# Limoncello, take 2



## Kraffty

This is my second attempt at this magical liquor. My first batch was made with .750ml 103 proof UV vodka and 14 meyer lemons. It was diluted with about 2 cups of 50/50 simple syrup. It tasted good but not close to what you can buy.

This second attempt created a completely different limoncello that really tastes and feels like the bottle of Caravella I bought to compare for citrus and sweetness levels.

For this go-around I used 3 750ml bottles of 95% abv Everclear. I used a potato peeler to take just the zest of 40 lemons (yellow part only as all recipes stress). After a week the lemon peels turned white and would snap in half when you bent them. The difference in the extraction between the different alcohols was amazing. I strained the extract through paper towels then diluted the extract at 1 part alcohol to 2 parts simple syrup (made from 1 part sugar to 2 parts water). Both versions ended up right at 30% abv but this one had a completely different taste. It was smoother right from the beginning. No harsh alcohol flavor and really beautiful color and even the density of color. I’ve stocked them away to mellow a few months more but they really are drinkable already.

I ended up with 7 and a half .750ml bottles. I expected to end up with 9 but didn’t account for loss from (I’m guessing here) absorption into the peels, paper towels when filtering and spilling the extract when moving and pouring it around. Still at about $50.00 for the EverClear and some small change worth of sugar - and free lemons from my yard - it works out to less than $7.00 per bottle versus $20.00 for the Caravella bottle. There are lots of recipes out there but I guarantee you’ll love this if you get a chance to try it.

Mike


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## Mismost

Interesting....I am making some extracts, orange and Myer lemons...they have nowhere near the color you have. Flavor yes, color no. Same Everclear...hummm?? We'll see what happens.


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## Kraffty

@Mismost I know the first version I did was pretty clear and very faint in color, I actually cheated and added some yellow food coloring to that first batch to make it look nicer. The color you see has had absolutely nothing added to it. I wish I had taken a picture of the extract before diluting it, it was so dark and really deep orange, almost red.
Mike


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## Boatboy24

Wow, Mike! Incredible color on that 'cello. I use a very similar recipe, but mine is a much lighter yellow. 

I have a bottle and a half of Everclear - need to get to work.


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## jburtner

I do this with Vodka and many many many zested lemons every summer - yes 40 or even 80 and next time will use more. How ever many you purchase - just double it before you think you have enough. No sugar added and keep it in the freezer once you are happy with the extract. It comes out crystal clear and yellow once filtered - flavor is similar to pinesol and it's a powerful "drink". Nothing sweet about it.

Last time I did it I had a bottle that sat for a year and I had not yet strained the zest out so I did that and it was very smooth. The year did it right by me.

Need to do this again and I recommend making extra and letting it sit for a long time...

Drink it as an after dinner digestive ice cold and all at once - not for sipping.

I'll try the everclear but that may be too strong don't want to hurt anyone.

Cheers!
-johann


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## geek

Following.....


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> This is my second attempt at this magical liquor. My first batch was made with .750ml 103 proof UV vodka and 14 meyer lemons. It was diluted with about 2 cups of 50/50 simple syrup. It tasted good but not close to what you can buy.
> 
> This second attempt created a completely different limoncello that really tastes and feels like the bottle of Caravella I bought to compare for citrus and sweetness levels.
> 
> For this go-around I used 3 750ml bottles of 95% abv Everclear. I used a potato peeler to take just the zest of 40 lemons (yellow part only as all recipes stress). After a week the lemon peels turned white and would snap in half when you bent them. The difference in the extraction between the different alcohols was amazing. I strained the extract through paper towels then diluted the extract at 1 part alcohol to 2 parts simple syrup (made from 1 part sugar to 2 parts water). Both versions ended up right at 30% abv but this one had a completely different taste. It was smoother right from the beginning. No harsh alcohol flavor and really beautiful color and even the density of color. I’ve stocked them away to mellow a few months more but they really are drinkable already.
> 
> I ended up with 7 and a half .750ml bottles. I expected to end up with 9 but didn’t account for loss from (I’m guessing here) absorption into the peels, paper towels when filtering and spilling the extract when moving and pouring it around. Still at about $50.00 for the EverClear and some small change worth of sugar - and free lemons from my yard - it works out to less than $7.00 per bottle versus $20.00 for the Caravella bottle. There are lots of recipes out there but I guarantee you’ll love this if you get a chance to try it.
> 
> Mike



So you left the lemon zest in for only a week before removing and cutting with simple syrup?
Also, I assume I can downsize this recipe proportionately without hurting the flavor? I have a bottle of Everclear at home and would just use it and say 15 lemons.


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## Boatboy24

I use a similar recipe and it scales pretty well. 

Timing is dependent on the peel, and the alcohol used. Some use vodka and don't cut it as much - in that case, the extraction takes much longer. You can tell when its done by the peel - it will be white and somewhat brittle. I don't think there is any harm in leaving it longer than necessary though.


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## ibglowin

Very cool! Our oldest daughter and SIL live in Burbank and have a huge Myer Lemon tree as well and this would be a great way to use a small portion of their crop they have each year.


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## wineforfun

Boatboy24 said:


> I use a similar recipe and it scales pretty well.
> 
> Timing is dependent on the peel, and the alcohol used. Some use vodka and don't cut it as much - in that case, the extraction takes much longer. You can tell when its done by the peel - it will be white and somewhat brittle. I don't think there is any harm in leaving it longer than necessary though.



Thanks Jim. I may give this a go. I will definitely be using Everclear, as that is what I have on hand currently.

