Vodka/seltzer vodka/soda recipe

[Itr1197]

Hey guys! Looking to keg my first hard seltzer for the non beer drinkers (my wife). Looking for a basic recipe to make a Vodka seltzer. I’m not worried about flavorings right now as I might just keep droppers of flavors on hand. My main concern is ABV. Looking to hit around 6% ABV. In a 5 gallon keg what would be the water to vodka ratio, assuming the vodka is 40% ABV?
Thanks!

 

[DBhomebrew]

I'm writing on little sleep, but I want to say .75gal

5 x .06 = .3gal of alcohol

.3 / .40 = .75gal of vodka

 

[Itr1197]

Great! So .75 gal of vodka and 4.25 gal of water?

 

[BWRIGHT]

(Volume1 X ABV1) + (Volume2 X ABV2) / (Volume1 + Volume2)
(96 oz vodka x 40%) + (544 oz (water) x 0%) / 640 oz
(3840) + (0) / 640
3840 / 640 = 6% ABV

DBhomebrew's calculation above is correct and more straight forward. This formula works better for backsweetening.

 

[DBhomebrew]

(Volume1 X ABV1) + (Volume2 X ABV2) / (Volume1 + Volume2)

Yes!

((5-vol2) X 0) + (vol2 X .4) / 5 = .06
((0) + (vol2 X .4) = .3
vol2 = .3/.4
vol2 = 0.75

 

[Itr1197]

You guys are awesome!

 

[BWRIGHT]

As long as your using a 0 calorie flavor addition, you are looking at 116 calories per 12 oz. I was considering doing this with one of my kegs as well. Figure I'll just have to buy a bunch of the Mio/Crystal Light flavoring drops to see which is best. Let us know if you find a winner.

 

[Itr1197]

As long as your using a 0 calorie flavor addition, you are looking at 116 calories per 12 oz. I was considering doing this with one of my kegs as well. Figure I'll just have to buy a bunch of the Mio/Crystal Light flavoring drops to see which is best. Let us know if you find a winner.

Yes, I’m actually going to buy a bunch of different flavor extracts and use droppers to flavor the drinks individually.

Go Cubs!

 

[tkdgeek]

Captain obvious maybe, but you are then going to mix it all up and carbonate in your keg with your tank? Seems like a very easy version of the seltzer drinks. I thought about doing the 'brew' version and then saw how horrible complicated and picky it is to actually brew clean, clear 'hard water'. Then I thought, why not a shot of vodka in a commercial can of lightly flavored seltzer water. Not so great flavored either. Definitely not a good version of something like white claw.
I'd be curious if the overly simply vodka+clean water and hit it with some carb works well. I normally force carb a 1L with one of those stainless caps on a plastic bottle to try a beer out while they are bottle conditioning.

Short version: hope this tastes good and works out because I'd like to try it.

 

[bwible]

I know I have posted this before. This company makes flavorings specifically for the craft brewing, distilling and alcoholic beverage industry. They have many interesting flavors available and many that say they are for seltzers:

https://www.apexflavors.com/Beverage-Industry

 

[bwible]

Captain obvious maybe, but you are then going to mix it all up and carbonate in your keg with your tank? Seems like a very easy version of the seltzer drinks. I thought about doing the 'brew' version and then saw how horrible complicated and picky it is to actually brew clean, clear 'hard water'. Then I thought, why not a shot of vodka in a commercial can of lightly flavored seltzer water. Not so great flavored either. Definitely not a good version of something like white claw.
I'd be curious if the overly simply vodka+clean water and hit it with some carb works well. I normally force carb a 1L with one of those stainless caps on a plastic bottle to try a beer out while they are bottle conditioning.

Short version: hope this tastes good and works out because I'd like to try it.

Thats exactly how I would do it. Vodka + water to about 5% in a keg then add flavor and force carbonate. See flavor list above.

 

[BWRIGHT]

I think he was going for variety though. If you put the flavoring in the keg, you have 5 gallons of 1 flavor. If you just force carb the water/vodka mixture, you can then buy a bunch of different flavors of water "enhancers" and just put a few drops in your glass before you hit the tap. That being said, once you land on a flavor you really like......do the whole keg.

 

[bwible]

Have you guys seen this?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/growlerwerks/the-ukeg-twist-hard-seltzer-maker

 

[Itr1197]

I think he was going for variety though. If you put the flavoring in the keg, you have 5 gallons of 1 flavor. If you just force carb the water/vodka mixture, you can then buy a bunch of different flavors of water "enhancers" and just put a few drops in your glass before you hit the tap. That being said, once you land on a flavor you really like......do the whole keg.

Exactly! Once I find something we like then the goal is to do the whole keg

 

[cmac62]

@DBhomebrew Just checking my math (please teacher) If I want to do the same with a 2 ltr bottle I convert to 68 ozs then 68 x .06=4.08 4.08\.4=10.2 So a 2 ltr bottle would require 10.2oz of 40 abv vodka to get to 6% abv. Thanks

Edit: I have some carb caps and this should be easy to make test batches for flavors.

