The simple way to do a small batch would be putting a balloon on top of your container, no? I have only personally brewed beer and seen friends experiment with wine and the balloon on top was the “free” way to go for wine, versus a bung with the plastic bubbler I use for beer.
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You’re supposed to drink it! I like mine a couple of days in, after it starts to fizz a little. Ongoing fermentation makes it continually less sweet, and it can get pretty “dry” even under refrigeration if you don’t use it up.
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I actually was hoping for vinegar.
I have let it go to a good fizziness and then frozen it making what my dad would term as apple-jack.
The freezing does a rough form of distilling by removing water, which freezes to ice well before the alcohol does.
Scott
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Cider was alcoholic prior to Prohibition. There were many grape, apple, and malt products that were sold for home fermentation, but marketed as non-alcoholic.
I believe cider is 100% juice, but apple juice must only contain 50% juice.
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“The disadvantage of freeze distillation, also called fractional crystallization, is that the substances remaining after the removal of the water include not only ethanol, but also harmful methanol, esters, aldehydes, and fusel alcohols.”
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I can attest to the hangover produced by homemade applejack 
It was a fun experiment, and fun while drinking…but not so much fun the day after.
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yeap. i made some 3 winters ago when it got down to -35f. got it to 85 proof. tasted real good but gave a hell of a big head in the morning. gave some to a friend and he had the same results. wish they made a filtered version of apple jack. the apple whiskeys are good but it isnt the same.
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You can reduce the unwanted byproducts by diluting the must to a SG of 1.030-1.035, and fermenting in the low-mid 60s. Also add sufficient yeast and a yeast nutrient, like diammonium phosphate & yeast hulls. Stir your must with a length a brass pipe to leech a little zinc. The zinc helps with a healthy fermentation. Filtering through activated charcoal will clean it up further, but also remove some flavor.
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