Hard OJ

[DaveDiamond]

I've put sugar and yeast (Bread!!!) into 2 litre bottles of Orange Juice. Apparently this will taste like a strong (12%ish), dry Vodka and Orange.
I'm not expecting too much from bread yeast, at best something I can have in the fridge and mix down to a reasonable alcohol content with juice or soft drinks that won't taste horrible, but I have other yeasts on the way ( I can't find anywhere around here that has yeast for sale separately, so I have to wait).
Anyway, have people on here made a drink like this?

 

[Maylar]

This probably belongs on the wine forum. As for me, I just make a screwdriver

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I've put sugar and yeast (Bread!!!) into 2 litre bottles of Orange Juice. Apparently this will taste like a strong (12%ish), dry Vodka and Orange.
I'm not expecting too much from bread yeast, at best something I can have in the fridge and mix down to a reasonable alcohol content with juice or soft drinks that won't taste horrible, but I have other yeasts on the way ( I can't find anywhere around here that has yeast for sale separately, so I have to wait).
Anyway, have people on here made a drink like this?

I have always wonder about fermenting orange juice but have never tried it. I know if it sits long enough it'll start fermenting on it's own. That's not a controlled fermentation though.

If I were to try I would consider using a yeast for cider rather than one for beer. Even a champagne yeast might be one to consider.

Orange juice with vodka would be much easier and would produce better results though.

 

[DaveDiamond]

This probably belongs on the wine forum. As for me, I just make a screwdriver

That was part of the question really. I did the same thing to the bottles of apple juice, and that would be in the Cider section.
And yeah, a cheap Screwdriver was the attraction! I'm imagining opening the fridge door, half filling my glass with 12% Screwdriver Brew and topping up with fresh OJ. That's the goal.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

If you want to pursue this, bread yeast won’t get you to 12%. It’s likely going to succumb to the alcohol between 6-8%.
Plus, the alcohol is going to consume the sugars in your orange juice, so it’s not going to taste like an alcohol/orange juice mix, which might be ok if it turns out good.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

If you want to pursue this, bread yeast won’t get you to 12%. It’s likely going to succumb to the alcohol between 6-8%.
Plus, the alcohol is going to consume the sugars in your orange juice, so it’s not going to taste like an alcohol/orange juice mix, which might be ok if it turns out good.

Those are great points, glad you shared them!

Cider or champagne yeast would be better handling higher alcohol and be more neutral with flavors.

Interesting post and responses.

 

[Miraculix]

If you want to pursue this, bread yeast won’t get you to 12%. It’s likely going to succumb to the alcohol between 6-8%.
Plus, the alcohol is going to consume the sugars in your orange juice, so it’s not going to taste like an alcohol/orange juice mix, which might be ok if it turns out good.

I've managed to get bread yeast past 12% just on honey and oranges. It really depends on the specific type of bread yeast.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

We made hard OJ when I was a kid, we poured the OJ into a lolly mould and put it in the freezer.

 

[Maylar]

If you want to pursue this, bread yeast won’t get you to 12%. It’s likely going to succumb to the alcohol between 6-8%.

The mead in my avatar pic was a JAOM that hit 15%.

 

[DaveDiamond]

If you want to pursue this, bread yeast won’t get you to 12%. It’s likely going to succumb to the alcohol between 6-8%.
Plus, the alcohol is going to consume the sugars in your orange juice, so it’s not going to taste like an alcohol/orange juice mix, which might be ok if it turns out good.

Thanks, but I'm just going by what the guy in the video worked out. He said it tastes like a double vodka and orange, only with no sugar, and his maths worked out at 12%, which would be about double vodka strength. I bought some Monk Fruit Sweetener, and some juice and soft drinks for mixers all ready to try it last night but didn't get to it, but I'm racking it off today for sure. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Some S04 yeast came today, and some TF-6 Tutti Frutti yeast, so I'll do a bottle of each with OJ and see how they go, but they're really for the next batch of apple cider.
Also, I see now that this does belong in the wine section, I watched a video using the same method, only his tasting was done at a year, not a week! He did actually get a clear golden wine from it, but that's not my goal.

