Kool Aid before bottling???

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Lindyrig

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Joined
Dec 23, 2008
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Location
Sioux Falls, SD
I know I have seen this discussed before, but I wasn't able
to find the thread. I apologize if it's a repeat question.

I am brewing up an American Wheat this weekend and was
wondering if anyone has any idea what adding a couple/few
packets of lemonade Kool Aid would do before bottlng? I
enjoy the Summer Shandy taste and am looking to come up
with something quasi similar by just adding some lemonade
to the final product. Does anyone have suggestions or
hesitations? I tried lemon juice in the past with another beer
I made and the result was a bit undesireable.

Thanks in advance!!
 
Not related in any way, but holy crap! Now there's three of us in South Dakota, and you're not clear on the other side of the state!

I must have missed your introduction post. Welcome aboard from Ellsworth! :mug:
 
Ah, crap! I got taken twice in one day. :mad:



The good thing is, 3 people who work under me still think they have to be in to work at 0600 Saturday morning. I'll let them know tomorrow that they were fooled. :p
 
Haha.. yeah.. perhaps I need to repost now that it's officially April 2nd!

I joined up a few months ago but haven't posted too much. I'm still learning a lot as I go along.

Where is the 3rd South Dakota member? If he/she is in Murdo,
we could all meet up for a beer.. :) Although that would require a ton
of driving..
 
Not related in any way, but holy crap! Now there's three of us in South Dakota, and you're not clear on the other side of the state!

I must have missed your introduction post. Welcome aboard from Ellsworth! :mug:


Hell, there are only 8 people living in the whole state! How can you not know each other?!?!
Actually, I was born in Rapid City while my father was stationed at Ellsworth. Small world I guess....
 
The other one (that I know of) is bsay, out in the Vermillion area. I think that would be a hell of a drive. :D

At least you have a LHBS up there in Sioux Falls. All my shopping around here has to be done online.
 
So did you get any answer yet? What was the undesireable-ness last time? perhaps just use less lemon juice this time. try adding lemonade and see what happens. or maybe just to half.
I made a hef last summer that was pretty bland. I would give my glass a squirt with one of those plastic lemons then pour the beer. Yummy
 
Well, in one of my very first beers.. I went overboard.. (as many do it sounds). In addition to adding the zest of 4 oranges and 4 lemons during boil, I added about 8 oz of orange and lemon juice when racking into the primary.
I thought the first few were tasty, but now I'm stuck with 30 beers that
I only drink when I'm had too many others. :) It just didn't work out like I had hoped.

So, I thought by adding a couple packets of Lemonade Kool-Aid, I might get a more subtle lemon taste without bastardizing it was a bunch of zest/juice.

Unless someone tells me a horror story about trying Kool-Aid, I might just
try it with a couple packets at bottling. I figure two packets in five gallons can't cause any major damage, right??? (Famous last words of a fool)

PS.. yes.. we do have a LHBS here which is nice when you need items last minute, but I get a lot of my ingredients from the Northern Brewer in St. Paul since I bought my kit there and am from that area originally. I love how you can order anything you want and a ton of volume and it gets to you two days later.
 
Unless someone tells me a horror story about trying Kool-Aid, I might just
try it with a couple packets at bottling. I figure two packets in five gallons can't cause any major damage, right??? (Famous last words of a fool)

Sorry, I thought for sure this was an April Fools joke! But honestly, I think it would cause tremendous damage. I wouldn't dream of adding kool-aid to my beer. But that's me...if you want to try it, be a pioneer! :D

How about a little damage control...instead of adding it when bottling, just put a pinch in your glass before serving. That way, if it's a catastrophe, it's just a 12oz catastrophe!
 
can't you first try it on say a pint first. Just add a bit to a glass and pour beer. Just to get an idea of what it might do to it.
 
not to mention if you do add at bottling, Count the sugar into your priming sugar or you'll have overly carbonated beer. I'd just bottle normal, and make a batch of lemonade to pour into your glass before pouring the beer. You'll get an idea how much that way and next time you brew you have an idea how much to add to secondary.
 
Good idea.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've done some weird things
since I started brewing.

The first beer I ever made (extract) was a Irish Red Ale
and I didn't know I was suppose to steep the grains in the
bag that came with the kit. Instead, I dumped them in
for the entire 60 minute boil. Everyone I talked to said the
beer would turn out with a horrible after taste due to
boiling the grains. I got lucky and of all the beers I've
made, it's the one my friends like the most. Either that
means my beers are just horrible and an astringent Red
was the best, or I got lucky and learned my lesson without
it costing me an entire batch. :mug:
Now I know better.
 
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