Extra Hard Lemonade

Has anyone tried Brown sugar?

Bump.

Just wondering if using Brown sugar would be beneficial in keeping the yeasties working in the high acidity?

hadn't thought of that.... hmm... worth a try?

I only have a few brews under my belt, but I plan to try this next. Do you think if I used Brown sugar, I would get some off flavors?

I tried this one today. I followed the recipe exactly as listed, using great value concentrate from wally world. 7 lemon, 3 lime. I added water to 6 gallons. My question is. What is your OG when you make this? Mine was 1.130, does that seem high to you?

should be around 1.112

48 hours later.....No action.

I popped the top on the bucket, and I looked like the yeast was floating on top. So, I gave it a good stir and put the top back on.

Any idea's?

Got the stuff for this today. Following the OP recipe exactly. Don't have any yeast nutrient, just energizer, so I'll have to pick some up. I'm putting this into two 3 gal containers (they are actually 4 gal, but 3 gaal in each). Can I put 1/2 yeast pkt in each or should I use a pkt. each, and put the full nutrient and energizer in each just to be safe or 1/2 those too?

From experience I tried a full pack of yeast and it wouldn't take off. I'd make a starter with sugar (I also threw in apple juice) and after that gets going add about 100ml of the recipe ingredients at a time every couple hours. After you get a litre or so and it's going good, then add it to your primary. Just pitching the yeast seems to be a hard if not impossible go for them lil buggers.

1

HessenHelles said:

48 hours later.....No action.

I popped the top on the bucket, and I looked like the yeast was floating on top. So, I gave it a good stir and put the top back on.

Any idea's?

Click to expand...

Did you make a starter. I pitched a pack of EC1118 and nothing. Made a quick starter with same yeast and some sugar and apple juice. She took off in 2 hours.

idrinkstuffnthings said:

Did you make a starter. I pitched a pack of EC1118 and nothing. Made a quick starter with same yeast and some sugar and apple juice. She took off in 2 hours.

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What I did was. Rehydrate one pack of Montrachet in a mason jar with 1 cup 85 deg water. About a half hour later I added a few cups from the primary. Two hours later the yeast was really going to town. So I pitched. I did not use nutrient or energizer.

So today, I rehydrated another packet in a 2 litter soda bottle, then added .5 liter must, and nutrient, and topped off with airlock. Before I go the sleep I will add another .5 liter.

How long should I let this go before I pitch?

I pitched the starter after about 4 hours. But I'm impatient. Couldn't hurt to leave it and do it the next day.

Help!!!

I'm ready to pitch my 1L starter after 24 hours.

But, I'm not sure if I should scoop out the dead yeasties floating in the primary first. Looks discusting.

Any thoughts?

HessenHelles said:

Help!!!

I'm ready to pitch my 1L starter after 24 hours.

But, I'm not sure if I should scoop out the dead yeasties floating in the primary first. Looks discusting.

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Dead yeast are food and nutrients for the living. I'd fire it all in.

Thanks. Going to dump it in now.

brazedowl said:

~~Ingredients~~
10# Regular Cane Sugar
7 Containers off brand lemonade concentrate
3 Containers limeade OR pink lemonade concentrate
1pkt Redstar Montrachet Yeast (have used yeast cake left from the cherry pie wine as well)
1 tbls Energizer
1 tbls Nutrient
Water to 5-6 Gallons

~~Prep~~
1) Dissolved sugar in 3-4 Gallons of H2O.
2) Placed concentrate in primary while sugar dissolves over med-low heat.
3) Added sugar water to primary
4) Started yeast in mason jar of combined solution at ~85F.
5) Pitched yeast into brewbucket and added water to bring to 6 gal

~~Primary~~
Sat in an Ale Pail on my kitchen counter for two weeks. Regular room temp 70F-75F

~Secondary~~
Used blue plastic 5gal water jug (the type found at lowes etc).

Continued fermenting at 70F-75F until bubbling has almost completely ceased

~~Bottling~~
Bottled into 12oz beer bottles with crown caps

~~Notes & Comments~~
- Limeade version tastes so much like mikes hard lemonade it's crazy
- Pink lemonade version is still bubbling... I'll report back later

~~Moral of the story~~
Cheap. Yummy. Enjoyed by all.

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As I only have the 6 gallon bucket and 5 gallon carboy.. what kind of blow off did you get? I noticed Primary water to 6 gallons then secondary in 5 gallon jug.. did you get a gallon of blow off? where did the extra go?

I want to try this so it is a real question, As SWMBO would be very upset with a gallon of sticky stuff in the cupboard where I ferment.

Cheersipe:

How does this rate compared to Skeeter Pee? Anybody who have tried both?

After a little more than 24 hours, after repitch, there is no airlock activity. But I popped the top, and it looks and smells like its going. Fingers crossed.

Mine sounded like pop in a glass. And take a SG reading. It goes slow and doesn't show much action.

PDWhite said:

As I only have the 6 gallon bucket and 5 gallon carboy.. what kind of blow off did you get? I noticed Primary water to 6 gallons then secondary in 5 gallon jug.. did you get a gallon of blow off? where did the extra go?

I want to try this so it is a real question, As SWMBO would be very upset with a gallon of sticky stuff in the cupboard where I ferment.

Cheersipe:

Click to expand...

It ferments very slow and calm. No blowoff.

