I have a tree that will be loaded with apricots. What's the real methode for brandy?

I know that lots of folks in Europe take great pride in making apricot brandy. How is it done? (please don't suggest vodka or shortcuts; I'd like to know the real thing). Is it fermenting, or distilling? Both?

I have a tree that will be loaded with apricots. What's the real methode for brandy?
Both, actually. The first step will be to make apricot wine. I'm assuming that you don't have a lot of brewing experience, so I'll give you the quick overview. Wait until the apricots are very ripe(but make sure to discard any that have started to rot) Wash them then put them in a nylon stalking. This keeps all of the pits and pulp in one place. put the bag of fruit in a 5 gal bucked and kneed the bag until the fruit is all broken up. You don't need to over do it. Add a 5lb bag of sugar and fill the bucket up with water to within three or four inches of the top, then stir to dissolve the sugar. mix some brewers yeast with a cup of warm water than add it to the bucket. Put a loose fitting lid on the bucket and keep it in a warm place for about a week. After a week, the yeast will have turned all of the sugar into alcohol, so its ready to distill into brandy. If you taste it, it won't taste sweet. Distilling isn't exactly legal in the US, but you can still find a bunch of books that will walk you through how to build a still. Check with your local homebrew store. Hope you find this helpful.
Reply:If you are thinking about making apricot wine to drink and not to make brandy, let me know. There would be a few other things to consider to make sure that it turns out good. Report It
Reply:The reason people use vodka shortcuts is that distilling is illegal in England unless you have a licence. Customs and Excise would be very unhappy bunnies!

Also illegal is making wine (that's the fermenting bit which you are allowed to do), freezing it, then putting it in a centrifuge (juice extractor) to remove the ice thus making it stronger.
Reply:there is a good article on brandy here on this site:



Brandy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandy



has a lot of basic information



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