...so, I'm making some (1 gallon) hard lemonade that's going to be very high in alcohol content - like at or beyond the ability of EC-1118 to process - the hygrometer says it'd be 19.6% if fermented down to 1.0. When it's done, i'm going to backsweeten with another gallon of unfermented lemonade (of course, preservative free) and bottle carb it. Here's the question.... Do the yeast actually die off in high alcohol levels or just go dormant? This is relevant because I am wondering if I'm going to have to pitch some more yeast in after diluting the brew with the second gallon of lemonade and before bottling to make sure that it will actually carbonate. The follow up question would then be... how much yeast to add? as much as I would add in a gallon of juice to ferment it? less?
Yeast and high levels of alcohol....
- Thread starter RPowell
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The yeast dies in high alcohol environments. And I'm sure you're aware that fermenting lemonade is a rather tricky thing to do, right?
I haven't had too much trouble with it so far, this being my third batch - but by far the highest alcohol content. I use half a packet of EC-1118 (i.e., enough to ferment 2.5 gallons of cider), the appropriate amount of nutrient and watch every day to make sure it's still bubblling. This batch has been fermenting about a week and half, but it's showing signs of slowing. I hope to bottle this weekend.
I suppose, then, i'll activate some yeast in some water and pitch it once i dilute the fermented batch with unfermented lemonade. I'll use the same amount of yeast I would use to ferment a gallon of cider (maybe with a small amount of nutrient?) and watch it carefully until time to pasteurize.
full disclosure... this is my first time using Chik-Fil-A lemonade. it's got SOOOOO much sugar in it...
I suppose, then, i'll activate some yeast in some water and pitch it once i dilute the fermented batch with unfermented lemonade. I'll use the same amount of yeast I would use to ferment a gallon of cider (maybe with a small amount of nutrient?) and watch it carefully until time to pasteurize.
full disclosure... this is my first time using Chik-Fil-A lemonade. it's got SOOOOO much sugar in it...
update - bottled today.
I siphoned off my fermented (almost but not quite) gallon of lemonade. I took an obligatory taste and it was like sour rocket fuel, which i expected I siphoned another almost-but-not-quite gallon of lemonade on top of it. I siphoned the second gallon instead of pouring because the pulp had settled and i thought it would be an easy way to keep the pulp out. Then, I poured in 3 cups of strawberry juice (fresh strawberries that had been sliced, sugared and refrigerated to extract the juice). I did boil the juice briefly to kill off anything wild. I also pitched a gallon's worth of activated EC-1118 into the little-over-two gallons of liquid. I got 23 glass and one plastic test bottle out of it. It tasted quite nice pre-bottling. can't wait for it to carbonate!
i did the math.. considering I used 2 gallons of Chik-Fil-A lemonade and a bunch of fresh strawberries, each bottle ended up costing me $2.45 to make. Most expensive batch for me, ever. Hopefully it's worth it.
I siphoned off my fermented (almost but not quite) gallon of lemonade. I took an obligatory taste and it was like sour rocket fuel, which i expected
I siphoned another almost-but-not-quite gallon of lemonade on top of it. I siphoned the second gallon instead of pouring because the pulp had settled and i thought it would be an easy way to keep the pulp out. Then, I poured in 3 cups of strawberry juice (fresh strawberries that had been sliced, sugared and refrigerated to extract the juice). I did boil the juice briefly to kill off anything wild. I also pitched a gallon's worth of activated EC-1118 into the little-over-two gallons of liquid. I got 23 glass and one plastic test bottle out of it. It tasted quite nice pre-bottling. can't wait for it to carbonate!i did the math.. considering I used 2 gallons of Chik-Fil-A lemonade and a bunch of fresh strawberries, each bottle ended up costing me $2.45 to make. Most expensive batch for me, ever. Hopefully it's worth it.
update - bottled today.
I siphoned off my fermented (almost but not quite) gallon of lemonade. I took an obligatory taste and it was like sour rocket fuel, which i expected
i did the math.. considering I used 2 gallons of Chik-Fil-A lemonade and a bunch of fresh strawberries, each bottle ended up costing me $2.45 to make. Most expensive batch for me, ever. Hopefully it's worth it.
Did you check a hydrometer reading? My concern is that you have a bunch of bottle bombs here, but I assume you're planning to pasteurize it?
Glad it worked out for you. Be sure to check in once in a while, as folks sometimes ask about making hard lemonade and there's not much experience here. I've read that it's really tough dealing with the high acid levels.
My method is to add grain alcohol to lemonade and force carbonate it.
My method is to add grain alcohol to lemonade and force carbonate it.
My first two batches used Simply Lemonade. The last, really, really good batch - one gallon of Chik-Fil-A lemonade. Watch out though, it's got enough sugar in it to go about 18 or 19% alcohol. Any lemonade will do, as long as there's no preservatives. you could even make the initial lemonade from lemons, water and sugar if you like.
The main thing for me has been to use EC-1118 yeast, which seems to tolerate acidity and alcohol really well. I also use slightly more nutrient when I pitch the yeast - i think the stuff i use calls for 1 to 1.5 tsp per gallon and I use 2 tsp. Have had no issues running lemonade so far.
Wife wants me to do two gallons of raspberry lemonade when the berries come into season (mid-july). I think I'll take her up on that.
The main thing for me has been to use EC-1118 yeast, which seems to tolerate acidity and alcohol really well. I also use slightly more nutrient when I pitch the yeast - i think the stuff i use calls for 1 to 1.5 tsp per gallon and I use 2 tsp. Have had no issues running lemonade so far.
Wife wants me to do two gallons of raspberry lemonade when the berries come into season (mid-july). I think I'll take her up on that.
