumb to think will soon clear just a lot of sediment to deal with , if in doubt water it down some and maximise the use of the fruit . if you are going to do a think wash I'd consider not having to much or even no sugar ;-)
Edit use some of the ideas in that link I sent you some of those traditional methods are there for a reason for instance the seeds add a very pleasant flavour just don't bust em . i have done cot wine not for distilling but i would think the main diff would only be that you would try to ferment it dryer :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[BackyardBrewer]

OK I need to get a big-ass fermenter and ill pick the rest of the tree tomorrow.

I promise not to cook it!

Anyone know somewhere in SA I can get a 100L plastic drum on a Sunday? Bunnings? Mitre10 ? Snowtown bank vault? :-)

[crow]

OK I need to get a big-ass fermenter and ill pick the rest of the tree tomorrow.

I promise not to cook it!

Anyone know somewhere in SA I can get a 100L plastic drum on a Sunday? Bunnings? Mitre10 ? Snowtown bank vault? :-)

yeah reckon I wouldn't go the 220 jobies from snow town :puke-huge: there was some joker selling stainless 44s but he wanted $150 bit rich for a fermenter try stock feed joints ppl get them for chook tucker and that sort of thing wineries have them for bulk port ect but might not sell them empty and from memory the deposit was pretty fucking steep

[emptyglass]

I'm not sure about apricots, but plums yeild pretty low. You need a lot of them to get a decent ammount of product, I'm guessing apricots would be similar.

You could try steeping them in the water for 4 or 5 days to get them soft enough to mash before pitching any yeast. I mash my plums with an oak stave. Its a bit of work, but you usually only do these sort of products once a year and it dosn't smash the pits.
And like crow said, if you could make a yeast starter from the wild yeast on the apricots, it would be good.

[BackyardBrewer]

Thanks Empty, yeah totally going wild yeast tomorrow, got so many apricots to work with. I netted up and kept the FUCKING BIRDS at bay this year. I hate those C**NTS!!!

The wife will pick 'em while I go hunting for a decent 100L vessel.

Seriously I have bloody tonnes so I'll ferment a wash or three & focus on the run next.

[emptyglass]

Well, if you have that much, why not try them without sugar?
If you have a plated column coming, you'll handle the volume easy.
And the oak plank method might not be a good thing on that scale. One guy used a little bit of chain attatched to a steel rod on his cordless drill, he said it didn't crunch the pits, and it fit through a small hole in the lid, no mess.

Whats your fermenting plans?

[BackyardBrewer]

Yeah I added just 2kg to the whole ferment so far and it's thick as. Like jam almost.

The plan from here is grab a other 25-40kgs off the tree tomorrow, purée it without boiling & chuck today's run in with that.

Then I'll see if I get a wild yeast ferment. If not I'm going to see bill @ brewmaker here in SA & grab a wine/fruit yeast.

I have a heap of apricot stones left so I think I'll boil the as per advice from HD and throw them into the ferment too.

Photos to come.

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Well well well! Serious ferment going on there and no added yeast yet.

Ferment in effect even after boiling. Maybe 6 hours later and we have some kinda ferment already.

Crow will be happy: I didn't boil it that much then!

(Yes my fermenters were sterilised as per my hombrew routine with nappisan, boiling water and Starsan rinse.)

[crow]

:think: after boiling bit weird keep an eye on it last thing ya want is a lactic ferment ;-)

[emptyglass]

Not making apricot beer here, a good clean fermenter is ok for distilling. Sanitise if you want, but clean is ok.

Boiling shouldn't stop the ferment, but it may change the taste in the end.

When doing slivovitz/plum brandy, it is first fermented in the fruit mash, stones and all, some have strong opinions on this, but a copper bubbler will get the cyanides. It is let ferment out (usually only about 5 or 6%), then stripped. The strip is then let sit on some reserved pulp from the mash for a few weeks, then run again.

I can't see why it wouldn't work for most stone fruits.

[crow]

this is the reason the stones are left intact only the exposed kernel will cause the bittering of cyanide ;-) and you would need lots to be of any consequence

[BackyardBrewer]

Not making apricot beer here, a good clean fermenter is ok for distilling. Sanitise if you want, but clean is ok.

Boiling shouldn't stop the ferment, but it may change the taste in the end.

When doing slivovitz/plum brandy, it is first fermented in the fruit mash, stones and all, some have strong opinions on this, but a copper bubbler will get the cyanides. It is let ferment out (usually only about 5 or 6%), then stripped. The strip is then let sit on some reserved pulp from the mash for a few weeks, then run again.

I can't see why it wouldn't work for most stone fruits.

You mean the bubbler will remove cyanide? You say "get" the cyanides, I hope that means it will take them out yes?

I like the sound of letting the strip sit on the mash pulp, but is a strip necessary with a bubbler? Or is your advice for a maximum flavour?

Oh and yes I'm paranoid about sterile. 15 years of beer brewing... I find it hard not to keep s sparkling clean ship :-)

[crow]

no you can get a small amount of cyanide if you smash all the shells open and grind up the keral particularly if the fruit is green but even so and you did all that it would made a bad wine that could give you a doozer headache it still wouldn't make it through the still so don't get it a second thought

[emptyglass]

There is cyanide type byproducts associated with the stones/pits, but a good copper still will get them out. Its the fact its copper that does it. Dont fret, sounds bad but won't effect you. Just try not to smash the stones up. If you want to get anal, look up Holstein cataliser.

I'm only telling you a pot still recipie. It may or may not have to modified for a bubbler (i don't have a surpluss of apricots, so never tried it). You might want to strip it and put it back on the pulp, but the product from the bubbler will be pretty good. A "fancy" strip, if you like. You might get away with doing it once, but on a brandy, every effort pays off in the final product.
Depends on what your chasing.

You keep your ship as clean as you like bloke. Clenliness never hurt anybody. But this is hooch, not beer. It ain't so sensitive. You are going to boil it all in the end.
15 years of beer. Sorry mate, you have my pity :teasing-tease:

[BackyardBrewer]

Hmmm there's a lot of white mold forming on top... Problem?

Won't have any yeast other thank bakers until tomorrow.

Should I worry?

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[crow]

ah ha thought so ok this is most likely a lactic ferment as they can hack higher temps than yeast yes worry can you put it a fridge or ice box to slow it down ? Look the yeast will kill that shit but ya don't want it creating lactic acids and shit in there in the mean time, I found I was very unhappy with the results of bakers yeast in fruit washes. I'm not sure if this would work but do you know what scrumpy is (cloudy flat cider) , well some of these have sediment in the bottom ok, I think Weston's Old rosie does and you can get it among others from Dan Murphies maybe get some and decant most off leaving the sediment and a little cider swish this around and add it it will be a fruit lees

[BackyardBrewer]

Bugger. No chance of keeping it cool, I've now added that batch of 27L plus another 25L of pulp and about 20-25L of water to a 200L fermenter with 4kgs sugar.

So I can go hunt @ Dan Murphy's for some cider or pitch some bakers actually I have some US05 safale beer yeast here - would that be better than bakers?

How much cider yeast would I need?

[crow]

1 dunno
2 dunno
3 dunno
sorry I can't help much ye could star the yeast in a bowl with glucose or better fructose using ambient temps and then pitch ale yeast hmm doubt that would be better than lowans or just wait til tomorrow and get that wine yeast pre started and whack it in double strength

[BackyardBrewer]

Yeah I have to cross the fingers now and wait until tomorrow. Liquid wine yeast it will have to be.