Extra Hard Lemonade

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Been going now for 3 weeks, started at 1.134 and now sitting at 1.110. It tastes ok, REALLY sweet, going real slow, I added another pack of ec1118 tonight to see if that will kick start it again. Starting to lose hope.....


Update...After racking and adding another pack of ec1118 it is moving again...bubble every 15secs. Hope is still alive!!!
 
I am new to brewing, only finished one recipe so far but have this one and 3 others going. I see mention in this thread of stabilizing this but I'd prefer not to if it's not necessary.

If my calculations are correct, the amount of sugar in this recipe means it would end up at around 17%ABV and if you use a yeast such as EC1118 that can tolerate more than that then stabilization would be necessary. Because this recipe uses montrachet yeast, my understanding is that the yeast will peter out at about 13%ABV leaving lots of sugar behind so that it will be nice and sweet.

I started a batch on 3/30 with a gravity of 1.130 so once I reach a gravity of around 1.030 then I have reached the 13% that montrachet can handle. My questions are, once my hydrometer readings reach that point and don't move for several days then I could consider it ready to rack and bottle? When a yeast reaches it's maximum ABV and peters out, do I need to stabilize it or has the yeast "died" of alcohol poisoning making stabillizing unnecessary?

As I mentioned, I am new to all this so maybe my calculations and understandings are erroneous - feel free to correct me. Thanks!
 
Looks like your calculations are correct. I am not positive if all the yeast would die off from "alcohol poisoning". I guess if you do not want it carbonated, to be safe I would go ahead and add some sorbate to it to make sure the yeast die off.
 
So now a month into fermentation and a couple of rackings and repitches it is really rollin now. You can actually hear the fermentation from probably five feet away. Not gonna touch it now until it stops...hopefully in another week or two I can check the SG and see where it's at.
 
shall see. It's probably got another week of fermenting. It has dropped to 1.020 already. I don't remember where it started though I remember the reading being around 10% potential so 1.070ish
 
Well after vacation it's been going since feb 3. It's at 12%. Smells like paint thinner. But none the less it's cleared and since I've got room I'm gunna keg an carb. See how a couple weeks in the fridge and fizzyness does. Ill report the good or bad news. Would love this to turn out. Never had something ferment this long.
 
I'd never really had good luck with EC-1118 not tasting of solvents ... I'm sure someone does well with it since it's so popular. Lalvin says it ferments well down to 59 F so maybe I need to give it another try some day at a cooler temp.
 
Well, I broke down and am giving this a try. Doing a 2.5 gallon batch in a Mr. Beer keg. Oh my! Temperature corrected OG is 1.134.
Used 5 cans concentrate, 3 lemonade, 1 limeade, 1 cranberry, 5lbs sugar and EC-1118. Yeast seems to have started ok so I guess we will see.
 
It is almost time to bottle mine and was just wondering your advise on the issue of carbonating this batch thanks


brazedowl said:
The first time (lemon-lime) it sort-of carbed itself in the bottles. This time I'm going to add sugar and make sure it does. It get a very soda-like carbonation.
Click to expand...
 
Started this 2/25/13. Down to about 1.030. Tasting good. Drinkable, but will benefit from some bottle time. Going to bottle this in plastic bottles. Since its at 1030, should I still use priming sugar, or will it dry out a little more if I just bottle without priming sugar and let it carb with the little residual sugar that's in solution? I like the sweetness right now, could be a little drier, but not much. Maybe I'll just use priming sugar to be safe. At 1.030, in plastic, I shouldn't blow up all my bottles doing this, right? I just don't want to not add priming sugar, then find it's too dry.
 
kingogames said:
Started this 2/25/13. Down to about 1.030. Tasting good. Drinkable, but will benefit from some bottle time. Going to bottle this in plastic bottles. Since its at 1030, should I still use priming sugar, or will it dry out a little more if I just bottle without priming sugar and let it carb with the little residual sugar that's in solution? I like the sweetness right now, could be a little drier, but not much. Maybe I'll just use priming sugar to be safe. At 1.030, in plastic, I shouldn't blow up all my bottles doing this, right? I just don't want to not add priming sugar, then find it's too dry.
Click to expand...

I'd add the sugar, after its carbed to where you want it, put it in the coldest place you got. I took off the heat belt from carboy and it dropped to about 14c. All signs of carbonation have stopped. Doesnt do much once its cold.
 
Closing in on 2 months of fermenting this stuff. Only down to 1.054. Summer is gonna come and go before this stuff is ready to drink.
 
