Hard Lemonade NOT Skeeter Pee Recipe

[WinterWarrior]

Howdy!

Sooooooooooo, long story short -- the family has gone Paleo which means no grains. It also means no white sugar or corn sugars, but I'll tackle that issue another day.

That takes most, if not all, commercial and home brews off the menu. It doesn't bother me all that much, I've always preferred making & drinking wine. However, I wanted to try a hard lemonade for fun and simplicity.

Went to my LHB store and used the recipe they gave me which did not include malt. It's a recipe this guy has used himself a lot and he says is idiot-proof:

For 5 gallons of hard lemonade
6 cans frozen lemonade (had HFCS which I didn't notice until I got home )
4 lbs sugar
spring water
yeast (see below)

I got a gravity of 1.065 after pitching yeast & aerating.

Here's where I think I may have messed up. I grabbed several packets of both Red Star Champagne yeast as well as Nottingham. It's possible the guy at the LHB thought I'd use the Nottingham for the Hard Lemonade, but I didn't -- I used the champagne yeast.

I read a few posts that Red Star may not work due to the acidity of the lemonade. If I don't see activity in 2-3 days, should I try to re-pitch using a different type of yeast? If so, what type do you suggest I use?

Thanks,

Winter!

 

[MajorDisaster]

Maybe add tartaric acid to reduce acidity?

 

[fosta]

I just made this on Saturday https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/full-hard-lemonade-recipe-348811/
It calls for EC-1118 Champagne yeast. I used 2 packages but also added an additional 2lbs of honey. I re-hydrated it for an hour with some lemonade concentrate. It is still bubbling away.

Hope this helps

 

[MajorDisaster]

Yeah that lalvin 1118 is a fighter.

 

[Descender]

Maybe add tartaric acid to reduce acidity?

Adding acid will not reduce acidity.

 

[SPR-GRN]

I'm going to echo fosta & Major Disaster and suggest lalvin 1118 with the re-hydration steps mentioned in the above link

Paleo substitutes:
Paleo substitute for sugar - HONEY
Paleo substitute for grains - QUINOA
Paleo substitute for beer/wine/spirits - TEARS AND SADNESS as beer/wine/spirits are not even the least bit paleo.

Not trying to say you shouldn't brew or drink, just that you can't brew or consume alcohol in a Paleo-friendly way. Much like there is no vegetarian/vegan way to eat a cow.

 

[Yooper]

Hard lemonade can be a bugger to start. My recipe is here, which you don't need, but my notes on how to get the yeast going are in the directions part of the recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/hard-lemonade-68144/

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

It would be very easy to start if you just wait a few hrs before you add the lemon. Just like skeeter pee. Mix up everything except the lemon and pitch yeast. When it starts going good dump the lemon in. So simple a cave man can do it. I see this same problem again and again on here. Never have had one problem starting this way and it is so easy.

 

[WinterWarrior]

It would be very easy to start if you just wait a few hrs before you add the lemon. Just like skeeter pee. Mix up everything except the lemon and pitch yeast. When it starts going good dump the lemon in. So simple a cave man can do it. I see this same problem again and again on here. Never have had one problem starting this way and it is so easy.

If I mixed up everything but lemon using the recipe I mentioned above, I'd have sugar water. There was no malt in my recipe, so not sure this would apply?? Or would it.

 

[WinterWarrior]

Hard lemonade can be a bugger to start. My recipe is here, which you don't need, but my notes on how to get the yeast going are in the directions part of the recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/hard-lemonade-68144/

Thanks -- I have your instructions ear-marked.

I went to my LHB and they were out of EC-1118.

I bought 2 packets of Montrachet (one of which just went into the 5 gallons of Apfel Wine I just started)! If I don't see activity by Friday evening or Saturday, I guess I'll repitch with that.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

You bet it will work. Sugar water and yeast. When she gets rolling dump the juice. I dump all three at the same time when making skeeter and your recipe is pretty close to the same thing.

 

[WinterWarrior]

my notes on how to get the yeast going are in the directions part of the recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/hard-lemonade-68144/

OK - question for you:

yeast energizer
yeast nutrient
campden tablets

I don't have 2 of these. What do each of them do? I do have Potassium Metabisulpite in powder & I'm assuming it's the same stuff. Says it kills wild yeast on the label.
Do I need these 3 items at this point or is it too late?

Your instructions say to add yeast to must at 70-80 degrees ... package says 104-109. I'm trying EC-1118. That's not too cold?

I've never done a yeast starter before (I've only proofed my yeast to make sure it's alive before pitching). Should I do that with my stalled hard lemonade? Even though it already has yeast in it. I am guessing I should do this so that the yeast is accustomed to the acidity of the must before going in -- that way it's not such a shock?

Sorry for all the questions -- I guess I've always been fortunate before and didn't have problems ... yeast always took off like a shot so this is a new experience for me.

 

[Yooper]

You don't need the sulfite, not really. It's more of an extra precaution to not have wild yeast in there. You do need some nutrient and energizer, if possible, as this a a tough ferment and the yeast could definitely use the help.

I follow my technique when adding yeast to a tough ferment. I think the package is giving rehydration instructions, and not pitching instructions.

 

[T_Baggins]

If I mixed up everything but lemon using the recipe I mentioned above, I'd have sugar water. There was no malt in my recipe, so not sure this would apply?? Or would it.

From what I gather malt IS sugar...look at moonshine recipes..using corn, it HAS to be MALTED to convert the corn-STARCH into corn-SUGAR. This being said, it Directly applies. With these recipes, there is obviously a nil amount of sugar in the lemon itself. So we add sugar to be converted into alcohol.

