Full Hard Lemonade recipe

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Frozen concentrate,

bknifefight said:
This is a really easy and good recipe for hard lemonade. It is a lot stronger than Mike's.

Ingredients (makes 6-7 gallons):

- 12 cans preservative-free Lemonade concentrate (I use Nature's best
brand from Aldi's cause it is cheap, Minute Maid is another option)
- 1 lb Extra light or Pilsen Light Dry Malt Extract
- 2.5 lbs corn sugar
- Yeast nutrient
- Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast (THIS YEAST IS VERY IMPORTANT, OTHER CHAMPAGNE YEASTS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THE ACIDITY OF THE LEMONADE, BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE YEAST PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AS WELL)
- Potassium Sorbate
- Appx 8 cups regular cane sugar

Rehydrate yeast:

Rehydrate yeast by combining 1 cup warm water with 1 tbsp of lemonade concentrate and just a couple yeast nutrient pellets with Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne yeast, Allow to sit for at least a half hour. You should see vigorous action in the yeast when ready.

Brewing the wort:

In a 2.5+ gal brew pot, combine 1 lb Pilsen Light Dry Malt Extract (DME) with 3 lbs corn sugar to appx 2 gal boiling water. This will give you appx 9% abv when finished. To increase alcohol, increase sugar and/or DME, use less sugar to lower ABV). Stir until completely disolved Remove from heat, and 7 tsp yeast nutrient.

Combine wort in large plastic fermentor bucket with 10 cans lemonade concentrate, and enough cold water to fill bucket to bring total volume to 6 gal. Make sure temp is between 65 - 75 degrees, and take initial hydrometer reading. Pitch in your yeast starter. Put lid and airlock on fermentor and allow to ferment at room temp.

Fermentation:

You should see steady fermentation within 2 -3 days, that will last 1-2 weeks. Allow to ferment completely out before attempting to bottle.

Bottling day:

Take hydrometer reading. You should be right around .998 – 1.002 specific gravity.

In a large sauce pan, add 8 cups cane sugar (or to taste), 2 cans Lemonade concentrate, and 3 cups water and, stirring continuously, bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and disolve 3.5 tsp potassium sorbate. Add lemon/sugar/sorbate solution to a 7 gal bottling bucket. Rack fermented lemonade from carboy into bottling bucket with the sorbate solution, stirring thoroughly.

You can bottle in beer or wine bottles, or you can keg. Even with the sorbate, you will probably get a little bit of carbonation as it sits, but it is usually not enough to pop a cork. I usually keg, and force carbonate.

It is ready to drink on bottling day.
 
Ok I have just made this exact brew but used minute maid lemonaid. My gravity at 85 degrees is 1.031.

Doesn't that seem a bit low?

I would not think that there would be that much difference in the sugar content among various frozen concentrates. Are you sure about how much sugar and malt you added? Did you dissolve the sugar and malt in hot water before measuring the SG?

Other than that I would check that your hydrometer is working correctly? You can test it with distilled water.
 
I used the cans. Each can is 3% juice.

I used the wrong stuff. I assume I can just add 10 frozen cans and it should still work out. It will work out just more volume?
 
I used the cans. Each can is 3% juice.

I used the wrong stuff. I assume I can just add 10 frozen cans and it should still work out. It will work out just more volume?

Oops. I am assuming that your lemon drink does not have much preservative, and you did not complete fermentation, and did not add sorbate already. If not, it should be ok to proceed but ....

Your lemon drink only contained 3% juice and did it have sugar?

If you add the frozen concentrate at this point (with no other changes) you will end up with 120 oz. more than the recipe calls for. It may end up being a bit lower ABV and possibly less lemon flavor.

There are lots of ways to go at this point to get close to the original recipe. It may depend on the size of your fermenters. For example, you can remove 120 oz, and add the concentrate and a bit more sugar and a bit more malt OR you can add the concentrate and a bit more sugar and malt and nutrient to make 6+ gallons. I like the latter option. Do the math to increase ingredients for 6+ gallons, and use your hydrometer to get to the OG that you want. You'll be fine.
 
I bottled mine this morning...I used 5 cups of sugar...tasted awesome...thanks for the recipe
Carb up for a few days, and then a hot water bath
 
Read the entire thread has anyone done a raspberry or strawberry lemonade using the concentrates and what ratios have you used ?
 
This is my new weekend project lol. I'll let everyone know how it goes

You won't regret it. Enjoying some now!

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Day 3 in the bottles...I'll give them a bath after work.

Taking some of these (along with many Homebrew beer) to a 3 day outdoor music fest this weekend
 
Put 190f water in with bottles into a cooler...settled at 145f...let it sit at 145f for 20 min...am I good? Yeast dead?
 
I've heard of people using the rinse cycle before. One account I read was a horror story that involved the dishwasher not getting hot enough and bottle bombs resulted! My preference is to just use the method prescribed in the cider forum just to be sure. Maybe a belt and suspenders approach though.
 
I've heard of people using the rinse cycle before. One account I read was a horror story that involved the dishwasher not getting hot enough and bottle bombs resulted! My preference is to just use the method prescribed in the cider forum just to be sure. Maybe a belt and suspenders approach though.

Yikes.

Of course I would maintain the use of a couple plastic bottles to gauge the pressure.

My dishwasher has a "sanitary" cycle on it - bet that just means "super hot bottle pasteurization". Next batch will be carbed. Will of course provide an update whenever that happens.
 
I saw this question asked.. but did not see an answer.

Can you do this with raseberry-lemonaid? Just get the raseberrie-lemonaid conentrate can instead?
 
