![]() River on the east and the Delaware River on the west. The “great applejack-producing belt” ran between the Hudson While many argue that applejack distillation began in Sussex County, New Jersey, it quickly spread into New York through the Hudson Valley. ![]() These simple pot stills varied in capacity ranging from 100 to 3,000 gallons, and were used to produce all sorts of “brandy” – the generic name for distillates made from fermented fruit, rather than from grain (i.e., whiskey). By heating fermented cider in a large, air-tight copper kettle, with its accompanying “worm” or distilling coil immersed in cold water, a farmer was able to isolate and vaporize (distill) the alcohol from the fermented fruit back into its liquid form. In the decades before the American Revolution, colonists brought cider presses and simple stills with them to the New World. The resulting unfrozen liquid, however, was a crude and powerful drink, whose effect, it’s been noted, was like “a crack on the head with a hammer.” The word “applejack” itself is said to have been derived from the term “jacking,” an early term for freeze distillation. The layers of ice were removed and the liquid allowed to re-freeze-sometimes three orįour more times-to concentrate the alcohol. Early settlers quickly came to favor cider and cider brandy, or “applejack,” which was traditionally made by allowing “hard,” or fermented, apple cider to freeze outside during the winter months. After a harvest, surplus apples were pressed into cider, which was plentiful and cheap. Around the globe, it was often the first tree fruit planted and cultivated in any newly acquired territory.ĭuring the early Colonial Era in America, apple seeds from Europe were planted extensively, and almost every farm in the New World soon had its own apple orchard. Its health and medicinal qualities were so highly considered that wherever colonization occurred, the apple was sure to follow. Since Adam and Eve, the apple has been closely identified with man’s existence. In the Hudson Valley, where it boasts a rich and generations-long tradition, this natural and potent by-product of orchard fruit farming was once revered as “cider brandy,” “apple whiskey,” or just plain “apple.” For nearly two centuries it was renowned as the beverage of choice throughout New York State. Reference: “Monitoring of Carboxylic Acids by In-Line Conductivity Measurement to Determine Optimum Distillation Strategy for Distilling Apple Spirits” by Andreas Liebminger, Christian Philipp, Sezer Sari, Markus Holstein, Volker Dietrich and Manfred Goessinger, 22 November 2021, ACS Food Science & Technology.APPLE BRANDY commonly known as “Applejack,” is once again making a name for itself as a popular American drink. The researchers say that monitoring the conductivity in the distillates afforded them a simple way to identify the best conditions for producing apple spirits with the most desirable quality and taste. By keeping the cooling tower a few degrees warmer, the researchers didn’t expend as much energy overall compared to the conventional approach. In contrast, raising the temperature of the still’s cooling tower produced a liquor with a good aroma intensity, while also reducing the carboxylic acid levels. In additional tests to find a more energy-efficient distillation strategy, they noted that heating up the mash too quickly produced a distillate with lower conductivity and fewer of the unwanted flavor compounds, but it smelled bland. They found that as the conductivity rose, so did the levels of the bad-tasting carboxylic acids. As the mash was heated, they continuously monitored the conductivity of the distillates and measured the levels of nine carboxylic acids. The researchers crushed and fermented apples into a mash, which they distilled in a German-style batch column still. So, the researchers wanted to see if this would also hold for apple liquors. ![]() Previously, Andreas Liebminger and colleagues showed that a rapid increase in apricot brandy distillate’s conductivity reliably indicates the ideal time to stop the distillation. But the exact time to stop the distillation process - and achieve the most flavorful liquor - has been uncertain. Most producers use batch columns to make apple spirits because it provides a clean-tasting, high-alcohol distillate in a large volume.
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