1118 is king of the hill when u need a hearty yeast to get **** done. Also Premier Cuvee works well too, I used a slurry recovered from white grape/raspberry that I used the Cuvee on. Worked very well.

 

[WinterWarrior]

With these recipes, there is obviously a nil amount of sugar in the lemon itself. So we add sugar to be converted into alcohol.

1118 is king of the hill when u need a hearty yeast to get **** done.

Recipe I used above has 4 lbs. of sugar.

LHB got a shipment of EC-1118, so that's what I plan to use!

 

[WinterWarrior]

You don't need the sulfite, not really. It's more of an extra precaution to not have wild yeast in there. You do need some nutrient and energizer, if possible, as this a a tough ferment and the yeast could definitely use the help.

I follow my technique when adding yeast to a tough ferment. I think the package is giving rehydration instructions, and not pitching instructions.

OK - back to the LHB we went, got the nutrient and energizer -- I am now armed and dangerous! Will be starting (or re-starting) the Hard Lemonade using your instructions today.

Wish me luck!

 

[T_Baggins]

Recipe I used above has 4 lbs. of sugar.

LHB got a shipment of EC-1118, so that's what I plan to use!

4 lbs? I'm sorry, is this a ONE gallon batch? if so I'm not sure even 1118 will even eat all that! 1118 is good for about %18 ABV ... which 3lbs calculated to make.
Either way, you'll burn up to that point and have leftover sugar.

 

[WinterWarrior]

4 lbs? I'm sorry, is this a ONE gallon batch? if so I'm not sure even 1118 will even eat all that! 1118 is good for about %18 ABV ... which 3lbs calculated to make.
Either way, you'll burn up to that point and have leftover sugar.

If you read my first post, I put the whole recipe up there, including how much I was making ... 5 gallon batch.

 

[HBngNOK]

It would be very easy to start if you just wait a few hrs before you add the lemon. Just like skeeter pee. Mix up everything except the lemon and pitch yeast. When it starts going good dump the lemon in. So simple a cave man can do it. I see this same problem again and again on here. Never have had one problem starting this way and it is so easy.

I did something similar to what oogaboo suggested with the batch I started this morning. Hydrated the 1118 in a cup of warm water with a Tbsp of lemonade and a tsp of yeast nutrient as I was bringing the water up to a boil. By the time I'd stirred everything together, the yeast was busy, so I pulled half a gallon of the lemonade/wort out of the fermenter and pitched the yeast into it to make a more traditional starter. The yeast took off and has been going like crazy!

 

[WinterWarrior]

I did something similar to what oogaboo suggested with the batch I started this morning. Hydrated the 1118 in a cup of warm water with a Tbsp of lemonade and a tsp of yeast nutrient as I was bringing the water up to a boil. By the time I'd stirred everything together, the yeast was busy, so I pulled half a gallon of the lemonade/wort out of the fermenter and pitched the yeast into it to make a more traditional starter. The yeast took off and has been going like crazy!

Yeah, but it's not helpful if the lemon is already in 5 gallons of sugar water.

Next time, will definitely start differently. I'm sure learning the hard way -- but I don't mind, since it will help me in the long run.

I still plan to start another batch of either the lemonade or apfel wine next week.

I'm following Lorena's instructions for creating a starter & then I'll re-pitch: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/hard-lemonade-68144/ -- since what I needed help with is an existing brew that's already mixed.

On Day 2 of my "emergency kick butt" EC-1118 Starter and it's still happily bubbling away.

Fingers crossed!

 

[HBngNOK]

low quality video of (pink) hard lemonade happily fizzing away on day 2 after pitching yeast:

 

[WinterWarrior]

I have an update ......

On day 3 of new EC-1118 yeast starter it had stopped foaming and I almost threw it away -- til I heard hissing from the jar. It was still working away, just no foam.

I had put the yeast additives (nutrient & energizer) into my wort at the same time as I put together the yeast starter and noticed when I stirred that I was hearing snap, crackle & pop -- the additives had kick started the original yeast. I took an OG reading and it was 1.054.

I pitched the new yeast on the evening of day 3 and took another OG reading and it was 1.052.

I haven't touched it since then, but I will be stirring it this morning and taking another OG reading to see if it's doing anything.

The airlock isn't showing any activity -- I'm not sure what is up with this bucket or why the airlock isn't doing it's thing, but I can't count on it.

This is the 2nd brew I've done in this type bucket where I'm not seeing any airlock activity. I'm guessing the lids are not capable of sealing well enough -- it's aggravating. I just love watching those airlocks bubble away!!

 

[HBngNOK]

I sweetened and stabilized my batch of hard lemonade yesterday. I'll probably bottle it tomorrow. It has the potential to be dangerously good , light and lemonady, and hard to believe it's ready to drink so soon! - no rocket fuel alcohol heat at all. (My batch came in at ~ 4.5 % abv)

 

[buzz1670]

I sweetened and stabilized my batch of hard lemonade yesterday. I'll probably bottle it tomorrow. It has the potential to be dangerously good , light and lemonady, and hard to believe it's ready to drink so soon! - no rocket fuel alcohol heat at all. (My batch came in at ~ 4.5 % abv)

How did you sweeten?Is it going to be carbed?thanks

 

[HBngNOK]

How did you sweeten?Is it going to be carbed?thanks

Not carbing this batch. I sweetened it per the instructions here.