Apricot Schnapps type drink

[Still Brewing]

I've seen recipes around the web for schnapps type drinks using fresh fruit, but would it be as sucessful using dried fruit.

I'm wanting to make a bottle of apricot flavoured schnapps as a Christmas present for a friend and all I have at the moment is a bag of the dried ones. Would it be advisable to rehydrate them first or can I just chop them up, add it to neutral and leave for a month or so shaking it every now and then.

[Easydrinker]

I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE OF THIS ONE!
But would suggest not re-hydrating,and going with the chopped dried fruit.
A good length of time of steeping, followed by a filtration, if needed, and sweetening, not needed here, but for some drinks, seems to work pretty good.
Can I be your friend too, and get to taste it?

Robert

[chill]

It won't taste like Schnapps unless you re-distll it. It will be sweet and coloured, not at all like an Eau de Vie. That all said, dried apricots steeped in neutral is very, very good. Unless you don't like apricots, but then why would you do this? Dried peaches soaked in neutral is also very good. You might want to add more sugar and glycerine to make it more of a liqueur. I prefer the result of this to what I get with fresh fruit.

I don't see why distilling this to make schnapps would not be successful. It won't have the taste of having been fermented and distilled on the pits but it should be good.

[Easydrinker]

Chuck,
You are correct, and I missed it, re the distillation for Schnapps.
Damn, I must be blutered again.
But I am not too far from topic, I'm drinking this tonight -
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2143

Robert.

[Mash]

+1 for not rehydrating.


Could this be done like odin's gin. By that I mean steep and then run it through again?

[Still Brewing]

Cheers Chaps

Looked into this 'Schnapps' thing a little more regarding the redistillation of it. This is something new to me as I thought schnapps was just a spirit with fruit steeped in it. Another thing I've learned today.

Robert - Of course you can be my friend and try some . I have enough neutral to make some more, so will make extra for sampling in the future.

As far as sweetening goes, I will do it at the end and definately add a drop of glycerin to smooth it out. Anybody know what the fruit to neutral ratios are.

[Still Brewing]

Don't worry about answering my last question about neutral to fruit ratios. The only way of getting it right is actually trying it myself, taking notes and learning.

This time I have finely chopped 500g of dried apricots, added them to a jar and topped up with a litre of neutral. The fruit looked quite a lot in only one litre, so I added another 500ml for good luck. Gave it a shake and it started to take on a lovely colour straight away.

Now to rack off and degass my last wash that went right down to sg 996 !!. Its getting better the more I do it.

[chill]

@Mashy: yes, that is how to do it. Let it steep for a week or and and run it. I would distill it on the fruit for maximum flavour.

@SB Sounds like a great start. Enjoy! And let us know how it turns out. For a European style schnapps (aka real schnapps) there is no sugar nor glycerine. It is un unbaked fruit brandy. The American style is more of a sweet, thick, low alcohol liqueur.