making hooch(jail wine?) please help

[Beginner_at_Work]

Hi all I am new here and a beginner at home brewing. I got into this because I cant afford to keep buying alcohol from the liquor store. Anyways I bought some champagne yeast from a brewing store and I am trying to make hooch and get the highest alcohol content from it, which i believe is 18% maybe even 20%.

1. I am going to be using 1 L of water and my question is how much sugar and champagne yeast should I add to this water to get the highest abv%?

2. Also would using water to make hooch affect the final alcohol content, should i be using juice instead?
(My plan was to let the yeast ferment the water and sugar on its own and then simply add koolaid after the fermentation is done)

the champagne yeast comes in a 5g small package and doesnt give instructions on how much to add or anything to reach a certain abv. Thank you in advance and I would really appreciate if you can help me.

 

[1977Brewer]

Just buy Mad Dog.

 

[Justin201]

Its hard to say , without using a hydrometer to see how much sugar is in the water to ferment

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

Its hard to say , without using a hydrometer to see how much sugar is in the water to ferment

I dont understand what you are saying? I am asking how much sugar should I add to 1L of water to get the highest abv? also how much champagne yeast would I add?

Im probably not understanding what you are saying so please explain

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

Just buy Mad Dog.

Im not from america, come to canada and you will see how everything is much more expensive here, especially liquor............. BC is the worse

 

[ChefRex]

I don't believe hooch is an acceptable subject, I could be wrong but I think a Mod will be along shortly.
Making a beverage out of sugar and water is going to be nasty, juice and sugar may produce an acceptable libation, keep it cool for the first few days, look in the cider area might give you some ideas, good luck:rockin:

 

[Chadwick]

Hi all I am new here and a beginner at home brewing. I got into this because I cant afford to keep buying alcohol from the liquor store. Anyways I bought some champagne yeast from a brewing store and I am trying to make hooch and get the highest alcohol content from it, which i believe is 18% maybe even 20%.

1. I am going to be using 1 L of water and my question is how much sugar and champagne yeast should I add to this water to get the highest abv%?

2. Also would using water to make hooch affect the final alcohol content, should i be using juice instead?
(My plan was to let the yeast ferment the water and sugar on its own and then simply add koolaid after the fermentation is done)

the champagne yeast comes in a 5g small package and doesnt give instructions on how much to add or anything to reach a certain abv. Thank you in advance and I would really appreciate if you can help me.

Have you ever done this before? Maybe included some rice in a bucket?

 

[jsprinceiii]

Adding sugar to water, is not wine, more of a sugar wash, and not sure that adding Kool-Aid would
taste very good. Although it might be interesting..

I would suggest approx. 1# sugar per/liter of water, even better would be to invert the sugar prior to
adding to the water, will allow the yeast to work more efficiently.

 

[Qhrumphf]

In before the lock...

In all seriousness, assuming you're of legal age, buy some proper ingredients and make yourself some proper beer/wine/mead/cider. If you're so broke that this is the only way you can drink, you either have more important things to worry about shouldn't be spending money on alcohol, or you have more important things to worry about AND have a drinking problem you should probably be getting treatment for.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

In before the lock...

In all seriousness, assuming you're of legal age, buy some proper ingredients and make yourself some proper beer/wine/mead/cider. If you're so broke that this is the only way you can drink, you either have more important things to worry about shouldn't be spending money on alcohol, or you have more important things to worry about AND have a drinking problem you should probably be getting treatment for.

Dont worry about me. if you arent here to help just dont respond because you are no help, and just ranting nonsense that i dont need or want to here. Yes im of drinking age, hence the fact i mentioned i cant keep going to the liquor store and spending my money............ Dont worry about whether im broke or not, focus on yourself. Liquor in Canada is very expensive. I dont have a drinking problem, but I do like to drink everyday and there is nothing wrong with that. Im simply not going to be wasting my money in the liquor store for a drink.

