Full Hard Lemonade recipe

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As an update, I wasn't seeing any airlock activity so I went back through the thread and read about adding a tbsp of baking soda. Forgetting the lessons of the vinegar and baking soda volcano of science class many years ago, I added the baking soda to the carboy. And it almost immediately blew the airlock! And I'm using 8 gallon Spediels so I have (or so I thought) plenty of head space. Thankfully this was out in the garage and not in the kitchen.
 
I would like to say thank you for posting this recipe. I followed the recipe to the letter. I went with the idea that I would try it first and modify from there. I bottled 74 12 ounce bottles this evening, and my wife is loaded off of two! It's very tasty stuff! I can't wait for tomorrow's World Cup games to enjoy some myself

SWMBO said don't change anything, and get another batch brewing for the fourth of July!

I served it up with raspberry juice ice cubes and fresh strawberries.

Thanks again!
 
WindLvr said:
I would like to say thank you for posting this recipe. I followed the recipe to the letter. I went with the idea that I would try it first and modify from there. I bottled 74 12 ounce bottles this evening, and my wife is loaded off of two! It's very tasty stuff! I can't wait for tomorrow's World Cup games to enjoy some myself

SWMBO said don't change anything, and get another batch brewing for the fourth of July!

I served it up with raspberry juice ice cubes and fresh strawberries.

Thanks again!
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I like to secondary with frozen rasberries and add Brewers Best Raspberry extract at kegging. Takes it to a whole other level. About 4lbs for 6gal will do it.
 
PianoMan said:
I like to secondary with frozen rasberries and add Brewers Best Raspberry extract at kegging. Takes it to a whole other level. About 4lbs for 6gal will do it.
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This! Its my understanding that a mix of fresh and extract is how the most superb beers/hard lemonades are made.

Is your most current recipe posted?
 
I will have to give that a try with the frozen raspberries! How's long do you let it sit in secondary with them?
 
I started this on Monday. I about panicked on Tuesday morning when I saw clouds of what I assume is yeast, but I was headed to work and there was nothing I could do. The clouds were gone when I got home.
 
applescrap said:
This! Its my understanding that a mix of fresh and extract is how the most superb beers/hard lemonades are made.

Is your most current recipe posted?
Click to expand...
Hey Apple..here's my version..
Screenshot_2018-06-02-14-31-25.jpeg
 
Thanks pianoman. Thats what im thinking. I wonder what the gravity would be if I only used the cans. Then no need to heat. Im ok with a lower abv, especially considering the ease of making.

Anyone know the abv if using cans only
 
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I just started my second batch. I'm going to try adding raspberry this time. This brew was such a huge hit with those I choose to hangout with. It's dangerously strong though!!! I warned them, but they didn't listen! o_O it's so dang tasty, and goes down super easy. I did use Nottingham yeast this time to see the difference.
 
Pianoman the vacay looked amazing. My bil lives in truckee. He got married at sugar bowl. Its so pretty there.

I have to try this, I have been talking about it forever. I have to do it! I am going to take 10 cans and mix with water. Pitch and walk away. I feel good about it working. The more hard work would be in making the concentrate.
 
applescrap said:
Pianoman the vacay looked amazing. My bil lives in truckee. He got married at sugar bowl. Its so pretty there.

I have to try this, I have been talking about it forever. I have to do it! I am going to take 10 cans and mix with water. Pitch and walk away. I feel good about it working. The more hard work would be in making the concentrate.
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Been to Truckee but mostly as a kid. Awesome vacation. Nice views, company, food, breweries and hikes. Got home and both the Limeade and Lemonade are still bubbling away.
 
Since the original recipe said it made 6-7 gallons, I scaled everything by 3/4. I like the idea of adding hibiscus, so I made a tea per the instructions at https://mexicanfoodjournal.com/agua-de-jamaica-hibiscus-tea/, and used the tea in place of water for when making the backsweetener. Scalewise, I was a little high on the tea; I used 2-1/2 cups instead of the calculated 2-1/4.

Kegged today and performed a 5-10 minute forced carb. (Carb to 30 psi. Disconnect. Shake keg 10 times. Repeat until you no longer hear gas flow, or you're sick of doing it.)

It is delicious.

Hibiscus Hard Lemonade.jpg
 
Can someone give me a UK version of this recipe? Thanks. I don't know what

12 cans preservative-free Lemonade concentrate (I use Nature's best
brand from Aldi's cause it is cheap, Minute Maid is another option)
Click to expand...

...is.
 
I made a 5 gallon batch using Arizona Lemonade with minor changes to OP, it ended at about 12% I back flavored with Cristal light lemon tea (powder for a gallon but water for 1/2 gallon) diluting the hard Lemonade back to 7% as a hard Arnold Palmer. Got a lot of good reviews. I'm going to put this on again first of year for a summer drink again.
 
