Lemonade

[enoch]

Right I'm having a crack at this one too - used stock standard lemons for it though. How long is this thing going to ferment for?
Bek

A few weeks but faster if you use some yeast nutrient.
I have only ever kegged it so "finished" is when it has slowed down and i crash chilled.
Nowadays I do it with limes as that's what we get heaps of.

 

[brontebek]

A few weeks but faster if you use some yeast nutrient.
I have only ever kegged it so "finished" is when it has slowed down and i crash chilled.
Nowadays I do it with limes as that's what we get heaps of.

awesome, used yeast nutrient, been going 6 days so far. Will be bottling so will wait until bubbling stops.
Bek

 

[hamster]

I've just put down a lemonaide.

31 Lemon zests
3L Lemon Juice
2 Cinnamon Stick
50g Ginger
2Kg Dextrose
500g Lactose
US-05 Yeast

20 minute boil, zests + dextrose straight in, cinnamon and ginger at 10 minutes. Lemon juice straight in the fermenter and the wort strained and poured into it. I've put the cinnamon sticks into the fermenter

It's sitting in the fridge at 18 degrees, so hopefully it will taste pretty good at the other end. I've used lemons straight off my lemon tree, so i have no idea what they are.

 

[sponge]

Method.

1. Grate the zest(rind) off of a few of the lemons. Do not grate the
white pith.
2. Chop up all the lemons into chunks.

Hey String,

A few people have mentioned that boiling the pith gives a nasty bitterness to the lemonade, but it seems as though you are boiling the pith as well (even if the rind has been removed, the pith is still on the outside of the lemon chunks) but it has turned out quite nicely from all reports

Just wondering if you are removing the pith at all, or just zesting the lemons and then cutting the zested lemons into chunks and boiling it all? It would definitely make it a whole lot less laborious just chunking the lemons, pith and all, as opposed to juicing 3kg of lemons

I think the mrs may enjoy something like this after she thoroughly enjoyed the old faithful ginger beer...


Cheers,

Sponge

 

[wynnum1]

With lemonade would adding fresh lemon after fermentation be better as the yeast would change taste during fermentation.

 

[hamster]

Hey String,

A few people have mentioned that boiling the pith gives a nasty bitterness to the lemonade, but it seems as though you are boiling the pith as well (even if the rind has been removed, the pith is still on the outside of the lemon chunks) but it has turned out quite nicely from all reports

Just wondering if you are removing the pith at all, or just zesting the lemons and then cutting the zested lemons into chunks and boiling it all? It would definitely make it a whole lot less laborious just chunking the lemons, pith and all, as opposed to juicing 3kg of lemons

I think the mrs may enjoy something like this after she thoroughly enjoyed the old faithful ginger beer...


Cheers,

Sponge

I ended up cutting off as much of the pith as i could, then put the whole lot in a pot and hit it with a bamix. the bamix didn't chop up any of the pith, from there i strained it to make sure it was only juice.

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

When i have made lemonade, i have just cut up say 3Kg's of lemons skin, pips and all and just boiled the lot. Ginger works well with the lemonade (so does chilli if you use a fair bit extra lactose to back sweeten more (700g)).

Still cant figure out why people go to the trouble of zesting their lemons and only adding a small amount............ :unsure:

 

[kario]

I was talking to a limoncello maker last night.
He said that what causes bitterness is the oils in the lemon skin/pith.
His method of removing the bitterness is to boil up water and throw in his lemons whole for a 10 min boil, which releases the oils. Then leave overnight to cool.
He said then you can use your whole lemon with no worries about bitterness.

makes sense

 

[strongbeer]

I was talking to a limoncello maker last night.
He said that what causes bitterness is the oils in the lemon skin/pith.
His method of removing the bitterness is to boil up water and throw in his lemons whole for a 10 min boil, which releases the oils. Then leave overnight to cool.
He said then you can use your whole lemon with no worries about bitterness.

makes sense

+1 on that one brother!

 

[String]

Hey String,

A few people have mentioned that boiling the pith gives a nasty bitterness to the lemonade, but it seems as though you are boiling the pith as well (even if the rind has been removed, the pith is still on the outside of the lemon chunks) but it has turned out quite nicely from all reports

Just wondering if you are removing the pith at all, or just zesting the lemons and then cutting the zested lemons into chunks and boiling it all? It would definitely make it a whole lot less laborious just chunking the lemons, pith and all, as opposed to juicing 3kg of lemons

I think the mrs may enjoy something like this after she thoroughly enjoyed the old faithful ginger beer...


Cheers,

Sponge

Sorry, haven't been on here for a while.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Lemon.jpg
I'm cutting off all the outer skin and the white inner skin, and just using the pale yellow flesh inside.

My assembly line is:
Take the lemon and grate some zest off, cut the two "pointy ends" off, sit it upright on one of the flat surfaces you just cut off, and cut down around the edge of the flesh, so that you end up with a whole skinless lemon. The chop that into chunks, seeds and all, and into the pot. Once you get a rhythm going it only takes about 20 seconds per lemon.
I was cutting them into slices and seeding them, but it took ages and I got juice everywhere. The seeds stay on the bottom of the fermentor when you keg the lemonade, and I haven't noticed any strange flavours from having seeds in the mix.

 

[chunckious]

I'm using the recipe that Enoch posted back on page 7, http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=504069

Ingredients
1kg rough lemons
2kg Meyer lemons
2kg Dextrose
1 sachet ale dry yeast (I'm using US-05)

Method.

