StillSmart

Near the end of last year we were given a mixed bag of apples. I've made apple wine in the past so used them for that. Finished up with around 15liters, I didn't get to do anything with it as we shot off on holiday over chrimbo. I got around to having a look at it this morning, it had finished out at 0.998.

The swmbo & I both like our wines with just the hint of sweetness, not a lot to over power the drink, but I do find myself back sweetening most of our fruit wines. I don't return to work until next week and I'm sat here bored so I thought so I've banged 4 liters in the airstill on a stripping run..



... lets see what happens...

Makes a dry Apple schnapps. Age on toasted oak for Apple brandy. I regret that I did not do one this fall.

The first strip run does smell brandy'ish, so fingers crossed. I like the idea of
toasted oak for Apple brandy.

cheers Chill.

Any more news buddy? I've been thinking about doing something similar but with apple juice from
Lidl.

Just started doing the 2nd strip this afternoon..will try and do a spirit tomorrow.
What's your idea with the apple juice?? throw some yeast in and let it ferment out??

Check the apple juice ingredients. If it is not frozen it may have additives that could affect fermentation.

If you intend using apple juice from fresh apples for fermenting then distilling make sure you remove the peel from the apples as Pectin, in the apple skin, is a source of Methanol which you def don't want.

AM

aidanmac wrote:If you intend using apple juice from fresh apples for fermenting then distilling make sure you remove the peel from the apples as Pectin, in the apple skin, is a source of Methanol which you def don't want.

AM

Kin hell Aidan.. you've got me going now, I've made apple wine on & off for years, but that's where it finished..wine.
This is the first ever time that I've tried to distill any, part of my recipe for the wine is..

Add 1 campden tablets, and pectolase thoroughly wash the apples but do not peel them

So does this mean that it's a waste of time running it through my airstill?? or do you know of a way around it???? I've got 2 liters of what smells very much like brandy here waiting for a spirit run.

I've made lots of fruit brandy (grape, plum, apple mostly) and have never peeled the fruit or heard of anyone doing so. Aiden is correct that fermenting fruit will produce more methanol than fermenting sugar, but the amount are nothing to worry about and compensated for by the ethanol when you drink them. Just allow some more for heads and tails to minimize your exposure.

Some opinions:
http://homedistiller.org/intro/methanol/methanol
http://www.noah.org/wiki/Distillation#The_Methanol_Myth

Chuck

Cheers Chill.. So take a smaller slice of the cake, as you might say. I can do that.

No panic! My post was intended as information only and not a warning of dire consequence

In fermenting with apples there is no problem as the amount of methanol produced is tiny and of no more consequence than with any other fruit. The problem, as I understand it is in relation to the presence of high levels of Pectin cells in the apple peel which does not pose a problem in fermentation but if forwarded on to a distillation boiler the Pectin cell walls break down at high temperatures and a much higher level of methanol is produced as part on the distilling process.

How much Methanol is produced in this way I am not in a position to give a qualified answer on. However, my research, many years ago, into the whole Methanol question, threw up this one situation regarding apple peel. The advice I found, at the time, was that if apples are to be fermented with the intention of distilling the fermented product then the apples should first be peeled to avoid the problem.

AM

Thanks Aidan.. worries over, but will remember the advice for the future, there's a lot to learn with this hobby, and I want to do it correct, don't what any trouble knocking at the door.

OK...I did a spirit run this morning with this, but I'm going to need your advice guys.
I only had 2.5 liters from the strip run, that's after I'd watered down to 30% total. Now I'm in the habit of putting 4 liters in my airstill, so I'm hoping I've done all right.

Because it was only half full, I had to put my thinking head on.. now I have AM's pdf printed off and thought to myself that as the pot was half full I'd better adjust the collection. So I caught the first 50ml that went in the white spirit jar. Then I caught 200ml instead of 250ml...that went into the heads jar.

Next came the big one, now the pdf states catch 1000ml, so half of that is 500 so that went into the hearts jar. I carried on the next 250ml went into a jar that was 65%...the following 250ml had dropped to 50%.

The last bit was around 150ml that had dropped to 30%, so I pulled the plug.
It works out at 1.4 liters total, so my Q now is have I done ok or am I so far off that I may as well go back to brewing beer?? don't answer that..