Well its been since February, cold crashed it last week in the fridge and shes sitting at aout 1.020. It's lost rubbing alcohol smell and starting to smell pretty lemony. Gunna keg it tommorow and carb her on up. Ill report back in 2 weeks if it makes the cut.
 
Kegged today. Had a extra pitcher left over. I dunno, she's at 1.020 and still syrupy. Just tastes a little off. Ima sucker for punishment so ill carb it, but it might be down the drain :(
 
Ok so I quick carbed it, had a glass. It's still a little hot but the lemon flavour is really coming through. After all the ups and downs, I'd say this has become a success. Little time in the keg and I think she might turn out pretty good!
 
Yeah i was thinking the same thing. I bottle, and my bottle that i've opened after 2 weeks in the bottle had a little sulfery smell, but it tasted pretty good. Do you think that smell will fade? I sure hope so.
 
I think time heals all wounds. I think it has potential to be a tasty one.

image.jpg
 
Well I finally gave up on mine. It has been going since March, OG of 1.134 and now sitting at 1.054, which should give an abv around 10.5%. I used EC1118 which I am pretty sure has a much higher alcohol tolerance, but I have repitched several times and just can't get it going. I was hoping to carbonate this in the bottle, but I don't dare with a SG that high. The taste is pretty decent, but still quite sweet. I added sorbate to kill off the yeast, gonna bottle, but it just wont be carbonated now. :( Hopefully after sitting in the bottle for a while the sweetness will mellow out a bit.
 
I gave up on mine last night too. Mine did a little better and finished off at 1.039 for 12.4%. Mine seems a little sweet still too, but it tastes good. I bottled without killing the yeast to see if it conditions in the bottle. Used Grolsch bottles so if it conditions well, the gasket will leak before they blow up. After a few days, I am going to release one to see how much pressure is building.
Having a get together the weekend of the 15th so I don't expect it to last past the weekend anyway.
Still trying to come up with a name for it. Thinking about something along the lines of "Teeny Bikini Remover". Doesn't quite have the right ring yet though. Any one have any good ideas?
 
I have had problems on my first batch I got great advice from the person that has the extra hard lemonade recipe and after three yeast packs and extra nutrients it start rocking the air lock and it has turned out very strong I came up with 13%, its to strong for mikes lemonade drinkers I know, what do they know.


There's not limit when you do the brew
 
Extra yeast and nutrient is how I got it where it is now. It tasts pretty good now and is at 12.4%ABV and with our activities happening only a week away, didn't want to wait any longer to bottle. I just need to watch for excessive pressure so I don't get any bombs. I used Groulsch bottles so I can easily loosen a cap and if the pressure seems too high, in the freezer they go.

Only trouble I have now is that I found out the SWMBO has issues with anything citrus and can't drink it. Now she tells me! For the next batch I need to come up with something with little or no citrus in it. Wouldn't have as much trouble with the yeast either.
 
Starrider said:
Extra yeast and nutrient is how I got it where it is now. It tasts pretty good now and is at 12.4%ABV and with our activities happening only a week away, didn't want to wait any longer to bottle. I just need to watch for excessive pressure so I don't get any bombs. I used Groulsch bottles so I can easily loosen a cap and if the pressure seems too high, in the freezer they go.

Only trouble I have now is that I found out the SWMBO has issues with anything citrus and can't drink it. Now she tells me! For the next batch I need to come up with something with little or no citrus in it. Wouldn't have as much trouble with the yeast either.
Click to expand...



The same nice person that has the extra hard lemonade recipe that I enjoyed making (brazedowl) on this forum has a wine recipe you make out of juice concentrate also very tasty and 13% which I found easy to do hope all is well
 
Got to try mine finally this past weekend. This stuff can be dangerous. Goes down like kool aide bust at12.5%, it'll sneak up on you.
I think I will have to try this with just some grape or other juice with less acid / citrus so it would be easier on those with the sensitive stomachs. With less citric acid, could probably jack up the ABV a little more too.
 
Rockindaddy said:
Do the same sanitation rules apply as with beer? Also, do you have to ferment it in a dark place like beer as well?
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Hardliners are going to say yes... but I'll to out on a limb and say not just no, but hell no. Not for wine.

When I finish a batch, I rinse out the carboy and turn it over and let it dry. When I'm ready to brew again, I inspect for visual signs of un-cleanlyness. If there's none, I brew. If there is. I get a brush out and clean with a bit of dish soap.

