Ok, got a good hard lemonade recipe from Jack Keller c/o Lon DePoppe, so give it a go!
Here are some things to know about this stuff. First, it is 10% alcohol by design, which means don't tweak the recipe to make it stronger or you'll throw it out of balance. Second, serve it chilled; like lemonade, it's a hot weather drink and needs to be chilled. Third, you can bottle this stuff in beer bottles and cap 'em so they can go along on outings in the mini cooler. Fourth, this stuff goes down so smoothly that it is very easy to drink too much of it. Pace yourself, keep track of what you drink and be responsible.
Mosquito Pee (makes 5 gallons)
3 bottles of 32 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g. ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
7 lbs sugar (or 16 cups)
3/4 tsp tannin
6 tsp yeast nutrient
2 tsp yeast energizer
Approx 4 3/4 gallons water
Yeast Slurry*
*Yeast slurry is the yeast lees from a previous batch of wine or mead from the first racking, without any pulp or seeds
Many people have difficulty getting lemonade to ferment. This is due, I believe, to several factors. The high acidity, the lack of natural nutrients, and preservatives that are often included in the lemon juice. Therefore, I do whatever I can to assist the process.
I use reverse osmosis water (this is by choice and tap water should work fine since much of the chlorine should evaporate out during the initial steps). Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 14 teaspoons lemon juice. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and pour it into your primary along with 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 1/2 gallons. Add the tannin, 3 tsp of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp of the yeast energizer. Measure SG with hydrometer and record it. I shoot for an SG of around 1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives. I then cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.
After 24-48 hours, give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine. It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (75-80 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.
Periodically check the gravity. When it gets down to around 1.050, add the other 3 tsp of nutrient, the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice; vigorously mix it in. Don't be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time. This late addition of yeast food and oxygen helps reduce the likelihood of your batch developing a sulfur-dioxide problem. (Because of the high acidity and low nutrition, lemon has a higher propensity to developing the sulfur-dioxide rotten egg smell.) After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.
Allow to clear. This may take a month or two. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite, 2 1/2 tsp sorbate, and Sparkolliod. After two weeks, the Mosquito Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 5 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.
Notes: I don't call this "hard lemonade" because too many people have tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression of what it's going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn't taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually flavored malt beverages with 5% alcohol) they conclude that it's a poor reproduction. This stuff isn't a reproduction; it's the original home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to. Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast.
Additional notes: The finished beverage will often take on highlights of the wine which provided the yeast slurry. I've made this with the slurry of raspberry, crabapple, and peach wines. All seem to have kept a bit of the originating flavor elements into the finished beverage. I guess what I'm saying, keep this in mind when you decide which batch should donate it's yeast starter. In other words, I'm not sure if a batch of candy cane wine would be the best choice.
Cheers,
Brewer Pete
