Well, I found this:
HOW DO THEY MAKE IT?
Sure you want to know? Well, OK. There's really no reason you
couldn't make it yourself (not for sale, of course).
Mash 3.7 lb of any domestic 6-row malt with 1.76 gallons
of water to achieve a dough-in temperature of 122 F (50 C). Add
0.1 ounce of amyloglucosidase enzyme. This is the most energetic
enzyme available, and will essentially give you about 100%
conversion. Don't want any of those nasty unfermentable sugars
in there that might contribute to body! Let the mash rest for 26
minutes at this temperature. Raise the mash temperature to 150 F
(66 C) and let it rest for 40 minutes. Raise it to 162 F (72 C)
and rest for 10 minutes. Finally, raise it to 172 F (78 C) to
mash out.
Transfer the mash to your trusty lauter tun and sparge
with 172 F (78 C) water to achieve a total wort volume of 5
gallons.
Can't get the alcohol level we want from this wimpy wort.
Boil for 20 minutes, then add 0.74 gallon of 95% fermentable corn
syrup, and 0.028 ounce of hop extract. Yes, that's right. A
hopping rate of about 1 ounce of hop extract per 200 gallons of
wort.
OK, let's get our yeast to work. After 90 minutes of
boiling, cool it quickly down to 50 F (10 C). Aerate the wort
with sterile, filtered air to saturate it with oxygen (8 ppm),
and pitch 2 ounces of a neutral lager yeast.
This part is normal. Ferment at 53 F (12 C) for 10 days,
until the product has achieved 7.5% alcohol by weight. Chill to
40 F (4 C) to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to an
agitation tank.
Oops, it still has a faint yellowish tinge. Add 1.23 lb
of a slurry containing 5.26 ounces of activated charcoal.
Agitate for 12 hours. Let settle, and double filter through
diatomaceous earth filters. This gives you a totally colorless
product.
Well, that's fine but we have more alcohol than we really
need. Add 2.48 gallon of dearated and slightly carbonated water,
to achieve an alcohol level of 4% by weight.
Damn, still not sweet enough. Add 1.72 lb of high
fructose corn syrup. While we're at it, let's put in 1.57 ounce
of tartaric acid. This is the key ingredient, since this is what
eliminates those nasty sensations of fullness, tartness,
sweetness, and astringency that conzumers hate so much.
Well, since we've gone this far, let's put a few more
chemicals in our product for good measure: 0.09 ounce of citric
acid as a secondary acid to back up the tartaric acid, 0.028
ounce of sodium citrate as a buffer, 0.89 ounce of Tastemaker
Natural Flavor (#12345) to give it a vaguely lemon-lime taste,
0.009 ounce of an anti-foaming agent like Dow Corning "Antifoam
FG 10" (can't let it have a head--someone might think it was
beer!), and a couple of preservatives like 0.185 ounce of sodium
benzoate and 0.185 ounce of potassium sorbate.
Whew! Well, I guess all that's left is to make it fizzy.
Let's inject 0.042 lb of carbon dioxide per gallon.
So, in answer to the curious folkz who have wondered what
in the world was going on out there in the mountains of Colorado,
this is how you make Zima. Be warned, however, that this is
potentially the tip of the iceberg. According to the patent
application, Coorz has plans (assuming that conzumerz by enough
of the ztuff) to expand their market by offering different
flavors of Zima. You'll know if the American conzumer as been
sucked in when you start seeing the adz for the other flavorz.
If you actually like Zima you can probably edit out the snark, skip the perservatives and charcoal filtering and dilation and chemical carb and make .... something... from this.
I guess I would be more interested in makimg something like mikes hard. Seems like its easier to just buy it. Bummer
Really, if this is what you have to go through to get Zima then just go to the store and buy some......ugh I couldn't even read all of that and I have been brewing for 17 years.......
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