Hard Lemonade / Cider

[gaudet]

I am tempted to do both of these in the near future. I have decided to start with a hard lemonade from concentrate (thanks appleman). My main question is about yeast. Which yeast should be used? A wine yeast or a beer yeast? I'm familiar with the wine yeasts being able to go to higher levels of alcohol, but not familiar of how high the beer yeasts (lager or ale) can go before reaching toxic levels of % ABV. I am hoping to make it about 4-6% abv and leave it a little sweet. I don't think that dry would be very good for a lemonade....

 

[grapeman]

I used a beer yeast, just a simple dry yeast. It goes to about 5% before dying out, leaving some sugars in there.

 

[wctisue]

Here's my attempt using Appleman's original post.



<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Hard Lemonade<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />[/B]
5 Sep 09

Started Danstar Windsor Brewing Yeast

Heated 1 Qt H2O &amp; ½ C Sugar &amp; 2 oz light DME

Added 2 cans lemonade to primary and then added the warm mixture to primary. Added H2O to make 1 gallon.

SG was 1.050 (a little low?). Heated an additional approx 1C H2O and ¼ C sugar. Yeast looked inactive in cool house (air conditioning). Added the warm (not hot) simple syrup to yeast slowly &amp; that seemed to invigorate the yeast.

Split yeast into two cups. Added ¼ C lemonade mixture from primary to each yeast starter. The yeast was really bubbling in 5 minutes so added another ¼ C of mix to each. After another 5 min added another 1/4 C. Now about 2+ C yeast starter pitched into must. One place said this slow dilution allowed the yeast to get acquainted with the acid of the lemonade rather than pitching the yeast and shocking the yeast.

SG 1.056 = 7.5% ABV. Tastes like lemonade!

7 Sep update: About ½ inch foam on must. Very active fermentation! SG 1.030

10 Sep update: Still active fermentation. SG 1.016

11 Sep update: Fermentation continues. SG 1.004

12 Sep: SG 1.000 racked and added sorbate.

Sweetened: Tried ½ can lemonade and ½ C sugar. Not quite sweet enough. Remaining ½ can lemonade and ½ C sugar and BINGO!!! Tastes very good. The whole gallon is in the fridge and we’ll see how it tastes chilled.

A winner! Tastes like lemonade should. Over ice cubes by the pool or whenever a cold drink would hit the spot. You can feel the impact of the alcohol. Next time I’ll shoot for an initial SG so the end result is closer to 6% ABV.

 

[Wade E]

Ale yeast is the way to go because you dont want the yeast going to far like a wine yeast can do.

 

[gaudet]

Have to make a quick trip to the LHBS this am, broke my last hydrometer last night...... Don't even know how it happened.

Going to start this when I get back.

 

[gaudet]

Store was out of hydrometers, so going to have to do this by sugar count

27g sugar per serving, 8 servings per can, 10 cans

2160 grams sugar in the concentrate = 4.76 pounds sugar in the lemonade mix

Not having worked too much with DME, how much does it contribute to the fermentables?

 

[gaudet]

Looking at Beertools program

I will add 1 pound dme and 1 more pound sugar and I should get it close to 1.064 starting gravity. Not fermenting to dry it should give me about 6% alcohol.

Looks good to go.........

 

[gaudet]

Yeast pitched. Muntons Brewing Yeast

Rock and Roll

 

[gaudet]

Official Recipe:

!0 cans Minute Maid Lemonade Mix
1# sugar
1# extra light DME

Guestimated sg was 1.064 (beertools)
Guestimated fg 1.017


Racked to a sanitized corny keg and pressurized and purged x2. I had about 1/3 gallon left over for sampling........

MMM MMM tasty.... I took the second glass with a tablespoon of sugar. MMM MMM tastier......

I'm thinking since this was my first batch, just sweeten it as we drink it 1 tbs at a time. Next time I will add some simple syrup before kegging. Can't wait to taste this carbonated on Saturday.......

 

[grapeman]

Sounds good Go Day. How's the acidity?

 

[gaudet]

Its a little tart, but nice..... I like it, but it probably should tone the acidity down a little bit. What would you suggest Rich?

 

[grapeman]

TUMS

 

[gaudet]

I'm only 40, I guess I can bear with it for now. Or just drink less of it.....

Any idea of how long its good for in the kegerator and carbonated?

 

[gaudet]

Its still there.......... Drinking it tonight and man its got a little kick to it. When I make it again I will sweeten it, Should I k-sorb it or not even worry about it when it goes to the keg?