HOW TO MAKE APPLEJACK

Apple wine is different from hard cider in that it is usually

around 10-12% alcohol and is fermented with the addition

of sugar and other ingredients such as acid blend and tannin

for flavor balance. Hard cider typically runs around 5% alcohol

and is produced by simply allowing the apple juice to ferment

on the sugars that are naturally present.

The features that make Applejack different from hard cider or

apple wine is that it has a higher concentration of alcohol. It

can be as high as 30% alcohol or 60 proof. Also, the apple

flavor is more intense or concentrated.

Applejack is made by storing completely finished apple wine at
below freezing temperatures. What happens is the water that is
in the apple wine freezes and rises to the top while the alcohol
stays in liquid form - a process known as fractional crystal-
lization. Each day you simply scoop off the ice that has formed,
causing the alcohol and the apple flavor that is left behind to
become more concentrated.

Each day you will notice that the amount of ice that is forming
will be less and less, until eventually no more ice will form at
all at that particular temperature. The following will give you
an idea of how concentrated the alcohol can become at a given
temperature: at zero degrees ice will form until the liquid
reaches 14% alcohol by volume. At 10 below ice will form until it
reaches 20%. At 20 below 27% can be made. And, at 30 below

33% alcohol can be obtained.

Applejack was very popular among the New England colonies.
Barrels of apple wine would be set out in sheds during January
and February when the temperatures where blistering cold. And,

by first thaw it would be ready to drink.

If it does not get all that cold in your area, the same effect
can be duplicated by using a deep freezer. Do not use glass
containers as they as they will more than likely crack. A soft
plastic, food-grade pail with lid seems to work well for this
purpose. Just put your apple wine in the deep freezer, set the
thermostat as low as it will go. Then every day scoop off the
ice, until there is no more ice to scoop.

The alcohol level the wine starts out at is not all that
important. Whether it is 8% or 12% the same concentration level
will eventually be reached regardless. The only thing that
changes is the amount of ice you will need to remove to get to
that point.

Another thing to note here is that while traditionally this
method is applied to apple wines, it can also be applied to other
wines just the same. Other good candidates would be: Pear, Mead,
Watermelon, Peach, Strawberry - primarily fruits that do not have
a strong, assertive flavor to begin with. Have fun and experiment
with a gallon or two.