Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

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Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby Amberale » Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:05 am

Hi folks.
Four inches of rain this week has finished off this years cherry crop.
Some mould is setting in and the fruit is splitting so they will all come off today.
I should get somewhere between 10 and 30 kg.

I will put some into 94% hearts to macerate but I want to distil some, so.

I have done a few searches with not many results so I will wing it.

My plan is;
1. Collect and hose off cherries, throw out mouldy ones.
2. Remove pits.
3. Put into fermenter and blitz with bamix.
4. When Wellsy’s Biabs arrive fill one with the mush and strain.
5. Adjust water and add some sugar and ?1118 yeast.
6. Clean up the mess from explosive fermentation (hopefully not).
7. Let the fermentation complete.
8. Run either through 4 plates on the Neutraliser or empty the packed section and run her as a potstill.

What say ye noble learned gentlemen?
Amberale
 
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equipment: 5* Neutraliser.

Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby RuddyCrazy » Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:14 am

Hi Amberdale,
I'm not sure what the brix of cherries are but it may be an idea after you pit them to freeze them as freezing will bring out more sugars and raise the brix. Now after you dilute the cherries to get enough for a wash the SG will be a tad low to get a good yield so inverting some sugar to raise the SG will ensure a better yield.

I have found when doing fruit stripping in a pot still then a spirit run in the pot still gives alot more flavour than using 4 plates. But that is just my opinion and others may say just put it thru your bubbler.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby Amberale » Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:50 am

Thanks mate.
Cherries are supposed to be around 14 brix so I’ll probably go 500g of inverted sugar to 2kg of cherries and get maybe 10% fermented.

I agree about the pot v plates but I’ve only used my (un)packed column for stripping so I’m not sure how it will go,
I can always run it again over some plates with the associated flavour loss.
Amberale
 
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Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:47 pm
Location: Bacchus Marsh(ish)
equipment: 5* Neutraliser.

Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby RuddyCrazy » Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:59 am

G'Day Again Mate,
Well while I was in town I got some cherries and just did a refractometer reading and to my surprise 13 brix or 1050 SG :o was the reading :handgestures-thumbupleft: Now like I said before by freezing the SG will go up a few more points which will help a heap with the ferment.

Now as this seems like your first venture into using fruit to make a brandy I'll go on a little rant :laughing-rolling:

So with all the cherries depitted and frozen into a block put say 15 litres of warm water in your fermenter and throw in the frozen block, it won't take too long to defrost and the result will be more than likely a thickish goo. :laughing-rolling: So add say another 10 litres and use your hydrometer to check the SG and if getting low invert 2kg's of sugar and add it to the fermenter. Top up the fermenter leaving enough room to add more inverted sugar if needed and aim for 1060 SG, I have found with my trials this level of SG is the best as it won't stress out the EC1118 yeast and the ferment once done will clear nicely.

You may even find doing a generation to get all the cherry goodness and give you enough low wines to do a spirit run will be the go and like i said use a pot still to get the max flavour. Age at 65% with Toasted/Charred French Oak then just hurry up and wait for that nice drop to taste in the future.

Cheers Bryan
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Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby Amberale » Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:13 pm

Thanks mate.
That is exactly the sort of info I was after.

Now what sort of plastic bottles should I age it in?
Milk bottles, soda bottles or goon bags?
The goon bags should stop the light from leeching poisons out of the brew.
:scared-eek:
Amberale
 
Posts: 286
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:47 pm
Location: Bacchus Marsh(ish)
equipment: 5* Neutraliser.

Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby RuddyCrazy » Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:34 pm

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: Puts a straight Jacket on Amberdale :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: just to stop him looking at that FB group and getting the idea of using plastic to age a decent product :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

It does seem with so many members hooked on that thread a reality check is needed :teasing-neener:

Anyway mate get going with this and whats the bet by next xmas this will be a nice drop ONLY if you don't use a goon bag to age in :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Cheers Bryan
RuddyCrazy
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Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby Amberale » Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:13 pm

How many kgs or litres of cherries to that 25 litres of water do you reckon roughly?
I’d like to do a 50 litre ferment to get 40-50 litres for a run but if she goes off like a prawn in the sun I might not have enough head space in a 60 litre fermenter.
Amberale
 
Posts: 286
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:47 pm
Location: Bacchus Marsh(ish)
equipment: 5* Neutraliser.

Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby RuddyCrazy » Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:00 am

G'Day Amberale,
So how did you get on with this project mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: I do find recording projects on this forum does help both the guy doing the project and others who read the thread and get some tips.

Cheers Bryan
RuddyCrazy
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Posts: 2439
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:36 pm
Location: Not far from Kanmantoo SA
equipment: 4" copper bubbler with a setup for Neutral and a thumper for Whisky and my old 5 litre pot for doing maceration runs and MiniMe the baby pot still

Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby Amberale » Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:13 pm

Still in limbo Brian.
I’ve got about 10kgs of pitted cherries in the freezer waiting for a free day so I can set up the new 100ltr boiler and run a bit of feints through to clean her right out then strip a couple of batches of wash to free up a couple of fermenters.( see my comments on apples)
Meanwhile cows are taking up some of my time and stupid 40degree+ days are throwing spanners into the works.

I’ll keep you guys updated when I set it up.
Amberale
 
Posts: 286
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:47 pm
Location: Bacchus Marsh(ish)
equipment: 5* Neutraliser.

Re: Distilled Cherry Brandy/schnapps

Postby Amberale » Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:01 pm

Finally got around to putting this on to ferment.
I finished up with about 10kgs of over-ripe, pitted cherries.
I pulled them out of the freezer, plonked them in an 80 litre fermenter and poured hot water over them.
I added about 6 kgs of inverted sugar after checking the SG and adjusted it to 1060 and 55 litres.
Rehydrated a couple of packs of 1118 yeast and pitched it @33C.
As usual with the 1118 it is bubbling along slowly today.

I hope this comes out ok.
I had a taste of the fresh cherries I put in 93% HoH back in January.
The colour is spectacular.
The flavour is straight Benadryl! :puke-huge:
Hopefully it will be better watered down with some sugar added.
Amberale
 
Posts: 286
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:47 pm
Location: Bacchus Marsh(ish)
equipment: 5* Neutraliser.


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