a real Hard Seltzer 8% attempt #1

[Comrade Stone]

So, this was my first go at it.

so I'm attempting to make a 8% because let's face it I don't really care for any weak **** but this is for my lady and I'm giving it a go.

EC-118 yeast 4 packets 2 per 5 gallons , a 5 gallon pot, 2 6 gal carboys or what ever you want to call them, 20 pounds of Corn Sugar. 10 Gallons of RO water.


Result some sort of sweet water wine im guessing but doesn't taste like much of any thing not sure what I did wrong but IV light maybe killed yeast early ? or temp caused them to go dormant..

gave them a warm bath nothing happens really kept at 68°F mostly never dropped under 50 that I know of

EC-118 is for 50-80°F

1.160 Grav
expected ABV 8%
Started Jan 10th 10 pm


I'm thinking of using cane suggar next time in a ratio that is more like 7 pounds to 1 n 1/2 Corr to give a light sweet taste

 

[RPh_Guy]

1.160 Grav
expected ABV 8%

1. Yeast need nutrients, or they will stall.
2. Your expected ABV makes no sense based on your starting gravity. EC-1118 can ferment much higher than 8% ABV and that starting gravity had an alcohol potential much higher than 8%.

 

[Alex4mula]

I tried a seltzer kit last year. Stalled for a week until I added yeast nutrient. Kit instructions didn’t mention it. Found out by searching. Was ok but way too lame. Threw out about 1/4 of keg. Still have 6 bottles. Will never waste my time again with that. Just my experience.

 

[Comrade Stone]

so I was right and that **** at the brew supply store didn't know what he was talking about. well I learned a lesson dont trust the guys.


I walked in asking for yeast and yeast nutrients....

what would 8 n 1/2 lbs produce in ABV?

so I still have the sugar water so what should I do ? remove the yeast ? by switching fermenters ? should I trash it? there is no foul smell and I have been make sure of this every 3 days

 

[RPh_Guy]

Dextrose adds approximately 42 gravity points per pound in a gallon.
So, 8.5 lbs dextrose in 10 gallons (total) would give 36 gravity points (1.036 s.g.). This has an alcohol potential around 5.6% ABV.

For your current disaster, if you want it finishing dry you'll need to dilute it, add yeast nutrients, and hope for the best.
You're sure the OG was 1.160?

 

[Comrade Stone]

Dextrose adds approximately 42 gravity points per pound in a gallon.
So, 8.5 lbs dextrose in 10 gallons (total) would give 36 gravity points (1.036 s.g.). This has an alcohol potential around 5.6% ABV.

For your current disaster, if you want it finishing dry you'll need to dilute it, add yeast nutrients, and hope for the best.
You're sure the OG was 1.160?

I did it in 5 gallon batches each had 8 n 1/2 lbs corn sugar

 

[Comrade Stone]

better snap here

8 n 1/2 lbs dextrose per 5 gallon batch

 

[mashpaddled]

Your sugar water is devoid of any nutrients yeast need to do a good job fermenting. Between the RO water and nothing but sugar the yeast have no mineral source or amino acids. It's basically like feeding yourself a diet of nothing but sugar and water. Eventually your body will start to fail because it needs other nutrients.

 

[Hackrsackr]

15.x Plato?

 

[RPh_Guy]

better snap here

8 n 1/2 lbs dextrose per 5 gallon batch

15.x Plato?

Yeah, that scale you're reading is probably °Brix or maybe Plato, not specific gravity.
8.5 lbs dextrose plus 5 gal water puts it around 16 °Brix.
That's around 10% ABV alcohol potential.

 

[Comrade Stone]

Brix ?? can you Explain what this means I'm using a 3x scale

 

[RPh_Guy]

One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution (sugar percenty by weight), which also correlates with the refractive index used in a refractometer.

For specific gravity (density), make sure you're reading the scale that starts with 1.000 toward the top. I can post some photos or videos if that would help.