SG was/is 1.130

idrinkstuffnthings said:

Mine sounded like pop in a glass. And take a SG reading. It goes slow and doesn't show much action.

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Mine sounds exactly like that. Thanks for the help!!!

idrinkstuffnthings said:

It ferments very slow and calm. No blowoff.

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Agreed. I've never had a blow off issue with anything except beer and some ciders.

Hey braze, what was your fg on this stuff. Mines around 1.05 but she's still pretty syrupy.

subed

I put this in the two 4 gal primaries today. Filled them both to the mark, so diluted by 1 gal. (3.5 I think, each, left some headspace, but not much needed from what I've read on this thread.) Still clocking in at around 10%!! Used 1 packet of Montrachet and 1T energizer/nutrient each. Going great tonight!! Started within 2 hrs this afternoon!

idrinkstuffnthings said:

Hey braze, what was your fg on this stuff. Mines around 1.05 but she's still pretty syrupy.

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I'll have to crack open a bottle and check. haha sounds like a good enough excuse to me.

Well I transferred to secondary and after 5 days it's stayed 1.05 and syrupy. Gunna make a starter tommorow and pitch. Gotta drop it a bit.

Yea 1.050 is really syrupy. Did the starter take off?

Too easy to not make it for guests who don't like beer.

brazedowl said:

Yea 1.050 is really syrupy. Did the starter take off?

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Ya it went gangbusters until I transferred it then it died. Added a new starter a few days ago and shes back to her bubbly old self. ill take a gravity in a few more days but looks to me like shes going fine again.

Well I gave in yesterday and made mine.

7 cans of Lemonade
3 cans of Limeade
10# sugar
Filled up to 6 gallon mark

OG was 1.110 which was a bit lower than I was wanting, but we shall see how it turns out.
I used tap water, no campden, no K-Met just plain old tap water

Added 1 tsp of yeast energizer
added 1 tsp of yeast nutrient
Pitched 2 packs of Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast at 88 deg

Also made a batch of Hard Fruit Punch
3 gallon batch
3 cans of HyVee fruit punch concentrate
topped to 3 gallons
Added 1 tsp of yeast energizer
added 1 tsp of yeast nutrient
Pitched Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast at 88 deg

Here we go!

I dunno anymore. Added my starter and she's been bubbling up just fine. But after a handful of days the gravity hasn't changed 1 point. Hmmmmm. Lots of bubble on top and airlock bubbles every 10 secs. I'm lost

Ok, what the hell. I took an SG today two days after starting and the sg was 10 points higher at 1.120! Grumbles...

What would the recipe be like for a 1 gallon? Hmmm, I wonder if I can make something similar to Smirnoff ice? Any ideas? Thanks

Allanyork If you want exactly what we are doing for a 1 gallons scale here is the recipe.

1.5 cans of lemonade concentrate
.5 can of limeade
2 pounds of sugar
.5tsp of yeast energizer
.5tsp of yeast nutrient
one gallon water

IF you wanted to do what I would, which would give you a drink very similar to Smirnoff Ice, but a bit more flavorful do this.
2 cans of lemonade
1 can of limeade
2 pounds sugar
.5tsp yeast energizer
.5tsp yeast nutrient
one gallon water

This stuff is so cheap to do, pick one of these and go for it, it's AWESOME stuff!

Good luck!

On a different note, when I was buying my lemon/lime juice I though, oh what the hell, ill get some of these fruit punch's as well.

I poured 3 cans of the HyVee fruit punch concentrate into my 3 gallon car boy. I dissolved 5 pounds of sugar into some water and poured it in as well. Than after adding 1 tsp of energizer and 1 tsp of nutrient I topped off to the top. Pitched one pack of champange yeast and let er go. I tasted it today and HOLY CRAP this stuff is GOOOOOOOOOOOD! Try it out!

EZCyclone said:

On a different note, when I was buying my lemon/lime juice I though, oh what the hell, ill get some of these fruit punch's as well.

I poured 3 cans of the HyVee fruit punch concentrate into my 3 gallon car boy. I dissolved 5 pounds of sugar into some water and poured it in as well. Than after adding 1 tsp of energizer and 1 tsp of nutrient I topped off to the top. Pitched one pack of champange yeast and let er go. I tasted it today and HOLY CRAP this stuff is GOOOOOOOOOOOD! Try it out!

Click to expand...

What was you OG? I may have to try this one.

Well, I'm not sure, by this time of night I had been brewing all day and didn't give a damn. The thing is the reading I have on the one I did take is off for some reason. But here's my guess, the one I did measure was 6 gallons and water juice mix and 10 pounds of sugar it's og was somewhere in the 1.125 - 1.130 range. The Fruit punch was technically 12oz more water then exactly half of the first batch. So my GUESS is it's somewhere in the 1.110 - 1.120 range. Let me tell you what, this stuff is SO GOOD.

My advice? do as I did, leave the hydrometer in the drawer. Get a pot, put in a gallon of water, 5 pounds of sugar heat and stir until dissolved. Cover pot, remove from heat dump in your three melted fruit juice concentrates into your carboy. Grab funnel, stick it into carboy dump in your water sugar mix. Add your yeast energizer and nutrient. Add the rest of your water to top off, then pitch your yeast. Plug it with a airlock cover and walk away.

That's it, not fussing no tools, just make it! You will love it promise!

Omitted steps
#12 open beer, drink beer.
#34 Name it after me
#51 open beer, drink beer.