# HARD! Lemonade



## homebrewnewb

Howdy there, 
Do you have lemons on a tree like mine, occasionally molested by damn marsupials?
Do you have kids piffing lemons at unsuspecting neighbors?
Have you often though, damn i should getting more bang for buck out of my lemons to life ratio?

I pilfered this from BrewCraft so all credit.
Would you make any amendments?
I am almost tempted to try a bittering hop light like a fuggle just for experimental purposes.
Aroma Dr. Rudi maybe with a dry hop?



*Hard Lemonade (Alcoholic)*
semi-sweet alcoholic lemonade of about 4.5% strength. You can vary the sweetness by varying the amount of lactose in the recipe or make it dry by leaving the lactose out altogether (see notes)

*Ingredients:*
• 2kg dextrose
• 500g lactose
• 12-24 lemons, sliced or chopped fine including peel
• up to 50g crushed or grated fresh ginger (optional)
• 5g yeast nutrient
• 1 sachet SAFale yeast
• Water to make up 22 litres of wort

*Method:*
• Heat 5 litres of water then add dextrose, lactose, lemons & ginger & simmer for 20 minutes.

• Sterilize your fermenter according to directions on the sterilizing compound.

• Add about 12 litres of cold water into your fermenter. Strain the hot mixture into the fermenter.

• Top up with cold water to the 22 litre mark add the yeast nutrient & stir well.

• Make sure the temperature is 30C or less & add the yeast, fit a fermentation lock in the lid of the fermenter & half fill it with water.

• The fermentation should start within 24 hours although it usually ony takes a couple of hours to start. When it starts, bubbles should be rising through the lemonade & stream through the water in the airlock.

• Allow the lemonade to ferment until it stops then allow it to settle & clear for 48 hours.

• Prime bottles. Or keg.

• Fill the bottle to about 50mm from the top then seal it firmly with a crown seal or screw cap.

• Store these bottles in a warm place for a week or 2 to allow them to condition.

*Notes:*
You can vary the quantities of lemons & ginger to suit your own taste.
You cannot use sugar or glucose to sweeten a bottle fermented drink like this because it will cause the bottles to explode. I will prime them with sucrose so 
This lemonade is sweetened with lactose which is a non-fermentable sweetener. You can add more or less lactose to suit your own taste. As a rough guide, lactose is about half as sweet as sugar.


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## mongey

damn thats a good idea

I just moved out of a house with 2 lemon tree's and I was throwing the damn things away every time I mowed


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## homebrewnewb

summer time comin up and i usually do a ginger beer or cider. considering the price of ginger @ 20$ per kg and I have lemons, time to put them to use!


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## tj2204

That's going on the to brew list. Cheers.


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## pirateagenda

i brewed this last year for the xmas to new years break and with temps in the high 30s, it went down really well between beers.


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## manticle

Personally, I'd use zest and flesh, leaving behind pips and pith, but that comes from cooking, not making hard lemonade.


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## Hangover68

i'm going to give this a crack, does using the whole lemon impart any bitterness and what is the post brew taste like. Would it be similar to an American style lemonade ?


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## homebrewnewb

not sure, you will be forging the way. i will be trying this in a couple of weeks. 
i dont think it would be like US style at all, since it has the alcohol content and a bit of lactose to back sweeten. i am not sure if there are are any commercially similar products to test.
keep us posted on your progress @Hangover68


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## pirateagenda

i boiled up the whole lemons, and added sliced lemons to the fermenter. 

Adding the lemons to the fermenter gave it a really tart bitterness. which was quite nice combined with the dryness of it, although did also have the slightest offish lemon flavour which i assume occured during the ferment. 

I backsweetened with a sweetener from woolies, as I ran out of lactose.

The keg of it got demolished in 2 days by both beer drinkers and non beer drinkers.


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## Hangover68

pirateagenda said:


> i boiled up the whole lemons, and added sliced lemons to the fermenter.
> 
> Adding the lemons to the fermenter gave it a really tart bitterness. which was quite nice combined with the dryness of it, although did also have the slightest offish lemon flavour which i assume occured during the ferment.
> 
> I backsweetened with a sweetener from woolies, as I ran out of lactose.
> 
> The keg of it got demolished in 2 days by both beer drinkers and non beer drinkers.



thanks, how much sweetener, i might get some extra lactose maybe 1kg instead 500g.