I take it when making my lemonade that for a British solution that I must make the concentrate myself. Allrecipes have a copy that I could upscale and simply pour in when done.
 
My guess would be to figure out the sugar/water ratio. I just know that 8 cans of concentrate, 1-lbs DME, and 1.5lbs of corn sugar works out great when I fill to 4 gallons in the fermenter with water. I'll back sweeten with 3 cans.

12oz Can of Minuet Maid Concentrate
1 can = 216grams of sugar at 64 fluid oz..
8 cans=1728grams at 512 fluid oz....
or
61ounces of sugar to 4 gallons (this is only the concentrate)

Hope this helps in some way...
 
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Just started mine tonight! Making a 3 gallon batch and brought the starting SG to 1.065.
 
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I'm buying the ingredients tonight on the way home. I'll get it into the fermenter a short time after getting home. I just hope my stater Bros (grocery) has 6 cans of frozen lemonade. I think I can muster up enough DME to make it. :mug:
 
I did a 3 gal batch, I got it into the fermenter, with a few oopses. First, I was in such a hurry I totally forgot to sanitize my bigmouth before putting everything in (luckily it is not too friendly to organisms). Also spilled the malt/sugar solution on the floor in the kitchen. At least the floor is now cleaner that when I started LOL.
I used one pack of Nottingham and one pack of RedStar premier blanc. I did put in a tsp of baking soda, but it was not going off this a.m. There was just a tiny film of bubbles on the top of the lemonade. I hope it is going strong when I get home this afternoon. :mug:
 
Well my 3 gallon batch went to 1.002 so I proceeded with the instructions, I think it still needs a bit more lemon flavour. I think I will add another can or two of concentrate tomorrow and taste again. I will add more until it’s to my liking.

I also noticed some sediment which I am going to try and get rid of with another racking in another week. We’ll see.

cmac62, did you make yours?
 
Chuck Snively said:
Well my 3 gallon batch went to 1.002 so I proceeded with the instructions, I think it still needs a bit more lemon flavour. I think I will add another can or two of concentrate tomorrow and taste again. I will add more until it’s to my liking.

I also noticed some sediment which I am going to try and get rid of with another racking in another week. We’ll see.

cmac62, did you make yours?
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Yea, I made a 3 gallon batch, and the airlock is bubbling a little, but nothing like I had hoped. I put in another two tsp's of baking soda, but still nothing really aggressive in the fermentation department. I guess next time I need to use the recommended yeast. I'll let this one go awhile then test the SG to see when it is ready.
 
Added one more lemonade concentrate and it tastes very good! Got 17 bottles from my 3+ gallon batch. Ran out of shrinks, will get them tomorrow along with labels then in our cold room until the summer!
Also, there was some tiny bubbles rising in the bottles, hopefully it will carbonate a bit.
IMG_0510.JPG
 
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Chuck Snively said:
Added one more lemonade concentrate and it tastes very good! Got 17 bottles from my 3+ gallon batch. Ran out of shrinks, will get them tomorrow along with labels then in our cold room until the summer!
Also, there was some tiny bubbles rising in the bottles, hopefully it will carbonate a bit.
View attachment 601037
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You did add potassium sorbate prior to bottling? Bottle bombs are a real thing with this recipe...trust me.
 
I opened a bottle tonight and to my surprise, it has carbonated! Not big fuzzy
bubbles but a nice champagne type bubble, very nice
 
CiderUK said:
I found this recipe for lemonade concentrate. Will it actually work upscaled?
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why concentrate it just to rehydrate it? It's lemonade, they use the concentrate just to avoid making it themselves. fresh is always going to taste better.

[edit] just looked at the recipe. you're going to add the water then add more water. just add it all and go from there. no need to freeze it unless you want to store it. [/edit]
 
My batch got down to 1.00, I added the sorbate and let it sit for a few days, then I added a can of the concentrate and bottled. It is still not very sweet, I figure I can just add sugar of some kind when serving. The bottles have been sitting in the fridge for a few days now. Maybe i'll open one tonight. :mug:
 
cmac62 said:
My batch got down to 1.00, I added the sorbate and let it sit for a few days, then I added a can of the concentrate and bottled. It is still not very sweet, I figure I can just add sugar of some kind when serving. The bottles have been sitting in the fridge for a few days now. Maybe i'll open one tonight. :mug:
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Back sweetening depends on your batch. A 5gal batch is 3cans and 2-2.5cups of sugar.
 
I used cristal light ice tea flavoring (Hard Arnold Palmer oh ya) and 5 gallon all was gone in a few hours at last year forth of July party.

I will be putting a batch in before the end of January.
 

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