 

[bwible]

I use the online alcohol dilution calculator:
https://www.distilling-spirits.com/...alc_c_ist=40&alc_c_soll=6&alc_v_soll=2#result
Seems this is right, it gives it as .3 liters or 10.14 oz of 40% to get to 2 liters at 6%. I thought that seemed like alot. There’s only about 25 ounces in a fifth, so thats almost half a bottle. Definitely wouldn’t be buying the Grey Goose for this.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Definitely wouldn’t be buying the Grey Goose for this.

Svedka. Excellent flavor per $. I mix liberally with Zing Zang plus a healthy dash of whatever hot sauce I've got handy.

 

[bwible]

Svedka. Excellent flavor per $. I mix liberally with Zing Zang plus a healthy dash of whatever hot sauce I've got handy.

Yep. Thats one of the ones we buy.

 

[bracconiere]

i do things like this with ABW...i think you multiply ABV by 0.88 to get that...it's easier to measure with a scale...

 

[cmac62]

Definitely wouldn’t be buying the Grey Goose for this.

No but Tito's would be pretty good.

 

[bwible]

No but Tito's would be pretty good.

Another good one. I’m not really a vodka guy. Has no flavor. The one I found I liked the best was Russian Standard. Something different about that one I can’t describe. I just like it a little better than others I’ve had. One of Total Wine’s brands is called Opulent vodka. That one went over well last time we had a party.

 

[Nevercaredformyhair]

Another good one. I’m not really a vodka guy. Has no flavor. The one I found I liked the best was Russian Standard. Something different about that one I can’t describe. I just like it a little better than others I’ve had. One of Total Wine’s brands is called Opulent vodka. That one went over well last time we had a party.

I like Russian Standard aswell. Its a really neutral Vodka with 0 flavour.

taking a shot of Russian is like drinking water, you’ll get drunk before you know it

 

[Nevercaredformyhair]

I know I have posted this before. This company makes flavorings specifically for the craft brewing, distilling and alcoholic beverage industry. They have many interesting flavors available and many that say they are for seltzers:

https://www.apexflavors.com/Beverage-Industry

I want to try this out. Do you know the mixing ratio on these?

 

[bwible]

I want to try this out. Do you know the mixing ratio on these?

They give you starting percentages in the description for each product. Usually starting around .5 %. This is one of the times it would be more convenient to work in metric. Liters and ml.

I just bought a couple of the small dosing syringes that are made for giving medicine to pets, etc. I got a 1ml thats in tenths so I can measure fractions of a ml and also a 10ml one.

I plan to start with a small sample, say 10cl which would be a little less than 3.5 oz. .5% of 10cl happens to be .5 ml. Taste that, see if it needs more or less.

Say .5 % is good. And I want to make 3 gallons. 3 gallons is 11.35 liters. 11.35 times .5% is .056 liters or about 1.89 oz. Apex sells a 2 oz size which I have been buying, figuring this.

Now by the time you buy vodka to dillute and then buy your flavoring, it will most likely end up being cheaper and more convenient to just buy White Claw or Truly. The companies producing these are fermenting sugar instead of using vodka, and are working in massive volumes - which is how they are able to turn a big profit.

I would do this to make up a flavor I can’t buy. For instance, they have one that says Margarita flavor. And of course, just to say I did it.

 

[Nevercaredformyhair]

They give you starting percentages in the description for each product. Usually starting around .5 %. This is one of the times it would be more convenient to work in metric. Liters and ml.

I just bought a couple of the small dosing syringes that are made for giving medicine to pets, etc. I got a 1ml thats in tenths so I can measure fractions of a ml and also a 10ml one.

I plan to start with a small sample, say 10cl which would be a little less than 3.5 oz. .5% of 10cl happens to be .5 ml. Taste that, see if it needs more or less.

Say .5 % is good. And I want to make 3 gallons. 3 gallons is 11.35 liters. 11.35 times .5% is .056 liters or about 1.89 oz. Apex sells a 2 oz size which I have been buying, figuring this.

Now by the time you buy vodka to dillute and then buy your flavoring, it will most likely end up being cheaper and more convenient to just buy White Claw or Truly. The companies producing these are fermenting sugar instead of using vodka, and are working in massive volumes - which is how they are able to turn a big profit.

I would do this to make up a flavor I can’t buy. For instance, they have one that says Margarita flavor. And of course, just to say I did it.

Thank you for the great answer! Im in EU so metric is preferred

I just ordered some extract samples from OliveNation they were like 6 USD each for 8 fl oz bottles + shipping at around 20.

its supposedly strong stuff, will be mixing it with moonshine to see how it goes first then i’ll try fermenting from skratch.

will update how it goes