Post date: Jan 7, 2009 1:00:08 PM
This will make something similar to Vodka (but not as strong). Extract/essence flavoring can be added to finished product to simulate Rum, Whiskey, etc. Turbo Yeast can be used instead of this recipe, it's faster, but will have to be clarified and carbon filtered. This is very cost effective, to buy 18x 750ml bottles of Vodka would be about $450. This will cost less than $50. Yes it is lower in alcohol, so I guess you could double the cost to $100, but its still $350 in savings.
Yield: approx 13.5 L (18 x 750 ml/26 oz bottles) @ 16 - 18%
Ferment: 10 to 30 days (at 20°C)
In Bottles: 1 - 2 weeks (longer the better)
Ingredients:
- 10 - 12 L of water
- 5 Kg of Dextrose (Corn Sugar)
- 2 tsp of Yeast Energizer
- 1 tsp of Citric Acid (substitute: concentrated lemon or lime juice)
- 1/2 tsp of Gypsum (calcium sulphate, only needed if your water is soft)
- pinch of Epsom Salts (don't use iodized table salt, sea salt is ok)
- 3 packs of Lalvin EC1118 or KIV-1116 Yeast
Boil 6 L of water, remove from heat. Add sugar, stir until dissolved. Make a 15L mark on your fermenter. Add sugar water to your fermenter, then add cool water to 15L mark. Add the other ingredients, stir. Next, add yeast and install the airlock. Once its fermented and clear, rack into bucket to separate sediment, now bottle in 2L plastic pop bottles for at least 1 week, then pour into smaller size bottles (example: 750ml or 1L), this should remove any remaining sediment. Flavoring (Click Here) can be added later.
Optional/Tips:
- 4 Red Potatoes (peeled) can be added to fermenter to give a more Vodka like taste.
- If your brew still isn't clear after it's been in the pop bottles for two weeks. Prepare Clearing Mixture: Add 1 egg white and a pinch of salt to 100mL of water, then whip. Pour your brew back into your fermenter, now add the clearing mixture to your brew, stir a little, and airlock. After a few days to a week (as it clears) it can be racked into bucket, then bottled or carbon filtered.
- To remove any off taste use an activated carbon filter (example: Brita water jug or Carbon Snake), but be sure to clarify first.
- Homemade Yeast Energizer: Add 1 tbsp of Molasses, one crushed Multi-Vitamin and one package of Yeast to 1 cup of hot water, stir. Yes, hot water, we don't need live yeast, just the yeast hulls. Add entire mixture to brew.