Apple Wine for Applejack Recipe

[kryten]

I'm attempting to make apple wine that I can freeze concentrate similar to the way Applejack was during colonial times in New England.
My plan is to use some mulling spices as well. What I hope to end up with is a spiced apple liquor

My Recipe:
5 gallons of wild apple home pressed juice [pH 3.55]
1 can of frozen apple juice concentrate (no preservatives) [to round out the apple flavor]
5 pounds of unrefined raw sugar (crystallized evaporated cane juice) [enough to get initial SG to 1.100]
5 teaspoons Fermax [I understand that apple juice can be lacking in sufficient phosphates]
2 teaspoons pectic enzymes
5 Camden tablets (crushed)
1 Packet of Wine Yeast (Vintners Harvest SN9) [I know, I like it bone dry]

After creating my must, dosing, and inoculation I wait 24 hours.
Add the yeast, cover my fermenter with a large towel.
3 weeks in primary, then 60 days in secondary.

While I wish to impart the spicy notes of the mulling agents I don't wish to overpower the apple flavor of my final product.
What would your suggestions be as to when I should add the mulling spice:
During primary, secondary or something else?

Any suggestions and best practices from you more seasoned crafters are most welcome!

 

[Thig]

Fractional freezing or freeze distillation is illegal in many areas so discussion of it here is rather limited.

 

[WI_Wino]

Fractional freezing or freeze distillation is illegal in many areas so discussion of it here is rather limited.

It's not a federal law, TxBrew allows discussion of freeze concentration on HomeBrewTalk. I assume it's fine on this site as well.

EDIT - Link to HBT post

I'm attempting to make apple wine that I can freeze concentrate similar to the way Applejack was during colonial times in New England.
My plan is to use some mulling spices as well. What I hope to end up with is a spiced apple liquor

My Recipe:
5 gallons of wild apple home pressed juice [pH 3.55]
1 can of frozen apple juice concentrate (no preservatives) [to round out the apple flavor]
5 pounds of unrefined raw sugar (crystallized evaporated cane juice) [enough to get initial SG to 1.100]
5 teaspoons Fermax [I understand that apple juice can be lacking in sufficient phosphates]
2 teaspoons pectic enzymes
5 Camden tablets (crushed)
1 Packet of Wine Yeast (Vintners Harvest SN9) [I know, I like it bone dry]

After creating my must, dosing, and inoculation I wait 24 hours.
Add the yeast, cover my fermenter with a large towel.
3 weeks in primary, then 60 days in secondary.

While I wish to impart the spicy notes of the mulling agents I don't wish to overpower the apple flavor of my final product.
What would your suggestions be as to when I should add the mulling spice:
During primary, secondary or something else?

Any suggestions and best practices from you more seasoned crafters are most welcome!

I would add your spices to taste after you have concentrated and aged for a bit. If you really want a bold apple flavor, save that can of juice concentrate until after you have freeze concentrated and add to taste. I would use potassium sorbate as a safety measure, if you freeze concentrate a few times you'll probably get the ABV up to where yeast can't survive but it is cheap insurance to prevent refermentation.

 

[sour_grapes]

It's not a federal law,

Where are you getting that information, fellow Cheesehead? See this post here:

Hate to break it to you, but this is not the case. This is why I said "Believe it or not." The TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau) classifies ANY process that concentrates the alcohol content as "distillation." And, it goes without saying, they prohibit non-licensed parties from doing that.

See a discussion here:

wine and cider may not be frozen for the express purpose of increasing the alcohol content. TTB has previously held that freezing a mixture of alcohol and aqueous fermented material, like wine, causes some water to freeze and separate from the alcohol mixture. The resultant mixture has higher alcohol content than the original and is called a “high alcohol content wine fraction” and any person who separates alcoholic spirits from any fermented substance is known as a distiller. Because Federal law requires a permit to operate as a distiller and prohibits the operation of a distillery in a residence, in order to freeze wine or cider you will have to file an application with TTB and follow our regulations regarding the manufacturing processes approved for making distilled spirits.

(I am sorry that I cannot cite you the precise TTB ruling. I looked for it, but cannot find it.)

 

[kryten]

Apple Wine

I would add your spices to taste after you have concentrated and aged for a bit. If you really want a bold apple flavor, save that can of juice concentrate until after you have freeze concentrated and add to taste. I would use potassium sorbate as a safety measure, if you freeze concentrate a few times you'll probably get the ABV up to where yeast can't survive but it is cheap insurance to prevent refermentation.

Thank you, I appreciate your comments. How about the recipe, is it sound?

 

[kryten]

Freeze Distillation

Fractional freezing or freeze distillation is illegal in many areas so discussion of it here is rather limited.

I'm not certain about individual States, however as far as the Federal government is concerned it is kosher. See this YouTube video for the details http://youtu.be/6nnR4trUKVo

 

[WI_Wino]

Thank you, I appreciate your comments. How about the recipe, is it sound?