Cheers

 

[Comrade Stone]

please do any thing to help I'm a rookie over here I'm only doing this as a hobbies for me and my girlfriend to share I made moonshine a few times but that was like low key easy as **** this I'm thinking just because I took some bad advice I feel like the suggar should of been more fermented since Corn suggar is 100% fermentable right? there was just so much it did not ferment fully ? I would like to leave some flavor of sweet but like not where it taste like a sweet wine I don't mine 8-12%abv that is where I want to be... the current batch is carbonated I put it in a bottle and shook it and it popped fairly loud when I opened it so the yeast did something but not what I wanted it to do

1. darker environment
2. nutes for the yeast
3. better temp control?

these are a few things I know I need to adjust I kept it above 50°F

I may have improperly pitched the yeast as well I was under the impression I could pitch in the fermenter so I stoped the packets in at 75° F and sat there and swirled it for 5-10 mins after I read more that is an incorrect way yes ? the yeast took off for a few days so I thought it worked unless it's just so sweet I can't taste it?

I'll take any pointers you may have I was just kinda winging it and I learned don't trust the idiots at the brew shop for any thing more then well over priced sugar

 

[RPh_Guy]

Must:
8 lbs corn sugar (for about 10% alcohol)
4.2 g (1.25 tsp) calcium chloride
1.5 g (0.25 tsp) sodium chloride
RO water up to the 5 gallon mark

Completely dissolve the sugar in water. To do this you can mix the sugar in an equal quantity of water and apply heat. It should be totally clear when it's dissolved. Let it cool before adding to the fermenter.
Add the salts at any point.

Once it cools and is thoroughly mixed, measure with a hydrometer. It should read about 1.067.
Aerate it thoroughly by stirring, shaking, or other method.

Yeast:
6.25g Go-Ferm
125mL (4.25oz) water
5 g EC-1118

Heat the water in a wide container to around 115°F and mix in the Go-Ferm.
Once it cools to 95-100°F, sprinkle in the yeast.
Allow it to sit without stirring for 15 minutes.
After the 15 minutes, slowly add one to two ounces of the must every 5 minutes and stir gently.
Once the temperature is within 15°F of the must, add it to the fermenter.

Fermentation and yeast nutrients:
Control the temperature between 50-70°F.
Add 6.2 g Fermaid O when fermentation begins. Dissolve it in warm water. Before adding it, give the seltzer a good stir. Add the nutrient very slowly. There's a high risk of excessive foaming, so be careful.
Stir it at least once a day to help remove the carbonation.
Add 6.2 g Fermaid O when the s.g. reaches 1.045. Same process as above.
You probably want to add some kind of flavoring toward the end of fermentation.

Packaging:
It will finish in maybe 1-2 weeks.
It should taste completely dry at this point, and s.g. approximately 0.992.
If you are bottling, you need to add priming sugar to carbonate... About 5.5oz of corn sugar for a 5 gal batch.
If you want it sweet, you need to add an unfermentable sweeten, like Splenda.

Light has no effect.

These videos should be helpful for using a hydrometer:




Cheers

 

[Comrade Stone]

thank you appreciate it I'll give this all a try I think I pitched it wrong

 

[verboten]

Mio is a great cheap way to flavor the neutral seltzer

 

[chapelhouse]

Here’s what I have so far:
started with 11.5 gal water
Added 12 lb 5.3 oz - Corn Sugar (Dextrose) and boiled for 20 min
Added 5 g - WYeast Nutrient at 10 min of Boil

RO Water With: 0.3 g - Baking Soda (NaHCO3), 1 g - Calcium Chloride (CaCl2), 0.3 g - Salt (NaCl), 11.1 g - Chalk (CaCO3), 1.8 g - Epsom Salt (MgSO4), 3 g - Gypsum (CaSO4)

Rehydrated yeast: dissolved 13.8 g Go Ferm in 246ml RO Water @ 110° F, Added 11g EC 1118 @ 95° Then let sit for 20 min.

Original Gravity: 1.050
Fermenter Volume: 11.3 (Didn’t boil off as much as I anticipated)

Added 22 g Fermaid-O as I transferred to fermenter @ 90°
Aerated for a few minutes with a stainless mixer drill bit.
Pitched at 85° and drop temp to 72° over the next 12 hours.

Questions:
What is the best fermentation temp for very clean neutral flavor?

For flavoring - I would like to make several different concentrated flavors in bottles that could be poured into glass before “neutral seltzer” poured on top. (Inspiration came from soda syrups I made for the kids to use with the carbonated water on tap)

I’m thinking RO water, a little liquid splenda, and a few ml of flavor extract. Or even just a splash of citrus juice.

Any ideas for dilution of flavoring?

(I like the mio idea for flavoring)