 

[DaveDiamond]

I just had a taste of the one cup of white sugar in a 2 litre batch, the alcohol is overpowering it, but there's no doubt that it's orange juice. The gravity is exactly 1.000 at 16c. It doesn't taste sweet, but my lips are a bit sticky now, I don't think I need to sweeten it (Monk Fruit) at this stage.
I don't have an initial gravity reading, my hydrometer was buried in a cupboard when I made it up, but if I use the same OJ and sugar for the next lot that reading will be pretty close. I really think it's not 6 to 8 going on the taste and the burn, it seems much stronger, enough to leave me slightly dazed from one little swallow anyway! Ready for the fridge I reckon!
The 2 cup of sugar/2l reads 1.010, and doesn't seem as strong, but that might just be because I just had some of the other. The bottle with 1 cup white and one cup brown tasted a bit nicer but still had a bit of fizz. I've mixed the two now though because I bought a tall thin vase for gravity readings but it hits the bottom at 1.000 so I had to fill the bottle and take the reading there.
Very little difference between the fresh juice and the long-life, only the bottom third of the fresh bottle was pulp and sediment so with that and the initial fizzing over I wound up with less than a litre, not worth using fresh imo, save that for mixing.
Added a teaspoon of sugar and twice as much fresh juice as fermented in a glass and got the wife's approval, so I've added some Monk Fruit Sweetener to the carafe (right word???) in the picture.

 

[Bramling Cross]

I reckon!

With a nod to Terry Pratchet, those are the most dangerous words in the entire English language.

Let's be real. You haven't made something new and amazing. Thousands of people have already made this beverage, the majority of them were inmates in a correctional facility.

There's a good reason why there isn't a market for orange wine or orange cider.

You're not a savant, you're not amazingly creative, nor are you thinking outside the box.

Fermentation is one of the oldest forms of human knowledge, you're very unlikely to make spontaneous developments in this field. You simply don't have enough avenues left to explore because thousands of generations of homo sapiens, homo sapiens have been attempting to accomplish what you're trying to accomplish for thousands of years.

You're not making any headway, certainly not with orange juice.

 

[DaveDiamond]

With a nod to Terry Pratchet, those are the most dangerous words in the entire English language.

Let's be real. You haven't made something new and amazing. Thousands of people have already made this beverage, the majority of them were inmates in a correctional facility.

There's a good reason why there isn't a market for orange wine or orange cider.

You're not a savant, you're not amazingly creative, nor are you thinking outside the box.

Fermentation is one of the oldest forms of human knowledge, you're very unlikely to make spontaneous developments in this field. You simply don't have enough avenues left to explore because thousands of generations of homo sapiens, homo sapiens have been attempting to accomplish what you're trying to accomplish for thousands of years.

You're not making any headway, certainly not with orange juice.

Well Debbie Downer, I don't remember saying any of that or asking for your approval. Pretty sure replying honestly to you would get me booted from the forum, but you know what you can go do to yourself!
Thanks for the lovely comment, you must be a really nice guy. The clown avatar suits you perfectly!

 

[Bramling Cross]

Oh, heavens.

You won't get booted from this forum if you tell me where to stick it. You're entitled to your opinion. Give me your worst, that's entirely fair, provided you keep it on point and you leave my three-legged mother out of this. That kinda thing really pisses me off.

I'm just being honest with you.

If orange juice was a viable path forward, we'd have a sub forum for it. We don't because it's not a viable path forward--in large part because a freshly sqeezed orange and a double shot of vodka is a far superior use of an orange.

Please don't let my remarks discourage you, though. You've experienced the wonders of fermentation! Consider turning your attention toward apples, barley, or wheat. Those are things that are known to be good at being fermented. Oranges? Not so much. You feel me? If you don't, we have thousands of years of human history that doesn't involve the fermentation of oranges. You want to go there?

Feel free to hit me up with a PM if you have any questions. Together, we can get you fermenting drinkable stuff. But it's not going to involve oranges, okay?

 

[Miraculix]

An orange a day, apparently keeps @Bramling Cross away?


On topic, try fermenting passion fruit nectar with a wine yeast. Add sugar for increased abv, that stuff is the bomb!