I saw this question asked.. but did not see an answer.

Can you do this with raseberry-lemonaid? Just get the raseberrie-lemonaid conentrate can instead?

I don't see why not. Just make sure your OG is where you want it. You might have to adjust the amount of DME you use depending on the sugar content.
 
Made this and bottled today...WOW...this stuff is good. Perfect over ice. Used 5 cups of sugar at the end and it's perfect.
 
In the process of making this now. SWMBO hates everything that tastes of alcohol. Hopefully she will like this.:drunk:
 
In the process of making this now. SWMBO hates everything that tastes of alcohol. Hopefully she will like this.:drunk:

I'm with you there Bro! Same boat. She never drinks when she needs to calm her nerve. Im hoping that she will like this

I brewed this the correct way on Monday. Its fermenting like CRAZY right now and my room smells so lemony. I want it to hurry up so I can have some. I was just out doing yard work and all I could think is how I want some NOW.
 
I am planning on kegging this tomorrow. Do I need the sorbate if I keg? My plan is to rack to my bottling bucket to sweeten and then into the keg. I haven't been able to find any sorbate yet and was hoping the fridge temp would stop any fermentation.
I have an APA to bottle as well and if I need to switch the 2 I can but I think I would prefer the lemon on tap (easier for SWMBO to get at if she likes it!!).
 
Okay, round 2 is in the bottles.

Didn't use sorbate this time, as I'm going to let it get carb'd up. Used 2 cans of lime-ade for fun, and 6 cups of sugar this time. Tasted great going in the bottles.

I filled 4 PET bottles and will use them as a gauge by their squishy-ness to determine what's happening in the glass. I really, really hope things don't explode on me.

Was thinking of just piling everything in the dishwasher and running a high-heat cycle to pasteurize when the time comes - anyone ever do this with success?
 
mitchmcq said:
I just finished a batch of cranberry lemonade. I used cranberry juice instead of water. It was a huge hit.

Can I have ur recipe for 5 gal. That sounds awesome
 
hennesey1 said:
Can I have ur recipe for 5 gal. That sounds awesome

Yeah, I'm curious if it's up front (before fermentation) or if it's part of the back sweetening, guessing it's the back sweetening. making this again next week and have been thinking cranberry lemonade
 
Okay, round 2 is in the bottles.

Didn't use sorbate this time, as I'm going to let it get carb'd up. Used 2 cans of lime-ade for fun, and 6 cups of sugar this time. Tasted great going in the bottles.

I filled 4 PET bottles and will use them as a gauge by their squishy-ness to determine what's happening in the glass. I really, really hope things don't explode on me.

Was thinking of just piling everything in the dishwasher and running a high-heat cycle to pasteurize when the time comes - anyone ever do this with success?

let us know how you make out with the dishwasher...I'm about to start another batch...
 
Might be doing it tonight - checked a PET bottle yesterday, and it was just a hint fizzy. Today I grabbed another and it's hard as a rock - got it chilling now to check, and also a glass bottle in the freezer to check as well (might as well have 2 if it's ready!).

After I run the other 2 PET bottles through the dishwasher with the glass ones, I'm going to put them all in the ferm. chamber while I leave the PET ones out for another week. If they gush or expand further then I know the pasteurization didn't work and I'll need to step it up. If it's the same after, then we're good.

I suspect these will all be gone on the 17th anyway, as we're moving and I want to satisfy the help with some refreshing homemade hard lemonade.

This **** really is good - can't believe more people don't make it.
 
And we're good!

A little undercarbed but its good for me for the first carbed batch. 6 cups sugar and carbed (so I figure 1 cup fermented in bottles) and PERFECT sweetness. 8 would be too much IMO.


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I followed the directions to the T and after 3 days very little activity in air lock. Should I add more water and nutrient and another yeast starter?
 
hennesey1 said:
I followed the directions to the T and after 3 days very little activity in air lock. Should I add more water and nutrient and another yeast starter?

Just whip in some more o2 and check gravity. It is slow and the yeast needs the o2 in such a harsh environment. When gravity reaches your mid point then add more nutrient and introduce more o2.
 
thejudge said:
Just whip in some more o2 and check gravity. It is slow and the yeast needs the o2 in such a harsh environment. When gravity reaches your mid point then add more nutrient and introduce more o2.

Thanks judge ill try that tonight. It just seems extremely slow next to my wine that is just bubbling away like a mad man
 
let us know in a few days if the dishwasher got hot enuf to kill the yeast

I don't think it did. I was too scared to put it on "Super Hot" mode. I have a PET bottle in the closet that keeps getting harder, I think.

I have them all in the fridge right now. Acutally gonna have one right now!
 
Bottling day for me. I made a 6 gal batch and plan on getting 15 12oz bottles and putting the rest in the Keg for force carb. Do these things carb quickly in the bottles? Or wait the standard 4 weeks?

Now I have a question about the keg and carb. Is this best at the same carb level as a standard beer?
 
Bottling day for me. I made a 6 gal batch and plan on getting 15 12oz bottles and putting the rest in the Keg for force carb. Do these things carb quickly in the bottles? Or wait the standard 4 weeks?

Now I have a question about the keg and carb. Is this best at the same carb level as a standard beer?

Because you're back sweetening and not just priming you're gonna carb up in a matter of days, not weeks. Make sure to fill a plastic bottle so you can do the squeeze test to see how the carbonation process is coming along. When carbonation is where you want it pasteurize per the sticky in the cider forum.

As far as kegging, I have no idea on that one. Actually gonna keg my first cider this week.
 
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