Traditional lemonade attempt

[Richie_asg1]

Tuesday I had a go at a traditional Lemonade - but carbonated and fizzy.

5 unwaxed medium lemons, zested and squeezed into a pan of water. Then I just chucked in what was left of them and boiled the lot with the sugar.

Strained though a seive into anther pan that had been on the boil, then tipped into a sterilised 5L water container that was half full of bottled water to cool.
When down to a safe temperature, pitched EC-1118 yeast and swirled about for about half an hour on and off.
Then syphoned into sterilised 250ml glass Coke bottles and one 250ml plastic bottle.

****NOTE**** The ONE plastic bottle is important !

Let rest for 3 days in warm around 20C - Check the plastic bottle daily for pressure.

Today I pasteurised all the glass bottles at 78C for 30 minutes in a water bath, and placed the plastic one in the fridge to cool.

Tried one tonight - fantastic!
Not too sweet, easy drinking, good carbonation and traditionally cloudy. Well worth the effort and something to drink on a busy afternoon.

Recipe -
5 Meduim unwaxed lemons
300mls water
250g sugar
1tsp Citric acid
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
2.5 Litres water.

Method -
Zest and juice lemons into pan with 300mls water and 250g sugar. Add remains of lemons, citric acid and boil for 10 mins.
Sieve into 5 litre water bottle containing approx 2.5L water. Pitch yeast, swirl for 30 minutes on and off.
Syphon into small glass bottles and ONE plastic bottle. use this bottle to check carbonation. -Should be good in about 3 days.

Pasteurise glass bottles at 68 - 78C for 30 minutes then allow to cool naturally.
Keep all refrigerated until use.

Makes 10 - 11 bottles

 

[LED_ZEP]

I like my wine and spirits and hadn't really thought of making a "soft" drink but think I'll give this a go.

 

[Hoddy]

Tuesday I had a go at a traditional Lemonade - but carbonated and fizzy.

5 unwaxed medium lemons, zested and squeezed into a pan of water. Then I just chucked in what was left of them and boiled the lot with the sugar.

Strained though a seive into anther pan that had been on the boil, then tipped into a sterilised 5L water container that was half full of bottled water to cool.
When down to a safe temperature, pitched EC-1118 yeast and swirled about for about half an hour on and off.
Then syphoned into sterilised 250ml glass Coke bottles and one 250ml plastic bottle.

****NOTE**** The ONE plastic bottle is important !

Let rest for 3 days in warm around 20C - Check the plastic bottle daily for pressure.

Today I pasteurised all the glass bottles at 78C for 30 minutes in a water bath, and placed the plastic one in the fridge to cool.

Tried one tonight - fantastic!
Not too sweet, easy drinking, good carbonation and traditionally cloudy. Well worth the effort and something to drink on a busy afternoon.

Recipe -
5 Meduim unwaxed lemons
300mls water
250g sugar
1tsp Citric acid
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
2.5 Litres water.

Method -
Zest and juice lemons into pan with 300mls water and 250g sugar. Add remains of lemons, citric acid and boil for 10 mins.
Sieve into 5 litre water bottle containing approx 2.5L water. Pitch yeast, swirl for 30 minutes on and off.
Syphon into small glass bottles and ONE plastic bottle. use this bottle to check carbonation. -Should be good in about 3 days.

Pasteurise glass bottles at 68 - 78C for 30 minutes then allow to cool naturally.
Keep all refrigerated until use.

Makes 10 - 11 bottles

This must have an alcohol content if you’ve used yeast though right?

 

[Drunkula]

This must have an alcohol content if you’ve used yeast though right?

Yeah. If you let it carb to 2.5 volumes that would be 0.6%.

While writing a sugar priming calculator thing for some madness I'm up to I found out that each 4g of sucrose adds one volume of co2 per litre. That's some nice easy maths, not like the bleeding residual co2 calculation.

 

[F00b4r]

Do you have some more details about the pasteurisation? Did you start cold and then raise the temperature or just shock the bottles at 78C?
I had a look at pasturising cider a while ago and I am sure someone on the US forums was talking about the gas expansion being enough for bottles to potentially explode, especially if they were shocked with a sudden rise in temperature.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Thanks for the calculation Drunkula

Yes I was fully expecting a bottle explosion so had my goggles on. Put in warmish water from hot tap into a big pan with lid. Filled up to the liquid level inside the bottles and put a lid on - with a teatowel on the top. I used a meat thermometer with a clip into the water to gauge temperature and put on a low to medium heat till it got to "Ham"

I got the main method from City Steading youtube channel when they did ginger beer. -