 

[fluketamer]

i agree with bramling sorry, you made pruno.

i am surpirsed no one mentioned WOW.

wurtzels orange wine.



orange wine is great but takes longer than a witches nose to clear.

even with bentonite and time.

thats why clear fruit juice wines are so much easier to make.


most important you need nutrients and to control the temperature a little at least. and acid and tannins. and use something other than oj which has a ton of sediment.
then you will have a good quafable drink

 

[Closet Fermenter]

On topic, try fermenting passion fruit nectar with a wine yeast. Add sugar for increased abv, that stuff is the bomb!

One of our favorites around here is fermenting cranberry juice with red wine yeast, (Premier Classique). You can also keg and carbonate it for a nice sparkling wine.

 

[Miraculix]

One of our favorites around here is fermenting cranberry juice with red wine yeast, (Premier Classique). You can also keg and carbonate it for a nice sparkling wine.

That's a great idea. It has acid, it has tannins and it has flavour. You might be able to combine it with something very fruity that would enhance the flavour part. But I'm actually not sure what would fit the cranberry flavour. Maybe it's best left on it's own.... Apple could actually work. Did you try that?

 

[DaveDiamond]

Oh, heavens.

You won't get booted from this forum if you tell me where to stick it. You're entitled to your opinion. Give me your worst, that's entirely fair, provided you keep it on point and you leave my three-legged mother out of this. That kinda thing really pisses me off.

I'm just being honest with you.

If orange juice was a viable path forward, we'd have a sub forum for it. We don't because it's not a viable path forward--in large part because a freshly sqeezed orange and a double shot of vodka is a far superior use of an orange.

Please don't let my remarks discourage you, though. You've experienced the wonders of fermentation! Consider turning your attention toward apples, barley, or wheat. Those are things that are known to be good at being fermented. Oranges? Not so much. You feel me? If you don't, we have thousands of years of human history that doesn't involve the fermentation of oranges. You want to go there?

Feel free to hit me up with a PM if you have any questions. Together, we can get you fermenting drinkable stuff. But it's not going to involve oranges, okay?

I've been busy, drinking my OJ last night, but this has been on my mind because I couldn't understand your response. Then I remembered that I'd asked if anyone had done this before, which perhaps you took as incredibly naïve, hence the tone of your response.
To me, I thought it would be obvious that I was asking if anyone reading this question, on this forum, had tried it, and cared to share their experience. So that hopefully the next guy can add something he has tried.
I'm more used to forums based around keeping fish, reptiles and invertebrates though, where you log your journey into the hobby and share your data and results as you go, so that was what I was doing.
It took me a bit, and half a carton, but I love you maaaannnn! It's all good.

Oh, and love Terry Pratchet, but all I can think of is Thunk.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

That's a great idea. It has acid, it has tannins and it has flavour. You might be able to combine it with something very fruity that would enhance the flavour part. But I'm actually not sure what would fit the cranberry flavour. Maybe it's best left on it's own.... Apple could actually work. Did you try that?

Actually, it has, (according to our tastes), an excellent flavor just like it is. It’s an easy recipe just using juice right off the grocery store shelf. It finishes with a little sweetness retained. I usually do 5 gallon batches and as soon as I keg one batch, I start another. It would be very easy to do a one gallon test run, but I will caution you that should you do this, you’ll likely want to kick yourself for not doing a larger batch!

 

[ITV]

That's a great idea. It has acid, it has tannins and it has flavour. You might be able to combine it with something very fruity that would enhance the flavour part. But I'm actually not sure what would fit the cranberry flavour. Maybe it's best left on it's own.... Apple could actually work. Did you try that?

Apple cider with cranberries added to the secondary comes to my mind. I normalliy add either blueberries or cherries to my ciders.

 

[DaveDiamond]

In any case, I had a bit of a session on it last night. Tried Sunkist (cheap Fanta), Pub Squash, and then stuck to the fresh OJ for a few.
I mixed it starting at third, but ended up at half and half with OJ the last few. Woke up hangover free. I call that a win!
With that said, I chucked some honey in it and topped up what I drank with fresh oj, it was a bit too dry to be that strong imo!
Hopefully wife and kids material now!

 

[Miraculix]

Actually, it has, (according to our tastes), an excellent flavor just like it is. It’s an easy recipe just using juice right off the grocery store shelf. It finishes with a little sweetness retained. I usually do 5 gallon batches and as soon as I keg one batch, I start another. It would be very easy to do a one gallon test run, but I will caution you that should you do this, you’ll likely want to kick yourself for not doing a larger batch!

