Lemon Soda Recipe?

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brauhausjoe

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I am new to soda brewing. I have been looking around for a Lemon Soda recipe but have not found any. You guys got any good ones? Really looking for the European Lemon drink, but a Sprite or 7up would work as well.

Thanks!
BHJ
 
I don't have a lemon soda recipe, but I recently made a lime soda (I tend to think of lemon as that ingredient that ruins sprite by perverting my beautiful lime flavor).

I don't know what kind of batch size/process you're planning to use. I made mine directly in an empty 2L soda bottle.

I had some leftover lime extract and lime bitter I had made a while ago for a beer recipe and decided to use them up in this. I used a lot more than I had expected to need, and I still didn't feel like I got enough lime flavor to come through.

Mostly, though, I felt the soda came out flat. If I were going to do it again, I would definitely consider upping the acidity of the soda. Mine had no bite to it. I used 4 tsp of lemon juice in 2 liters, which is sufficient for acidity in my ginger ale, but was not nearly enough here.

I don't think there's any way you're going to pull it off without lemon extract, even if you just make it yourself (lemon zest + vodka for a week or so). After that, just taste it as you add it until it tastes right.

If you'd like, I can dredge out of my memory what I used to create my soda, along with what changes I would make it if I were to make it again today.
 
Cool, thanks for the reply. Should I make a base that I like, for me a kind of lemonade, then carbonate it?

Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, but I am new to the soda thing. Lots of Mead and Beer, but this will be my first soda.

Thanks.
 
I go for a pretty minimalist approach to soda making, doing 2L batches and using bread yeast... I want to be able to make it with whatever I have on hand instead of having to make a trip to the HBS to make soda.

If you have the means to force carbonate, then you can absolutely do it that way. I suppose you have to figure out how "Lemon Soda" would be different than "Carbonated Lemonade."

I usually make a general soda base composed of 1-2 cups of sugar, 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of bread yeast, whatever flavoring I want, and enough water to fill the 2L bottle.

The lemon juice above is just to give it some acidity. Like I mentioned with my lime soda, I'd really want more acidity if I did it again.

I used something like 4 ounces of lime extract for flavoring, but it was homemade so there's no telling how its potency matches up against a commercial extract.
 
Thanks! That helps me get an understanding of what I need to do. I'll keep messing with it until I get it right :) When I do I'll post my findings here

Thanks Again.
 
I am new to soda brewing. I have been looking around for a Lemon Soda recipe but have not found any. You guys got any good ones? Really looking for the European Lemon drink, but a Sprite or 7up would work as well.

Thanks!
BHJ

i make sima its a swedish/finnish drink usually consumed on or around May 1st to celbrate Walpurgis Night, its classified as a mead but i think its more soda like since honey is no longer used

anyway here is the recipe i use:

peel two large lemons
scrape the white inner rind off and discard
put rinds in a non reactive bowl (stainless, enamel)
slice the lemons as thinly as possible and put in bowl (remove seeds)
add 1/2 cp sugar, and brown sugar
pour 5qt boiling water over
stir then let cool (can put in fridge to accelerate)
add 1/8 tsp hydrated yeast
room ferment uncovered for 12 hrs
bottle with a few raisins in each qt bottle and add a tsp sugar to each bottle
drink when raisins float
 
hasnt happened to me yet
and ive made it many times
the raisins arent critical just helpful
you can make this with other citrus fruits but lemon seems to retain the most flavor after fermentation for some odd reason
let me know how it goes
just remember to hydrate the yeast for 20 mins before adding to the 'wort'
you can also run some of the peels over a microplane for more intense lemon flavor
 
I go for a pretty minimalist approach to soda making, doing 2L batches and using bread yeast... I want to be able to make it with whatever I have on hand instead of having to make a trip to the HBS to make soda.

If you have the means to force carbonate, then you can absolutely do it that way. I suppose you have to figure out how "Lemon Soda" would be different than "Carbonated Lemonade."

I usually make a general soda base composed of 1-2 cups of sugar, 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of bread yeast, whatever flavoring I want, and enough water to fill the 2L bottle.

The lemon juice above is just to give it some acidity. Like I mentioned with my lime soda, I'd really want more acidity if I did it again.