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## pirateagenda

Hangover68 said:


> thanks, how much sweetener, i might get some extra lactose maybe 1kg instead 500g.


I can't remember exactly how much, but i just trialled small samples in a glass until it tasted right and then scaled up to the whole keg amount. 

I would definitely go with lactose over the sweetener, as the artificial sweetener adds that sugar free soft drink, 'alzheimers' etc flavour.


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## laxation

I've tried this and would recommend not using lactose =/
The drink tasted like milk and I found it disgusting. Poured the lot out...

If I did it again, I wouldn't sweeten at all - instead I would pour in some lemon cordial into your glass/bottle when drinking.


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## Hangover68

Got the ingredients and a ton of lemons, might start this today.


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## homebrewnewb

keep us posted - i am ready to go with this but @laxation 's call on the lacto has me a bit suss.


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## laxation

don't discount user error - it was only the 5th or 6th brew I'd done...
but the aftertaste was just so milky, i can only figure it to be because of the lactose

would be very interested to see what others come up with with the same recipe


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## homebrewnewb

might dial it back a bit, milk is for babies.


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## Hangover68

homebrewnewb said:


> keep us posted - i am ready to go with this but @laxation 's call on the lacto has me a bit suss.


I tasted the lactose and the wort and get no milky hint at all, it's fermenting as we speak 
I stuck to the recipe and used 500g of lactose.


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## homebrewnewb

jeez you move fast, okay im giving it a crack. @laxation did you pour milk in there or what?


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## laxation

Wait til it's fermented and let me know what you think


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## Hangover68

Fermentation seems to have stalled so maybe time to have a taste and get ready to bottle.


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## Hangover68

Done and dusted and all bottled, definitely no milk taste but it is a little more tart than I expected but hopefully once its conditioned it will take some of that away.
One of my fermenters had a fatal accident while I was cleaning it out, dropped on grass and shattered - not bad for 18yo.


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## Hangover68

Its been just over 3 weeks since bottling and conditioning is good with just the right amount of fizz, definitely still a little sour but drinkable.
Next batch i will double the lactose to 1kg and leave out the 6 lemons i cut into wedges and added to wort before pitching the yeast, tastes nice with a little midori essence added or fruit punch cordial.


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## DrewCarey82

Interesting, keen to do, good to see some pioneers before me!


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## Hangover68

Starting the next batch tonight, less lemons and more lactose so hopefully less tart and a bit sweeter.


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## Machiavelli

Is aging important in this brew, or do you just ferment, bottle, wait for it to get fizzy and then drink?


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## Machiavelli

Update: Have begun this brew, but with a couple more lemons. Have experienced no fermentation within 24 hours. Does it normally take longer because of the acidity?


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## Hangover68

Machiavelli said:


> Update: Have begun this brew, but with a couple more lemons. Have experienced no fermentation within 24 hours. Does it normally take longer because of the acidity?



Not sure about the acidity but it did take a while to get going, then it was bubbling its head off for over a week. I tasted a tester after 2 weeks but it needed longer, 3-4 seems about right at a minimum - infact i will put one in the fridge and see how its going.


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## Bendymann

This looks amazing, keen to give it a go...

On the same theme. I have a question for anyone that has done lemonades before. Rather than adding more sweetener (lactose, stevia, whatever) to reduce the "bitey-ness", has anyone ever tried to "Reduce Acidity" a little using an alkaline additive/buffer? Just wondering if this would increase the perceived sweetness without adding sugar, changing mouthfeel, or strange after-tastes.
Thanks in advance..


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## Hangover68

Bendymann said:


> This looks amazing, keen to give it a go...
> 
> On the same theme. I have a question for anyone that has done lemonades before. Rather than adding more sweetener (lactose, stevia, whatever) to reduce the "bitey-ness", has anyone ever tried to "Reduce Acidity" a little using an alkaline additive/buffer? Just wondering if this would increase the perceived sweetness without adding sugar, changing mouthfeel, or strange after-tastes.
> Thanks in advance..



