How to distil Apples.
Apples ought to be perfectly ripe for distillation, as it has been ascertained from repeated trials, that they produce more and better spirit, (as well as cider), when fully ripe than if taken green, or the ripe and unripe mixed—if taken mixed it will not be found practicable to grind them evenly, or equally fine; those fully ripe will be well ground, whilst those hard and unripe will be little more than broken or slightly bruised—and when this coarse and fine mixture is put into a hogshead to work or ferment, that fully ripe and fine ground, will immediately begin, and will be nearly if not quite done working before the other begins, and of course nearly all the spirit contained in the unripe fruit will be lost—and if it is left standing until the ill ground unripe fruit is thoroughly fermented, and done working, you will perceive that a large portion of the spirit contained in the ripe well ground fruit is evaporated and of course lost.
But if the fruit be all ripe and evenly ground, of course then it will work regularly and can be distilled in due and right order, and will produce the greatest quantity of spirit, and much superior to that produced from uneven, ill-ground or unripe fruit.
Apples cannot be ground too fine.
ART. X.
How to order Apples in the Hogsheads.
When the apples are ground put them into open hogsheads to ferment, taking care not to fill them too full, or they will work over; set them under cover, as the sun will sour them too soon, if permitted to operate on them, and by his heat extract a considerable quantity of the spirit, if the weather be warm they will work fast enough, provided you have a sufficient supply of hogsheads to keep your stills agoing in due time and order; about twenty hogsheads are sufficient to keep one singling still of one hundred and ten gallons agoing, if you distil the pumice with the juice, but if you press off the apples after they are done working, you must have three times that number.
In warm weather five or six days is long enough for apples to work, as it is always better to distil them before they are quite done working, then to let them stand one hour after the fermentation ceases.