I just pull spoons, cups, tools right out of the drawer in the kitchen, and use them with no special sanitation, beyond being in the dishwasher sometime in the past.

I have been known to pour SG samples right back in, and let it ferment in the with no special consideration for light beyond closing the blinds in that room.

The only batches I've had go wrong was the dark chocolate cherry (it was just a bad idea), and pineapple wines (tasted like razorblades).

We scrubbed down EVERYTHING and used sanitizer and whatnot for our first attempt at beer and all three of our batches soured and went off to Nastyland. (I suspect that someone looked at it wrong, it felt insulted, and decided to spite us with bacteria)

Take it for what it is, cleaner is better and I'm not making show-wines... but don't beat yourself up over it :mug:
 
Starrider said:
Got to try mine finally this past weekend. This stuff can be dangerous. Goes down like kool aide bust at12.5%, it'll sneak up on you.
I think I will have to try this with just some grape or other juice with less acid / citrus so it would be easier on those with the sensitive stomachs. With less citric acid, could probably jack up the ABV a little more too.
Click to expand...

The stuff I made was a creaper also bam
 
brazedowl said:
Hardliners are going to say yes... but I'll to out on a limb and say not just no, but hell no. Not for wine.

When I finish a batch, I rinse out the carboy and turn it over and let it dry. When I'm ready to brew again, I inspect for visual signs of un-cleanlyness. If there's none, I brew. If there is. I get a brush out and clean with a bit of dish soap.

I just pull spoons, cups, tools right out of the drawer in the kitchen, and use them with no special sanitation, beyond being in the dishwasher sometime in the past.

I have been known to pour SG samples right back in, and let it ferment in the with no special consideration for light beyond closing the blinds in that room.

The only batches I've had go wrong was the dark chocolate cherry (it was just a bad idea), and pineapple wines (tasted like razorblades).

We scrubbed down EVERYTHING and used sanitizer and whatnot for our first attempt at beer and all three of our batches soured and went off to Nastyland. (I suspect that someone looked at it wrong, it felt insulted, and decided to spite us with bacteria)

Take it for what it is, cleaner is better and I'm not making show-wines... but don't beat yourself up over it :mug:
Click to expand...

OK....cool! I went ahead and made a batch, but I substituted one pound of sugar with one pound of light DME. Got a very active fermentation in about 24 hours and it is going strong. Looking forward to it!
 
Well mine has been bottled for about 2 weeks now. Still as sweet as when it was bottled. It just totally stalled out and couldn't get it to go any further after 3 months of fermenting. Almost syrupy, but if you pour it over ice and let the ice melt a bit it is pretty good. Scarry good really. I had 3 of them and I had a bit of a buzz goin. These can creep up on ya really quick. Mine finished up around 12% abv, which is kind of a high alcohol content, but still REALLY sweet. Almost wish I would of diluted a bit with water when I bottled. Hopefully the ladies enjoy these things once we start havin our summer get togethers. All the guys I have had test it didn't care for it cause too sweet. Maybe I'll have to try mixin em with beer to go for that summer shandy taste.
 
Where should the FG on this wind up? I started with 1.110 which was made on 6/22/13 and today (7/20/13) it is at 1.041. Shouldn't it go a little lower? That makes it about 9% ABV right now.
 
OK, so I took another gravity reading today and it's still at 1.041. I gently stirred it last week to see if I could get the yeast going again, but they seemed to have petered out. I am nervous about bottling with a gravity this high as I had bottle bombs recently on another batch of beer. Can anyone share with me what their FG was on this recipe? Thanks.
 
Rockindaddy said:
Where should the FG on this wind up? I started with 1.110 which was made on 6/22/13 and today (7/20/13) it is at 1.041. Shouldn't it go a little lower? That makes it about 9% ABV right now.
Click to expand...

I may be wrong on this when I have in the past tested the same gravity on two different dates I bottled not sure of the recipe you used I can tell you I am shooting for just before on my pink lemonade batch hoping to get a little fizzy ness on the batch, last one I bottled was in beer bottles and I dropped a gel cap carbonation gelcap in them and it resulted in a sweeter taste and no fizzy do to no yeast to eat the gel cap. Which because the yeast was played out it just was back sweetened 13% instead of little carbonation hope it helps you . Da man and great friend and his recipe extra hard lemonade (brazedowl). Has helped me to see the weak point in my madness. No limit when you do the Brew
 

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