Hard Lemonade from fresh lemons?? (dont know where else to post this!!)

soccerdude71 · 01-15-2012, 09:40 PM

Hi Everyone,

I did a search here for a recipe for hard lemonade, but they all seem to be centered around using frozen concentrate. I don't want to use that... I have a lemon tree with more lemons than I know what to do, so I want to use those instead.

Anyone have a tested recipe that they could share? As much info, including the steps you use make it would be really appreciated! Oh, and I don't want it tasting malty. I want it to tastr like lemonade

Thanks
George

BigEd · 01-15-2012, 10:52 PM

Bear in mind that commercial products of this type are not brewed from scratch like a regular beer. A very clear, very tasteless fermented product is made and then flavoring and sweeteners are added to it. In the US it is done that way for tax purposes since using distilled neutral spirits, which is the way it's done in most places, carry a higher tax rate than alcohol that is only fermented. In other words these products are "beer" or "malt beverages" only in a strict legal sense. While I have seen reports in the forums on various degrees of success in homebrewing such a product I think the best results would be obtained by blending a homemade lemonade base with vodka to reach the desired ABV and then force carbonating in a keg.

**Zamial** · 01-16-2012, 04:33 AM

Skeeter Pee

Skeeterpee -

There is a huge thread on it here in the wine section.

**Stauffbier** · 01-16-2012, 04:36 AM

Make homemade concentrate with your lemons then use the recipes you found that use concentrate

pyth · 01-16-2012, 01:06 PM

That Skeeter Pee looks amazing. I'm bottling up some apfelwien tomorrow, and think I might have to use that carboy to try a batch of that.

EmmaC · 01-26-2012, 10:38 PM

I just started a one-gallon batch with fresh-squeezed lemons. The recipe is a mash-up of lots of others that I found online:

4 c. lemon juice (20-25 lemons)
3 quarts water
1 cup sugar (you could go more if you want higher ABV; I'm aiming for 5-6%)
1/4 cup maltodextrin to sweeten (might need more, or some other non-fermentable sugar)
1 campden tablet
2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 packet champagne yeast

Bring the water to a boil and dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice. When cool, add in the crushed campden tablet (to sterilize). Wait 24 hours. Make a yeast starter with 1 cup lemonade must and the yeast nutrient. Pitch when it gets foamy.

All this said, I've been having trouble getting fermentation to really get going. It's been cold in my house, though I try to help things along by keeping the fermenter close to my heater. After doing some more reading, I think I also need to aerate the must more frequently to get the aerobic action going with the yeast. A few recipes also mentioned adding Potassium Carbonate to balance out the acidity of the lemons and help make the yeast happier. If I can't get fermentation going in another few days, I'll try this.

Any other thoughts?

soccerdude71 · 02-04-2012, 06:20 AM

So how did this come out?

**mikeysab** · 02-04-2012, 06:41 AM

Yeah, how did this turn out?

soccerdude71 · 02-08-2012, 11:45 PM

: /

I wanted to try this, but don't want to I don't know how it is...

Reaver · 02-09-2012, 12:33 AM

Skeeter Pee is great stuff! I've already mixed up (1) 6gal batch of Skeeter Pee and #2 is bubbling behind me... There was over 800 gal's recorded last year by HBT members. It's GREAT stuff and there is SOOO much info over in the wine forum on this. I can't keep enough on hand. Many of us have worked out an effective Dry Yeast version.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/skeeter-pee-195681/

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/skeeter-pee-starting-dry-yeast-212915/

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/how-many-gallons-skeeter-pee-have-been-made-221455/

Take a wander into the wine world...