Thank you to everyone else who answered my questions.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

I don't believe hooch is an acceptable subject, I could be wrong but I think a Mod will be along shortly.
Making a beverage out of sugar and water is going to be nasty, juice and sugar may produce an acceptable libation, keep it cool for the first few days, look in the cider area might give you some ideas, good luck:rockin:

hey bro thanks bro bro, but i also mentioned that i will be adding koolaid after the sugar water is done fermenting, you dont think that will helP?

 

[ChefRex]

hey bro thanks bro bro, but i also mentioned that i will be adding koolaid after the sugar water is done fermenting, you dont think that will helP?

No.

 

[ChefRex]

Dont worry about me. if you arent here to help just dont respond because you are no help, and just ranting nonsense that i dont need or want to here. Yes im of drinking age, hence the fact i mentioned i cant keep going to the liquor store and spending my money............ Dont worry about whether im broke or not, focus on yourself. Liquor in Canada is very expensive. I dont have a drinking problem, but I do like to drink everyday and there is nothing wrong with that. Im simply not going to be wasting my money in the liquor store for a drink. So mind your damn business if you arent going to answer the questions.

Thank you to everyone else who answered my questions.

Chill, he's a good guy.
No one is going to help you out if you start acting like an ass.

 

[1977Brewer]

Certainly no problem here.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

Adding sugar to water, is not wine, more of a sugar wash, and not sure that adding Kool-Aid would
taste very good. Although it might be interesting..

I would suggest approx. 1# sugar per/liter of water, even better would be to invert the sugar prior to
adding to the water, will allow the yeast to work more efficiently.

Thanks bro bro, but how would adding koolaid be any different then if i were to add it before fermentation, or if i were to use juice,. i dont understand how it would be or taste any different if i decide to add it after fermentation.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

Chill, he's a good guy.
No one is going to help you out if you start acting like an ass.

lol well thats because you're his friend. Im not nor do i know him neither does he know me, so its very disrespectful and acting like an "ass" to assume im an alcoholic, or have a problem as he was above. you cant just claim im acting like an ass, when he is assuming negative things about me, when he dont know me. but it aint a big deal, thats just how i talk. nothing personal

 

[1977Brewer]

Because it would taste like alcoholic KoolAid.

F'real, this'll get you slizzard on the cheap. Even in communist British Columbia.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424664326.130570.jpg

 

[TheCrackpot]

You're a ******.

Nothing personal. That's just how I talk.

 

[ChefRex]

Thanks bro bro, but how would adding koolaid be any different then if i were to add it before fermentation, or if i were to use juice,. i dont understand how it would be or taste any different if i decide to add it after fermentation.

The ****'s going to get you drunk if that's your objective, it's just going to taste like crap, if you want to produce something that is going to taste somewhat good, sugar and water and flavoring afterwards ain't going to cut it.

 

[z-bob]

So mind your damn business if you arent going to answer the questions.

Kinda mouthy for a new guy.

Use juice instead of water; cheap grape or apple juice, or mix the two. Make sure it doesn't have preservatives (Vitamin C is okay) A 5-gram packet of champagne yeast should ferment 5 gallons. If you add too much sugar, it will take forever to ferment and will taste like crap. If you don't add any sugar, it will taste good but be kind of weak -- so split the difference: add about a pound of sugar to each gallon of juice.

Sprinkle the yeast in a little bit (maybe 100 ml) of lukewarm water and leave it alone for at least 10 minutes. Then stir it up and you can add it to the juice.

Here's a recipe that's *really* cheap to make and it tastes good. It's not very strong tho', maybe 8% http://skeeterpee.com/?page_id=17

 

[jsprinceiii]

Thanks bro bro, but how would adding koolaid be any different then if i were to add it before fermentation, or if i were to use juice,. i dont understand how it would be or taste any different if i decide to add it after fermentation.

I just don't see Kool-Aid as a good flavoring... Again, it would be interesting.. Not that I would want to try it.

If wanting to keep it simple, try Apple Juice, or Grape Juice.. You can use the Frozen concentrate.. And, I would instead, ferment the juoice. As mentioned earlier, maybe a cider.
Or even try an apfelwein or skeeter pee..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/1-gallon-apfelwein-recipe-159102/

http://skeeterpee.com/Skeeter_Pee/Welcome.html/

 

[1977Brewer]

Kinda mouthy for a new guy.

