Panty Dropper Lemonade Revision...
Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 9:26 pm
The last 2 batches of Panty Dropper Lemonade were a bust. Got a case of the critters in my brew.
The issue with this mix is 2 fold:
1 - Dry Champagne yeast is used to get a high AVB. How to make an uncontaminated starter with the addition of concentrated lemonade to acclimate the yeast to a low pH before pitching.
2 - Due to low pH, the yeast takes 2-3 weeks to get going. Open invite for critters.
So I set out to make a starter which would have a large viable yeast count which were adapted to an acidic environment.
1. 2 Packages of Champagne yeast were added to a sterilized 2 L flask.
2. 200 ml of 44GU wort with yeast nutrient was added to the yeast.
3. Yeast was placed on a magnetic stir plate and incubated at room temperature for 2 days.
4. Vigorous yeast activity was noted. After 2 days, 500 ml of 44GU wort was added to the flask. Flask was stirred for another 2 days.
5. One can of cheap frozen lemonade (Aldi $0.73 per can, make sure the brand you use does NOT have potassium sorbate in it, this kills yeast) was thawed and added to a pint canning jar. 5 of these were made. Jars were capped and pressure cooked at 15 PSI for 20 min. Jars were cooled for 1 day.
6. The hope was by canning the lemonade, it would kill any potential critters when added to the yeast starter. One can was added to the yeast.
7. Within 4 hours there was vigorous activity in the flask. One jar of the sterile lemonade will be added each day. After 5 days, the pH of the starter will be taken.
The hope is by allowing the champagne yeast to incubate 2 day before the addition of the lemonade will allow the yeast to adapt to the slow addition of an acidic concentrated solution and still remain healthy. So when the yeast is pitched in to the final, very acidic wort (mostly canned lemonade with a bit of DME), there will not be a 2-3 week lag before the yeast kicks in, thus reducing the risk of spoiled brew. I have made this recipe 3 times, the first one was great, the other 2 were almost not drinkable. Hope this fixes the issue.
Will post more once I brew (ok, boil) this bad boy up and get more data. Will post the final recipe and procedure once it is hammered out. This is a great brew to have on hand for those of your guests who don't like beer, but like something like "Mike's hard lemonade". The first batch was 11% ABV and went down like candy.
Very dangerous and painful the next day .... 
Jason
The issue with this mix is 2 fold:
1 - Dry Champagne yeast is used to get a high AVB. How to make an uncontaminated starter with the addition of concentrated lemonade to acclimate the yeast to a low pH before pitching.
2 - Due to low pH, the yeast takes 2-3 weeks to get going. Open invite for critters.
So I set out to make a starter which would have a large viable yeast count which were adapted to an acidic environment.
1. 2 Packages of Champagne yeast were added to a sterilized 2 L flask.
2. 200 ml of 44GU wort with yeast nutrient was added to the yeast.
3. Yeast was placed on a magnetic stir plate and incubated at room temperature for 2 days.
4. Vigorous yeast activity was noted. After 2 days, 500 ml of 44GU wort was added to the flask. Flask was stirred for another 2 days.
5. One can of cheap frozen lemonade (Aldi $0.73 per can, make sure the brand you use does NOT have potassium sorbate in it, this kills yeast) was thawed and added to a pint canning jar. 5 of these were made. Jars were capped and pressure cooked at 15 PSI for 20 min. Jars were cooled for 1 day.
6. The hope was by canning the lemonade, it would kill any potential critters when added to the yeast starter. One can was added to the yeast.
7. Within 4 hours there was vigorous activity in the flask. One jar of the sterile lemonade will be added each day. After 5 days, the pH of the starter will be taken.
The hope is by allowing the champagne yeast to incubate 2 day before the addition of the lemonade will allow the yeast to adapt to the slow addition of an acidic concentrated solution and still remain healthy. So when the yeast is pitched in to the final, very acidic wort (mostly canned lemonade with a bit of DME), there will not be a 2-3 week lag before the yeast kicks in, thus reducing the risk of spoiled brew. I have made this recipe 3 times, the first one was great, the other 2 were almost not drinkable. Hope this fixes the issue.
Will post more once I brew (ok, boil) this bad boy up and get more data. Will post the final recipe and procedure once it is hammered out. This is a great brew to have on hand for those of your guests who don't like beer, but like something like "Mike's hard lemonade". The first batch was 11% ABV and went down like candy.
Very dangerous and painful the next day .... Jason