I used less lemons this time and doubled the lactose, first taste is promising.


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## roller997

Hangover68,
How many lemons did you use for the second batch?
Do you have any information on what lemons you used for the Hard Lemonade? The different varieties vary a lot in terms of sourness so some might be suited better than others.
Did they have a tick skin or thin skin? Do the branches have barbs on them? That might help me narrow down what lemons to use.
My dad has lemons that are thin skinned, very juicy with few seeds and almost a bit rounder than the traditional football shape and they are nowhere near as sour. I believe it is a Lemonade type lemon which might make a less tart Lemonade when compared to using a Eureka, Meyer or Lisbon.

Thanks
Roller


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## Stefan Nardi

I’m giving this a crack this weekend.


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## Mikeyr

Put mine in the fermenter on Saturday, packet of US05, nada action after 36 hours so chucked in another random packet of yeast on Monday and a really old champers one i had, still nothing until last night when i gave it another good swirl .... fizz finally! Something lives ..... god knows what!

Also did some reading that adding a bit extra nutrient might help, sure did! Immediate action around the dissolving nutrient.

I think regular rousing might be the trick.


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## rookiemistakes

Possible dumb questions... Can I use carbonation drops when bottling this? And could I add more dextrose to make the alcohol % higher?


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## Mikeyr

Not dumb at all! Yes and Yes! Or cane sugar, honey, etc. Given it's lemon, it's a bit more masking of "sugar" variety. Just bottled mine and chucked some mandarin concoction (i had a few on the tree still!) on the yeast cake ...... smells good, who knows what it will taste like!


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## Hangover68

Been a few weeks and this batch is much better but lacking a bit of flavour, i didnt add anything apart the lemons as swmbo is a bit picky.
i just use what ever lemons i can scrounge from work colleagues.


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## inpowers

homebrewnewb said:


> Howdy there,
> Do you have lemons on a tree like mine, occasionally molested by damn marsupials?
> Do you have kids piffing lemons at unsuspecting neighbors?
> Have you often though, damn i should getting more bang for buck out of my lemons to life ratio?
> 
> I pilfered this from BrewCraft so all credit.
> Would you make any amendments?
> I am almost tempted to try a bittering hop light like a fuggle just for experimental purposes.
> Aroma Dr. Rudi maybe with a dry hop?
> 
> 
> 
> *Hard Lemonade (Alcoholic)*
> semi-sweet alcoholic lemonade of about 4.5% strength. You can vary the sweetness by varying the amount of lactose in the recipe or make it dry by leaving the lactose out altogether (see notes)
> 
> *Ingredients:*
> • 2kg dextrose
> • 500g lactose
> • 12-24 lemons, sliced or chopped fine including peel
> • up to 50g crushed or grated fresh ginger (optional)
> • 5g yeast nutrient
> • 1 sachet SAFale yeast
> • Water to make up 22 litres of wort
> 
> *Method:*
> • Heat 5 litres of water then add dextrose, lactose, lemons & ginger & simmer for 20 minutes.
> 
> • Sterilize your fermenter according to directions on the sterilizing compound.
> 
> • Add about 12 litres of cold water into your fermenter. Strain the hot mixture into the fermenter.
> 
> • Top up with cold water to the 22 litre mark add the yeast nutrient & stir well.
> 
> • Make sure the temperature is 30C or less & add the yeast, fit a fermentation lock in the lid of the fermenter & half fill it with water.
> 
> • The fermentation should start within 24 hours although it usually ony takes a couple of hours to start. When it starts, bubbles should be rising through the lemonade & stream through the water in the airlock.
> 
> • Allow the lemonade to ferment until it stops then allow it to settle & clear for 48 hours.
> 
> • Prime bottles. Or keg.
> 
> • Fill the bottle to about 50mm from the top then seal it firmly with a crown seal or screw cap.
> 
> • Store these bottles in a warm place for a week or 2 to allow them to condition.
> 
> *Notes:*
> You can vary the quantities of lemons & ginger to suit your own taste.
> You cannot use sugar or glucose to sweeten a bottle fermented drink like this because it will cause the bottles to explode. I will prime them with sucrose so
> This lemonade is sweetened with lactose which is a non-fermentable sweetener. You can add more or less lactose to suit your own taste. As a rough guide, lactose is about half as sweet as sugar.


