How to calculate abv with juices and tea

[impatient one]

How do I calculate abv with juices and tea, such as Arnold palmer, or screw drivers? More wine coolers for the female folk. I want to make gallons instead of just a 6pk. Any suggestions?

 

[Yooper]

How do I calculate abv with juices and tea, such as Arnold palmer, or screw drivers? More wine coolers for the female folk. I want to make gallons instead of just a 6pk. Any suggestions?

The easiest way is to take an original gravity reading, and a final gravity reading, and either do the math (OG-FG) x .131= ABV or use a calculator to get the ABV.

 

[fluketamer]

what are you trying to do exactly make hard soda or wines or ciders? im confused as to what your trying to brew.

 

[impatient one]

Trying to get like a twisted tea, or a segrams screwdriver type "wine cooler". Figured if I can come close, I'd expand it to include other juices.

 

[fluketamer]

carbed or not carbed?




this might be worth a try . you can add other juices and or natural coloring and flavoring. this would likely fit the bill

another option is to brew really dry ciders and than backsweetne them with very sweet juices. that usually gets my wife drinking. lol

 

[impatient one]

Store variety isn't carbed, so probably not. Unless it's easy in the bottle. It will take up room with my bottling bucket. Lol

 

[fluketamer]

still or flat prolly even easier than carbed. although to be honest carbonation really improves the taste and even body of some fruit ciders and sweet meads.

 

[impatient one]

So please explain to me the process. I've looked and everything I read talks about Yeast and fermentation. Then I'm assuming priming bottles and waiting a couple of weeks for carbonation. Is there an easier way?

 

[fluketamer]

no you got it but if its flat you want then no priming and carbing needed. just ferment pasteurize ( either heat or i think k meta ) and bottle.
i would try a known recipe like the one i posted then tweak that.

you really just want a very clean fermented sugar drink with no esters or phenols as a base. start with bottled water. and good sugar . get the right yeast. not beer yeast. i would use something recommended on the forums. like a seltzer yeast or maybe a turbo yeast not sure.

look at the hard seltzer threads .

you may want to read up on kilju one of the posters on here swear by a kilju mojito they make.

that could be your path to glory . lol


this also looks very promising and has recipe and instructions
https://www.morebeer.com/products/white-water-hard-seltzer-recipe-kit-classic-unflavored.html

 

[impatient one]

Thanks

 

[Closet Fermenter]

How do I calculate abv with juices and tea, such as Arnold palmer, or screw drivers? More wine coolers for the female folk. I want to make gallons instead of just a 6pk. Any suggestions?

I do several wines from juices. A simple method for me to get in the ballpark of where I want to be is to figure each pound sugar/gal gets you 6% ABV. Since I typically shoot for about 12% ABV for wine, I am looking for 2lb total sugar per gallon.

Start with what is on the label (usually in grams per serving) and calculate total sugar per container. Convert to pounds, and subtract from your target; in my case 2#.
This is a bit rough as you can end up chasing your tail if trying to be exact. If you start with a full gallon of juice and add sugar to get 2lb, you end up with 2# of sugar in a little more than a gallon due to the sugar increasing the volume some. I suppose one could boil off a little water as in brewing to get back to a gallon, but eh, I just say “close enough” and let it rip!

The other alternative is to use less juice, add necessary sugar, and top up with water, but your flavor may be thinned a little.
Hope this helps.