1. Grate the zest(rind) off of a few of the lemons. Do not grate the
white pith.
2. Chop up all the lemons into chunks.
3. Cover the lemons and zest with dextrose and a few litres of water.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Dilute out to 20 litres in your fermenter, and pitch yeast at below
30C
6. Ferment out at 20-25C for 7-10 days or until fermentation is
complete.
7. Bottle and prime as for beer. Wait 14 days for carbonation and enjoy.

Note:
Meyer lemons are sweeter lemons. Use them if available but 3kg
of whatever lemons you can find will work just as nicely.
Don't worry, relax and enjoy a Three Dogs!

I used some lemons from the supermarket for the first one, unknown variety.
The last batch I made was all Meyer lemons, and the next batch I'm about to put down is all Meyer lemons.

Just come acrosss this.....how alcoholic is this stuff?

 

[String]

Just come acrosss this.....how alcoholic is this stuff?

About 5% or so

 

[String]

OK, newest batch is in. I added 250g of Lactose to this batch to see if I give it a little bit of sweetness without going overboard.

Unfortunately I could'nt get any Meyer lemons from the tree at my brother's house and had to get some Lisbson's from the shop. They were nowhere near as juicy as the Meyers I usually have(maybe they were old) and it shows in the final product.
This batch has a thin watery taste with mostly the sour taste of lemon. Because the juice is so weak, the taste of soda water from the carbonation process is stronger than the lemon flavour.
Very dissappointing.. though there is a little bit of sweetness from the lactose.
Either way it's not a success and it's going on the lawn.

Fresh lemons off the tree from now on.

 

[Arghonaut]

Planning on attempting a lemonade soon. Got myself a bee hive, should get the first harvest in the next month or so, 30-40kg of honey. I also have a good selection of citrus trees, lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins, lemonades (mandarin/lemon cross) and a ruby red grapefruit.

Anyone done one of these with honey before?

Thinking of doing 25 or so lemons, 5 or so limes, 100g ginger, couple of cinnamon sticks and 2 kg of honey for a 20 litre batch. Will let it ferment till it reaches the desired level of sweetness, then crash chill, keg and force carb, just gotta remember to keep it in the keezer till its empty.

Would also like to do one with only lemonade fruit and honey and see how it turns out. They are like really sweet lemons, should be perfect for it.

 

[brettprevans]

Raised the lemon tree today. Juiced just under 7L worth. Some for the kids for their lemonade and some for me.

4.1L lemon juice
16L water
1kg brown sugar
1kg dextrose
100G lactose
2 cinnamon sticks
Dash nutmeg
1/2tsp ground cloves
1tsp yeast nutrient
Zest of a ***** load of lemons. About half of all the lemons.

Into boil went 3L of juice and 2L water and then just randomly added zest throughout the 20min boil. All the spices went into boil at the start also.

Haven't decided whether I'm using champagne yeast or trusty us05

 

[brettprevans]

Raised the lemon tree today. Juiced just under 7L worth. Some for the kids for their lemonade and some for me.

4.1L lemon juice
16L water
1kg brown sugar
1kg dextrose
100G lactose
2 cinnamon sticks
Dash nutmeg
1/2tsp ground cloves
1tsp yeast nutrient
Zest of a ***** load of lemons. About half of all the lemons.

Into boil went 3L of juice and 2L water and then just randomly added zest throughout the 20min boil. All the spices went into boil at the start also.

Haven't decided whether I'm using champagne yeast or trusty us05

chucked LALVIN DV10 champaigne yeast at it last night.
although very curiously the OG was about 1040. It should have been a lot higher. i'll have to add more sugar and lemon juice. I may have got my water volume wrong as it went into a fermentor without volume markings.

anyway a pic from the day. baby bath full of lemons and the juice press i gave up using half way through. I think the press is probably only good for use with non-fiberous fruit. I hand juiced the last 4L worth.

 

[manticle]

Press worked out OK for you?

 

[Malted]

Press worked out OK for you?

I think the press is probably only good for use with non-fiberous fruit. I hand juiced the last 4L worth.

Apparently not. h34r:

 

[KingKong]

A mate of mine made a k&k lemonade and gave me a bottle. The stuff was GREAT!!!! however low in alcohol 3%ish. I don't really want to make the kit up , would rather squash up a few lemons and make a real 'from scratch' effort.

BUT from when this thread started in 1800's to the last post no one seems to have found a killer brew!

Some one must have the HOLY GRAIL....

 

[Plaz]

Okay after reading through this forum topic i have decided to join the search for the illusive holy grail lemonade brew.

My attempt is based loosly on the Nosebleed Hard Lemonade recipe and goes like this (23 ltr batch):

2.5kg Lemons

1.5kg Oranges

5g Pectinaise

1kg white sugar

2kg brown sugar

1kg honey

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 Star Annise

100 g Ginger

20g Wine Nutient

Super Market Yeast (Tandaco from Coles) coz it was left over from JAOM

Sterilised fruit then rough cut into quarters boiled, cooled added pectinaise and let sit over nite.

Boiled in morning then mashed and let cool to handling temp.

Poured into fermenter through a wine fruit mash bag sitting in a colander.

Squeezed out mash bag into fermenter Transferred Cinamon and Star Annise and 100g of fine pulp no seeds and no skins to fermenter.

Added water to 23 litres and 26 degrees C. Hydro was 1.055

Added wine nutrient (20g) and stirred vigorously for 5 mins aerating and making a big splashy mess

Made 500mls yeast starter with 100g fine sugar and let sit covered fo 60 mins

Pitched yeast sealed and put in cupboard.

Visable fermentation started after 1 hour (blub blub).

Plan on adding a champaign yeast when supermarket one dies and fermenting till below 1.000, then bottling with a Jelly bean in each stubby.

Tasted yum and Sour <_< but not to worry coz it is after all Hard Lemon Ale.

Will post updates.