Hi Homebrewnewb

What type of Safale yeast did you use.
Or can you use wine yeast?

Thanks in advance
inpowers


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## peterlonz

Lactose is not generally a good way to introduce sweetness, except where it has been proven, as for example in commercial milk stouts.
I'd recommend for keggers: just back sweeten with lemon cordial or plain sugar syrup made yourself. Beware anything with artificial sweetener.
Don't forget to use a yeast nutrient & consider a champage yeast if your intended ABV is above 4%.


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## stevonz

I use Xylitol for back sweetening... made for either corn husks or birch trees. Its non-fermentable,looks & tastes like sugar. I have used in ciders, ginger beer etc. www.naturallysweet.com.au/xylitol/bulk/


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## inpowers

Just bottled my batch after 10 days from start to finish of fermenting. Left it a couple of days before bottle.
Question it has a yeasty smell and taste to it. Should I have left it for a few extra day or week longer before I had bottled it?
Also not as sweet as I thought it would be.

Thanks in advance


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## altone

inpowers said:


> Just bottled my batch after 10 days from start to finish of fermenting. Left it a couple of days before bottle.
> Question it has a yeasty smell and taste to it. Should I have left it for a few extra day or week longer before I had bottled it?
> Also not as sweet as I thought it would be.
> 
> Thanks in advance


Well the "yeastiness" may dissipate after you bottle condition.
But if it's not sweet enough maybe add some lactose if you brew it again.

edit oh or as stevonz suggested


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## Clevohead

Just threw one down last night, will be kegging this, and bottling any leftover as a comparison.

With the kegged amount can I back sweeten with sugar at kegging stage as long as I get the keg chilled that night? I figured the cold crash will stall the yeast and allow me to finish sweeten with regular sugar?

And as for bottling I assume I just prime with sugar as per beers?


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## laxation

Clevohead said:


> Just threw one down last night, will be kegging this, and bottling any leftover as a comparison.
> 
> With the kegged amount can I back sweeten with sugar at kegging stage as long as I get the keg chilled that night? I figured the cold crash will stall the yeast and allow me to finish sweeten with regular sugar?
> 
> And as for bottling I assume I just prime with sugar as per beers?


you can do that but if it were me i'd be checking the pressure regularly and releasing the PRV if necessary. Maybe even chuck a spunding valve on there. Being cold slows down the yeast - doesn't stop it altogether.


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## Clevohead

laxation said:


> you can do that but if it were me i'd be checking the pressure regularly and releasing the PRV if necessary. Maybe even chuck a spunding valve on there. Being cold slows down the yeast - doesn't stop it altogether.


Ok cheers, will see how it comes out once fermenting stops, cheers.


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## jeff clarke

mongey said:


> damn thats a good idea
> 
> I just moved out of a house with 2 lemon tree's and I was throwing the damn things away every time I mowed


nice quote from Man in black


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## Clevohead

I will hopefully be kegging this tonight as long as gravity has reached 1004-1008, my gravity at brewing was 1040, so this has it in the Coopers kit ball park at brewing, and those kits we bottle/keg at the 1004-1008 marks.


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## theSeekerr

Clevohead said:


> I will hopefully be kegging this tonight as long as gravity has reached 1004-1008, my gravity at brewing was 1040, so this has it in the Coopers kit ball park at brewing, and those kits we bottle/keg at the 1004-1008 marks.



Let it ride another day - with only simple sugars and fruit juice you should expect roughly 100% attenuation. It will quite possibly get down slightly under 1.000


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## Clevohead

Kegged it on Wednesday @ 1002, initial warm/flat taste test is promising, not overly sweet, slight bitter pith flavour (guessing this is due to lemons having thick skins) and a mild lemon flavour, I may tap it this over the weekend for a sneaky chilled test. Will keep you guys posted.