You mean this "juice" that you can get in the shops that is not actually cranberry juice but watered down juice with some sugar, right? Like the one from ocean spray for example.

I am gonna give that probably a try once the temperatures came down a little bit here. At the moment, it is too warm for wine yeasts.

 

[kylewag]

My first thought after seeing the title of this thread was Mr. Simpson after his stint in prison.

 

[tracer bullet]

Tried Sunkist (cheap Fanta), Pub Squash, and then stuck to the fresh OJ for a few.

You might try something like Sprite if you want some sweetening, or 7-up if not. It can cut the intensity a bit and maybe the fizz would be detectable and enjoyed?

 

[DaveDiamond]

I am gonna give that probably a try once the temperatures came down a little bit here. At the moment, it is too warm for wine yeasts.

This is the problem I'm going to have. It was over 35c every day, up to 45c for about 4 months straight this Spring/Summer/Autumn. This why I thought I'd try to get some ciders in before spring, and this OJ. I know what will happen soon, it'll be 25c one day, then 35c the next and it will stay over 30 until next winter. We're still getting 21c now, a month after the winter solstice, which is the middle of winter. I think the coldest day we got this winter was 16c, but the nights get cold. Spring is on the way and my time is short!

 

[Kickass]

Your OJ prison wine doesn’t sound very good, but I wouldn’t turn down a taste, if offered.

I don't have an initial gravity reading

This is really easy to estimate using the nutrition label and some basic assumptions of sugar.

 

[DaveDiamond]

Oh, heavens.

You won't get booted from this forum if you tell me where to stick it. You're entitled to your opinion. Give me your worst, that's entirely fair, provided you keep it on point and you leave my three-legged mother out of this. That kinda thing really pisses me off.

I'm just being honest with you.

If orange juice was a viable path forward, we'd have a sub forum for it. We don't because it's not a viable path forward--in large part because a freshly sqeezed orange and a double shot of vodka is a far superior use of an orange.

Please don't let my remarks discourage you, though. You've experienced the wonders of fermentation! Consider turning your attention toward apples, barley, or wheat. Those are things that are known to be good at being fermented. Oranges? Not so much. You feel me? If you don't, we have thousands of years of human history that doesn't involve the fermentation of oranges. You want to go there?

Feel free to hit me up with a PM if you have any questions. Together, we can get you fermenting drinkable stuff. But it's not going to involve oranges, okay?

Hey, I thought I'd update.
I bought all the stuff I thought I needed, I've been making ciders and meads, following the recipes on here, and I gotta tell ya, the Hard Orange is the most reliable thing I've brewed. It tastes like Vodka and Orange, especially once diluted with fresh orange juice in the glass. I'm just keeping a Carafe with a tap (is there a proper name for those things???) in the fridge 24/7 now. The Ciders have been very disappointing
It's not a daily drink, not a cider or beer substitute, but it's great to have in the fridge.
The Ciders have been very disappointing, but using a SodaStream I've been trying various tweaks and making some progress. I've been drinking it, but I'm yet to think 'Yeah I wanna drink that!'
The Hard Orange though beckons you after a few (lol!) beers.
I can't see it as an Orange Wine though, its just alcoholic Orange Juice.

 

[DaveDiamond]

Oh, and I think it's about to go off it's nut, I just shot 200ml of Golden Syrup down it's blow hole!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

We call hard orange juice ice lollies.

 

[beren]

For more store juice recipes check out https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/supermarket-juice-wine-how-to-guide-and-recipes.49462/

 

[DaveDiamond]

For more store juice recipes check out https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/supermarket-juice-wine-how-to-guide-and-recipes.49462/

Cheers!

 

[TheBluePhantom]

Wow, that is a lot of hate for a simple wine on this thread. I have done several batches, after seeing the description on Jack Iellers website. The second one I added orange blossum honey instead of sugar before fermentation. I used Cote de Blanc Yeast. Stabilized and backsweetened after a few months. Jack's recipe calls for a dose of Cointreau for spicing. The second batch I added water to, you lose a lot from dumping the pulp. Both were great baches of wine. The stronger one I preferred to drink near Christmas with a piece of dark chocolate, it paired well. Overal these are stunning dessert wines. Ad if done properly they have no alcohol burn, just a nice spiced orange taste.