8
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How do I use freeze distillation to turn cider into applejack?
My grandfather, who was also a bootlegger during prohibition, used to make huge batches of apple jack in wooden barrels. He said they'd smash up ripe apples, fill the barrels to the top, packed with ...
7
votes
Accepted
Boiling off the methanol for freeze distillation
Methanol in cider can be a problem. It's much higher in apple juice than beer. The boiling point of methanol is 148°F(64.7°C) so if you want to boil it off before the Ethanol, boiling point 173°F (78....
- 3,012
5
votes
Boiling off the methanol for freeze distillation
I wouldn't worry about it. The methanol concentrated by freeze concentration of your cider wouldn't even be close to the acceptable amounts of methanol that's in commercial vodka.
- 18.5k
5
votes
Table sugar + fruitjuice + yeast not fermenting
I agree that keeping an opened packet of dry yeast at room temp for some time will decrease the viability of the stored yeast. Maybe a hydration mix or growing on in a starter might have helped but it ...
- 5,631
5
votes
Accepted
Moonshine from freeze distillation?
You are right to be concerned about methanol it is a very nasty poison. You are at a lower risk of building up a dangerous level of methanol from all grain fermentation as it produces roughly 1/10 the ...
- 7,018
4
votes
What do you get if you distill mead?
In the US by law it can not be called brandy or whiskey or rum, or any other standard category. It is a "distilled spirit specialty", to which one can fix a "fanciful name" and a "description". We at ...
4
votes
How to calculate alcohol content after freezing beer (Eisbock)?
You can't determine the alcohol content simply by measuring gravity. We need more information.
Let's try to determine the alcohol by volume in your "best" result beer. For starters, it has gravity of ...
- 211
4
votes
Accepted
How can I raise alcohol content in my rum?
You will not achieve 40% using fermentation as the only technique. Yeast have a certain alcohol tolerance that is usually between 14% and 18% (wine yeast), above that percentage, yeast will stop ...
- 4,806
3
votes
Safe distilling of mead?
Most (all?) fermentations have trace amounts of methanol, with the tendency of fruit-based fermentations to have more.
However the amount is so low, it is insignificant - unless your concentrate it. ...
- 2,060
3
votes
Accepted
Why do we use 95% alcohol in Liqueurs?
The alcohol in limoncello or other liqueurs is almost always industrially produced, and thus fit for consumption. It does not contain methanol or fusel alcohols. So, made this way, liqueurs are not ...
- 3,655
3
votes
Distillation Yield in Litres and ABV
To be clear you will not produce anything like apple wine as you will be distilling the product and all non-volatile compounds will be lost. You will be producing an apple brandy.
Your final yield ...
- 169
3
votes
What do you get if you distill mead?
I went looking for this answer and found the following:
Although Ninemaidens Gwires is a marketed brand for distilled mead, it is not a true name for this liquor as Gwires is a generic term used for '...
2
votes
Do I need an anti-microbial additive in my plum brandy mash?
According to this fellow's site, just throw the plums in a bucket and wait, agitate after a month to shake out the pits, wait a bit more, then run the plum wine through your still.
https://slivovice....
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2
votes
Accepted
Advice needed (Absinth distillation)
I have witnessed absinthe being made in Mainland Europe from mash production to final green spirit - in its entirety. Double distilled herbs collected from the wider locality.
Making absinthe from ...
- 5,631
2
votes
Table sugar + fruitjuice + yeast not fermenting
I think you have already answered your first question yourself, if you think about it. You said your yeast went crazy, so it did not have any problems, nutrients were not needed.
However, keeping ...
- 3,655
2
votes
Moonshine from freeze distillation?
Short answer - no, you don't have to worry about it.
Long answer is: Methanol exists in (I think) any brewing process. The reason there was poisoning in the bad old days of prohibition is that it ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
Are there benefits to using mineral water in your mash?
When making spirits, the goal is usually to create a quick and clean fermentation of mash. If the tap water in your area would prevent the fermentation from being clean or fast, then a mineral or ...
- 560
1
vote
Should I be worried
If you are using a simple pot still, you may not get high enough proof to burn on your first run. Without knowing actual volumes and ABVs here it is hard to say what is the case here.
Normally when ...
- 151
1
vote
Distilling rum - measurements for the head and heart
Different recipes / still charges will lead to different cuts, and so relying on fixed measurements is only useful for controlled, established recipes. Instead, you should learn to assess the spirit ...
- 151
1
vote
What happens if i leave my homebrew to ferment for 14 days then boil and cool it to distill it?
You said you boiled and cooled it to distill it. Unless you are leaving out a lot of steps, you didn't distill your drink, you just boiled it. Boiling a drink like this will reduce the alcohol content ...
1
vote
What happens if i leave my homebrew to ferment for 14 days then boil and cool it to distill it?
First of all, welcome to HB SE. Questions about distillation are usually not anwsered here, since it is not legal in many countries.
I would say that if you do not have the right equipment or ...
- 4,806
1
vote
Accepted
Can I distill contaminated wine?
Yes you can! You are just distilling the alcohol, not all the bad stuff. If you catch it before it turns to vinegar you should be fine.
- 3,012
1
vote
Can I distill contaminated wine?
Without knowing what type of contamination it is, it's hard to tell if anything can be done.
Is it a white film? Does it smell bad? A small film isn't always contamination, it could be soap residue, ...
- 4,806
1
vote
Moonshine from freeze distillation?
Q1) No. you won't achieve moonshine levels of alcohol with freeze concentrating without the ability to super freeze. Ethanol works like an antifreeze.
http://www.themadscienceblog.com/2014/01/...
- 18.5k
1
vote
Moonshine from freeze distillation?
Methanol comes from cellulose & pectin, which for homebrewers means fruit. So, you shouldn't have any problem there.
Freeze distilling should increase your alcohol concentration, but I don't know ...
- 3,020
1
vote
Advice needed (Absinth distillation)
As long as you are using Pure ethanol (not denatured) you should not have to worry about it, or throw out any of the product.
as for getting the ABV you want, you want to mix it after distillation, ...
- 1,769
1
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Advice needed (Absinth distillation)
My thoughts are dont make absinthe... Distillation is a dangerous process and if not done right can have potentially fatal consequences. Aiming for such a high level of alcohol increases the risk of ...
- 11
1
vote
Baker's Yeast and distillation?
When properly distilled the spirit product is flavorless.
Edit: However it's hard to achieve such quality. You can simulate your distilled spirit by adding a small portion to un flavored 100 proof ...
- 18.5k
1
vote
What do you get if you distill mead?
I call it honey shine.
110° C would be a good temperature for a stripping run but you will get a lot of water with your shine. If you want a really good tasting shine to use a copper pot still and ...
1
vote
What do you get if you distill mead?
Bumped into this discussion, just want to point out that a local Czech distiller Žufánek has such a product in his portfolio:
http://www.lepsinalada.cz/247-medovy-zufanek-05l/
The name of the ...
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