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## Clevohead

So after being kegged a few weeks, and some taste tests etc...
Things to note, very bitter pith/peel taste present, but as I said before could be due to the thick skins on the lemons used, not overly fizzed running 14psi on the reg shared with my beer. Have found nicest with a dash of lime syrup prior to pouring in glass, and even some angustura bitters to make a nice LLB.

Will try again, thinking of doubling lactose, and depending on peel condition maybe omit some of the peels (after zezting)
Suggestion was made by friend to add some Lemon cordial at kegging to add the sweetness, may even add some to existing keg and see how it goes.


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## altone

Clevohead said:


> So after being kegged a few weeks, and some taste tests etc...
> Things to note, very bitter pith/peel taste present, but as I said before could be due to the thick skins on the lemons used, not overly fizzed running 14psi on the reg shared with my beer. Have found nicest with a dash of lime syrup prior to pouring in glass, and even some angustura bitters to make a nice LLB.
> 
> Will try again, thinking of doubling lactose, and depending on peel condition maybe omit some of the peels (after zezting)
> Suggestion was made by friend to add some Lemon cordial at kegging to add the sweetness, may even add some to existing keg and see how it goes.



Good idea to leave out some of the pith especially with thick skinned lemons.
Doesn't really add to the fruity flavour - just adds extra bitterness.

I've got a lemon lime and ginger mix on the go for Christmas drinking 
Zested the lemons then cut off the pith - the limes were just sliced.


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## peterlonz

I finally got around to brewing a 22 litre batch.
To be direct I don't think much of the recipe & my brew was based on several changes.
This I see is an old thread but it came up with a Google search so maybe others might benefit from my comments:
1) It's plain daft to call up a given number of lemons (12, 24 ??) because the lemon cultivars vary widely in acidity, size, & taste. The lemon tree in our garden is a Meyer, the fruit is a bit smaller than a tennis ball, thin skinned & with a milder almost sweet lemon flavour. Ordinarily they are easy to juice & yield good quantities of juice. So base your brew on a set quantity of juice from the lowest cost lemons available. In my case, due to a poor season the plentiful fruit yielded less juice than I expected. So fortunately, we had some frozen juice from last year, & so supplemented & we ended up with 3 litres which had been my target. BTW 3 litres was based on another recipe I found.
2) I strongly recommend against chopping up the lemons & using everything (skin, pulp, juice & pith).
Instead use the juice together with the zest from as many lemons as you can manage, zesting is time consuming & tedious. In my case my wife zested 12 lemons selecting those with the best skins.
3) You need to pasteurise the zest & juice to avoid a brew contamination. I brought my wort to 80 C for 15 minutes, that's more than sufficient.
4) If you use 5 litres as the recipe suggests you will have trouble getting your pitch temp down. I strongly suggest that the 3 litres of juice with the zest is just fine & when you make up to 22 litres with chilled water as I did (Gold Coast, Queensland !!) you will be able to reach an acceptable pitch temperature for your yeast.
5) So decisions on which yeast - I don't know sorry - I used US-05 & a sachet of Coopers ale yeast pitched with 2 sachets of yeast nutrient at 25 C. After 3 days no action whatever, & I was about to discard & go lick my wounds; but then on day 4 fermentation became discernable, this continued for a further 7 days. I have never before seen anything like this pattern & I was of the opinion that I would probably end up discarding this brew. When I eventually kegged the brew tasting revealed no infection & a lemon flavour that was quite strong but not too strong. The yeast seemed to have settled on the fermenter bottom but there was a much lower quantity than I am used to seeing when brewing beer.
If I ever do this again I will probably try a wine yeast, maybe in combination with an ale yeast.
6) I chose, with my wife's "advice," to back-sweeten in the keg with 4 litres of Aldi bought cloudy apple juice. The type that has no added sugar, colouring, or preservatives ..... At this point I should say the uncarbonated brew tasted OK, I suspect that after carbonation & served at the appropriate temp this will be a decent drop.
7) In summary, the only fermentable material was 2 Kg of dextrose, (no lactose !!!!).
Hope this long post will be of help, as always comment welcomed.


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