Use juice instead of water; cheap grape or apple juice, or mix the two. Make sure it doesn't have preservatives (Vitamin C is okay) A 5-gram packet of champagne yeast should ferment 5 gallons. If you add too much sugar, it will take forever to ferment and will taste like crap. If you don't add any sugar, it will taste good but be kind of weak -- so split the difference: add about a pound of sugar to each gallon of juice.

Sprinkle the yeast in a little bit (maybe 100 ml) of lukewarm water and leave it alone for at least 10 minutes. Then stir it up and you can add it to the juice.

Man, he's making hooch and you're trying to be objective.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

You're a ******.

Nothing personal. That's just how I talk.

here since yall so sensitive ill edit my post just for you lol. since my comment leads u to believe im a ******. he came at me wrong, but ill be the bigger man.

 

[ChefRex]

lol well thats because you're his friend. Im not nor do i know him neither does he know me, so its very disrespectful and acting like an "ass" to assume im an alcoholic, or have a problem as he was above. you cant just claim im acting like an ass, when he is assuming negative things about me, when he dont know me. but it aint a big deal, thats just how i talk. nothing personal

99% of the people on this forum are friendly towards each other, it's what makes it a great place.

 

[z-bob]

Man, he's making hooch and you're trying to be objective.

I'll give anybody one chance.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

Kinda mouthy for a new guy.

Use juice instead of water; cheap grape or apple juice, or mix the two. Make sure it doesn't have preservatives (Vitamin C is okay) A 5-gram packet of champagne yeast should ferment 5 gallons. If you add too much sugar, it will take forever to ferment and will taste like crap. If you don't add any sugar, it will taste good but be kind of weak -- so split the difference: add about a pound of sugar to each gallon of juice.

Sprinkle the yeast in a little bit (maybe 100 ml) of lukewarm water and leave it alone for at least 10 minutes. Then stir it up and you can add it to the juice.

Here's a recipe that's *really* cheap to make and it tastes good. It's not very strong tho', maybe 8% http://skeeterpee.com/?page_id=17

wow thank you so much this was very informative, and the reason i said that above, was because he was assuming negative things about me being an alcoholic, i wasnt upset, just said it more in a laughing manner, but it aint nothing personal. thanks again.

 

[1977Brewer]

here since yall so sensitive ill edit my post just for you lol. since my comment leads u to believe im a ******. he came at me wrong, but ill be the bigger man.

Bro bro. No ones "coming at you". You came to a home brewing forum asking how to make prison wine.

 

[Qhrumphf]

lol well thats because you're his friend. Im not nor do i know him neither does he know me, so its very disrespectful and acting like an "ass" to assume im an alcoholic, or have a problem as he was above. you cant just claim im acting like an ass, when he is assuming negative things about me, when he dont know me. but it aint a big deal, thats just how i talk. nothing personal

Look mate, it's almost a 100% certainty that anyone who comes on here, in their first post, asking how to super-cheaply ferment sugar water, is underage and looking for an easy way to get trashed without needing someone to buy them beer.

Plus, hooch discussion isn't allowed on the forum, likely for the same reason. Almost a certainty that this thread gets locked by the mods.

And like I said, buy yourself some proper ingredients and do it right. If you can't afford to do that, you shouldn't be drinking. Sounds like the raging alcoholics I've known to drink Listerine.

If you're absolutely serious, then dump the hooch, go pick up a real starter equipment set and an extract kit or a wine concentrate kit, and make some actual beer or wine. Hell, at least go buy some preservative free apple juice and toss some beer yeast in there and toss an airlock on it. It's going to cost you more than your few buck sugar wash, but it might actually be something palatable, and it may be cheaper than storebought. I don't know if ingredients up in BC are more expensive than here, but down here, it's cheaper to just buy light lager than it is to brew it yourself. But it's cheaper to brew than to buy most craft beer.

Which brings me back to....if you can't afford to do it right, then you really should be spending money on other things than alcohol anyway. And if you keep doing something when you can't afford it, well yeah, that's a sign of a problem.