I used something like 4 ounces of lime extract for flavoring, but it was homemade so there's no telling how its potency matches up against a commercial extract.
I was just wondering what kind of bread yeast you are using specifically. The one brand I have tried smelled like rotten eggs when the soda was done.
 
I've found that when I first open the bottle, it's pretty strong, but by the time it's in a glass it fades into the background. It's still there, and if I were making soda for a special occasion, I'd splurge and use another yeast, but for my own drinking, I can ignore the aroma since it doesn't impact the flavor much.

I think it's also affected by what kind of soda you're making. Ginger ale it's barely noticeable because the ginger itself provides some aroma. Using an extract or a flavoring, it's more present because those things have little in the way of aroma.
 
My experience with bread yeast is about how Leprechaun describes it. With strong sodas it isn't all that unpleasant, except the initial pour. I had one batch that smelled horrible, but I suspect it was contaminated. I've since moved on to using just ale yeast, and I don't get any more whiffs of sourdough.

Back on topic, I made a batch of lemon/lime soda that turned out decent. I squeezed six limes and used a bunch of lemon juice. I also soaked lime zest in everclear in an attempt to make lime extract, and threw in a bit of ginger for zing. I was using a different yeast than usual, and it took quite a while to carbonate (~7 days). The final product was bubbly and crisp, and didn't have the foamy head I've been getting with Cooper's yeast. I like it.
 
My experience with bread yeast is about how Leprechaun describes it. With strong sodas it isn't all that unpleasant, except the initial pour. I had one batch that smelled horrible, but I suspect it was contaminated. I've since moved on to using just ale yeast, and I don't get any more whiffs of sourdough.

Back on topic, I made a batch of lemon/lime soda that turned out decent. I squeezed six limes and used a bunch of lemon juice. I also soaked lime zest in everclear in an attempt to make lime extract, and threw in a bit of ginger for zing. I was using a different yeast than usual, and it took quite a while to carbonate (~7 days). The final product was bubbly and crisp, and didn't have the foamy head I've been getting with Cooper's yeast. I like it.

I'll have to try ale yeast, sounds good.
 
I don't have a lemon soda recipe, but I recently made a lime soda (I tend to think of lemon as that ingredient that ruins sprite by perverting my beautiful lime flavor).

I don't know what kind of batch size/process you're planning to use. I made mine directly in an empty 2L soda bottle.

I had some leftover lime extract and lime bitter I had made a while ago for a beer recipe and decided to use them up in this. I used a lot more than I had expected to need, and I still didn't feel like I got enough lime flavor to come through.

Mostly, though, I felt the soda came out flat. If I were going to do it again, I would definitely consider upping the acidity of the soda. Mine had no bite to it. I used 4 tsp of lemon juice in 2 liters, which is sufficient for acidity in my ginger ale, but was not nearly enough here.

I don't think there's any way you're going to pull it off without lemon extract, even if you just make it yourself (lemon zest + vodka for a week or so). After that, just taste it as you add it until it tastes right.

If you'd like, I can dredge out of my memory what I used to create my soda, along with what changes I would make it if I were to make it again today.

I remember drinking commercially made "Suncrest" brand lemon sodas back in the 1950s and 1960s when I lived near Paducah, Kentucky. One of those frosty cold on a hot, 110 degree day was like a taste of sheer heaven! I cannot understand why they're so hard to come by since Lemonade has always been pretty popular. I live in Nashville, Tennessee now and no luck finding them down here either.
 
Carbonated lemon soda is common and excellant outside the US. For some reason most lemon in a soda container in usa is dead (still) lemonade. In australia, fanta lemon soda is everywhere, and has real lemon in it. Europe and even india has delicious lemon sodas, better than dead lemonade. Italian lemon soda can be heavy on the bitter zest.

You can find some french and other lemon soda imported, but i think it doesnt survive the long boat ride too well. I have some high quality lemon juice, but have to find lots of sweetener for it. I wish i could get sorrento lemons from volcanic areas of italy... they need almost no sweetener and taste like heaven.
 
If there is a Costco near you, consider buying 'Italian Volcano Lemon Juice'. They are from Sicily, near Mt Etna apparently. Very good product!
 
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