I think so. Apple juice by itself usually tops out at an SG of 1.050 to 1.060. Boosting with sugar to say 1.080-1.090 and then fermenting is what I have done in the past. I would add half your sugar, mix it up good and then take a gravity reading. It's not rocket science . A lot of the flavor in applejack comes from the ABV IMO. Aging helps smooth it out.

 

[GreginND]

Interesting YouTube video. I thought any concentration was a problem. I presume it depends on the alcohol content of the finished product. If it's below 20% I don't think it would be a problem.

 

[sour_grapes]

however as far as the Federal government is concerned it is kosher. See this YouTube video for the details http://youtu.be/6nnR4trUKVo

It turns out that BEER is treated differently from WINE. The link I shared with you states (with some added emphases):

This answer depends entirely on the type of beverage. In regards to Beer, in 1994, ATF considered the question of whether freezing beer was distillation and, in addition, whether removal of water (or ice) produced a beer concentrate. According to ATF Ruling 94-3 (http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/94-3.htm), the process of brewing ice beer begins when the beer is cooled to below freezing causing the formation of ice crystals. It is then subject to filtration or other processes that remove a portion of the ice crystals from the beer. The resulting product contains slightly less volume than the beer which entered the process. After this freezing process, brewers restore to the beer at least the volume of water lost when ice crystals are removed. The basic character of beer remains unchanged during the removal of small amounts of ice crystals, and the ice beer does not resemble a concentrate made from beer. A removal of up to 0.5 percent of the volume of beer through the removal of ice crystals, a customary industry practice at the time, results in the product which may be considered beer. Further, ATF concluded that the removal of ice crystals is a traditional production method, which results in a product that is beer. Although ATF Ruling 94-3 and 27 CFR 25.55 require that brewers submit a statement of process (formula) for ice beer, this requirement does not apply to the persons who produce beer at home under the personal and family use exemption, which is explained in greater detail below.
However, wine and cider may not be frozen for the express purpose of increasing the alcohol content. TTB has previously held that freezing a mixture of alcohol and aqueous fermented material, like wine, causes some water to freeze and separate from the alcohol mixture. The resultant mixture has higher alcohol content than the original and is called a “high alcohol content wine fraction” and any person who separates alcoholic spirits from any fermented substance is known as a distiller. Because Federal law requires a permit to operate as a distiller and prohibits the operation of a distillery in a residence, in order to freeze wine or cider you will have to file an application with TTB and follow our regulations regarding the manufacturing processes approved for making distilled spirits.
3) If it is not distillation, are there any limits?
See above for limitations and prohibitions.
4) If it does not constitute distillation, how should the beverage be counted in terms of the 100 gallon annual limit on personal production of alcoholic beverages?
Since this is only permissible for beer, you must follow the personal and family use exemption at 27 CFR 25.205 which provides that:

Your video addressed only beer. This also may explain why discussion of this practice is allowed on HomeBrewTalk and not on WineMakingTalk.

EDITED TO ADD AND ALTER: My original message contained a sentence that, in the light of morning, seemed somewhat snarky. I have toned that down.

I also want to acknowledge (as in my original post) that I do not KNOW the TTB regulations for sure. I am going by info posted by some dude on the internet that is purported to be from the TTB. Your video is also from some dude on the internet with info that is purported to be from the TTB. But both of these are consistent with the position that freezing is okay for beer, not okay for wine. Until I get other information, that is what I am going by.

 

[GreginND]

Thanks for the clarification, Paul.

By the way - whether we talk about distillation or not on this forum is completely up to the forum owner and moderators. It has nothing to do with the law on distillation. Certainly it is not illegal to discuss distillation (1st amendment) - it is illegal to DO distillation. But such discussions in a public forum do call, perhaps unwanted, attention from federal authorities who may end up knocking on your door some day. And, the forum owner may be liable for encouraging illegal activity. Thus, it is a good idea not to have such discussions here.

 

[kryten]

Okay so I'm making an apple beer...

 

[drumlinridgewinery]

Exactly. Use a yeast that can go high. Give it a year. It will work. I have had good results step feeding sugar also.

 

[kryten]

Just a little update:
I have made 15 gallons (another 5 on the way) of strong apple wine, the ABV is about 16%.
I'm going to bulk age it about 18 months and start bottling for gifts and such.
I took a small quantity (about 1/2 gallon) and stuck it in the freezer. Poured off about 1/4 gallon of thick sweet liquor. Good golly that's good stuff!

 

[bkisel]

Is there something unique about fermenting apple wine such that 3 weeks in primary and 60 days in secondary is required for fermentation to dry?

Thanx...

 

[kryten]

Time to ferment to dry depends on the original specific gravity and the attenuation capacity of the yeast strains used.

For this purpose and ends I'm personally starting my apple fermentation at OG 1.100 and use Vitners Harvest SN9 strain.

Given this a full fermentation using Fermax, pectase enzyme, and all the rest it does take a full three weeks.

 

[kryten]

First batch complete. And no ill effects. 'Proof God loves me and wants me to be happy.'