 

[Beginner_at_Work]

99% of the people on this forum are friendly towards each other, it's what makes it a great place.

ok bro, i will listen to you because u have been respectful to me, but assuming im an alcoholic was disrespectful, not no big deal though, i wasnt even saying what i said in an upset manner, thanks for your help though. ill be more respectful.

 

[paperairplane]

5kg sugar in 20L water should be around 1095 - which will get you around 14% ABV

 

[chawn]

I would suggest that you add fruit to it like lemons or maybe some kool-aid to at least make it somewhat drinkable. Good luck!

 

[ChefRex]

ok bro, i will listen to you because u have been respectful to me, but assuming im an alcoholic was disrespectful, not no big deal though, i wasnt even saying what i said in an upset manner, thanks for your help though. ill be more respectful.

I'm a drunk, alcoholics go to meetings

 

[1977Brewer]

Make sure 20% of your fermentables come from ketchup or fruit cocktail cups, or you're out of style for "hooch".

 

[Chadwick]

This thread needs to close. We are clearly dealing with either a serious alcoholic that needs help or a child that shouldn't be communicating with us in the first place. There isn't any other rational option to explain this post.

This post has nothing to do with fine home brewing. It doesn't even scratch the surface of beginner home brewing. We have someone begging for information on sugar-alcohol conversion rates while fully admitting they can't afford cheap swill, even at Canadian prices. This tells me this person is either a serious alcoholic that can't keep a low paying job, or a child. Either way, we are obligated to kill this post and stop replying. What serious home brewer is trying to find details on fermenting pure sugar water and yeast?

 

[paperairplane]

Make sure 20% of your fermentables come from ketchup or fruit cocktail cups, or you're out of style for "hooch".

Yeah - you also need to ferment it in a plastic bag in the water tank of a toilet to get the appropriate "terroir"

 

[Qhrumphf]

This thread needs to close. We are clearly dealing with either a serious alcoholic that needs help or a child that shouldn't be communicating with us in the first place. There isn't any other rational option to explain this post.

This post has nothing to do with fine home brewing. It doesn't even scratch the surface of beginner home brewing. We have someone begging for information on sugar-alcohol conversion rates while fully admitting they can't afford cheap swill, even at Canadian prices. This tells me this person is either a serious alcoholic that can't keep a low paying job, or a child. Either way, we are obligated to kill this post and stop replying. What serious home brewer is trying to find details on fermenting pure sugar water and yeast?

Could also just be a troll.

 

[paperairplane]

"Moonshiners" Tuesdays at 9ET on Discovery!

I love these guys in the LHBS - I need 10# of malt and 4 packs of turbo yeast.

 

[1977Brewer]

This thread needs to close. We are clearly dealing with either a serious alcoholic that needs help or a child that shouldn't be communicating with us in the first place. There isn't any other rational option to explain this post.

This post has nothing to do with fine home brewing. It doesn't even scratch the surface of beginner home brewing. We have someone begging for information on sugar-alcohol conversion rates while fully admitting they can't afford cheap swill, even at Canadian prices. This tells me this person is either a serious alcoholic that can't keep a low paying job, or a child. Either way, we are obligated to kill this post and stop replying. What serious home brewer is trying to find details on fermenting pure sugar water and yeast?

If I thought for a moment that he'd be successful I wouldn't entertain this endeavor for one second. He's gonna get moldy sugar water before he gets anything drinkable.

 

[Qhrumphf]

"Moonshiners" Tuesdays at 9ET on Discovery!

I love these guys in the LHBS - I need 10# of malt and 4 packs of turbo yeast.

My LHBS now no longer leaves the corn and rye out in the open, and doesn't advertise it either. You have to ask for it. And if you try to buy more than a pound or so, and they don't know you, they'll refuse you service. Same goes for the big carboys.

Apparently it's that much of a problem.

 

[douglasbarbin]

OP: are you such a low-functioning alcoholic that you can't afford Cisco wine, Thunderbird, MD 20/20, Night Train, Wild Irish Rose, etc.?

2nd question: do you live a) in a cardboard box, b) with your parents, or c) under the freeway?