Just started making baking extracts so this will fit in the mix nicely.


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## geek

I am also going to scale this down a bit, I have less than a .750ml bottle handy and will go get 12 lemons at Walmart. Very small 'batch' just to get my feet wet.

My wife told me they sell lemoncello at Costco and it is so popular that they run out right away; like $12 a bottle but don't know the size of the bottle right now.
If so popular then it must be good and cheap compared to making it yourself..


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## Boatboy24

geek said:


> If so popular then it must be good and cheap compared to making it yourself..



Not necessarily.


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## Kraffty

I don't really think you can screw this up in any way except possibly zesting or peeling too deeply and getting the pith or white of the peel in with the alcohol. It will turn it bitter. I also took a sip of mine last night and it does blend together even more after a few weeks of aging. The one thing I might do differently on my next batch is use a few less lemons. It has plenty of sweetness but maybe very slightly out of balance towards the lemon flavor. I guess I could sweeten and dilute some more everclear and do a bench trial to see if taking back the amount of lemon would improve it or not but that will have to wait for the next trip to Arizona for more 95% stuff.
Mike


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## joeswine

*limoncello,take 2*

outstanding color and I'm sure the taste profile is spot on,zesting can be fun and very rewarding.


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## geek

Just started this very small "batch".
Used 11 lemons [emoji522] 
About .500ml of 190 proof grain alcohol.....man is this thing STRONG or what??


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## Kraffty

Varis, I'm guessing that price is for a .375 size bottle. All the bottles I've seen both online and in stores are right around the 18 to 22.00 range for .750 ml. You should pick one up though and have a taste if you haven't had it before, it'll give you the chance to compare and have something to shoot for as far a sweetness and color etc. LOOKING Good.
Mike


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## geek

Mike, if you are referring to the one sold at Costco, I will check.


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## jumby

I make limoncello all the time. Here's a pic of my latest 3 gallon batch of goodness. I use 195 proof Everclear and 18-20 lemons per gallon. When life gives you lemons, make limoncello!


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## geek

@jumby

How do you make it sweet, the inverted sugar method? What ratio?


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## jumby

I use 6 cups of sugar per gallon.


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> Varis, I'm guessing that price is for a .375 size bottle. All the bottles I've seen both online and in stores are right around the 18 to 22.00 range for .750 ml. You should pick one up though and have a taste if you haven't had it before, it'll give you the chance to compare and have something to shoot for as far a sweetness and color etc. LOOKING Good.
> Mike



Mike,
So you mentioned you would possibly dial back some of the lemons. I am starting with a 750ml bottle of Everclear. I was thinking of putting peels of 12 lemons in with it, so approx. 12 per 750ml bottle in relation to your 13 1/3 per 750ml bottle. Thoughts?
I will say, I have never had Limoncello before so have no idea what I am shooting for. I trust your judgment as it sounds like you are pretty familiar with the product and a good one at that.


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## geek

Here's the limoncello at Costco, anyone tried this?
Not so cheap....
.750ml bottle


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## Boatboy24

Not a bad price, but I've never seen Pallini before. 

Just grab some, Varis. It's $21. I bet it tastes like furniture polish though.


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## geek

Boatboy24 said:


> Not a bad price, but I've never seen Pallini before.
> 
> Just grab some, Varis. It's $21. I bet it tastes like furniture polish though.



I'm frugal like @bkisel 

But it's not $21, it's actually almost $22


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## bkisel

geek said:


> I'm frugal like @bkisel
> 
> But it's not $21, it's actually almost $22



My dear friend Varis... Your're confusing penny-pinching with being frugal.


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## Ajmassa

Since this topic has come up Im very motivated to make some more limoncello. This time without any help. I used to make a few bottles every year with my dad. One of the coolest things for us was finding a type that already displayed our last name. We would buy some, drink it, and then use the bottles


About $27 a bottle..........+ tax!


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## hounddawg

hum. color unbelievable to say the least, way to go, and yes I'm following this post I still have 10 different country wines in 6 gallon carboys, and 12 gallon freshly bottled, when down to only 4 or 5 carboys to keep up with I'll be trying this one for sure, I like making my usual wines then around ten kinds I've never made before, dang way to go on that color, your recipe just made my bucket list, you have intrigued me greatly
thank you
Dawg::


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## Kraffty

wineforfun said:


> Mike,
> So you mentioned you would possibly dial back some of the lemons. I am starting with a 750ml bottle of Everclear. I was thinking of putting peels of 12 lemons in with it, so approx. 12 per 750ml bottle in relation to your 13 1/3 per 750ml bottle. Thoughts?
> I will say, I have never had Limoncello before so have no idea what I am shooting for. I trust your judgment as it sounds like you are pretty familiar with the product and a good one at that.



I'd guess 12 would be good. The size, age and type of lemon must all effect the final flavor. As far as flavor goes I pull a fast one on my wife and mom saturday night. I filled an empty Caravella Limoncello bottle with my version, chilled it and served it up before dinner. Neither one believed me when I told them it was mine and not the commercial stuff. I'll probably stop trying to tweek the recipe and leave it as is.
Mike


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## geek

So Mike, in summary...how long you wait for that limoncello to be prime time and ready to drink?


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## meadmaker1

Im in. Couldnt resist.
But thinking sweetening with honey. 
Any suggestions for or against?
Keeping with mikes recipe, im thinking 1 qt water and 1 1/2 lb honey should be pretty close for sweetening solution concidering 18% moisture content of honey and should be almost exactly the 2 to 1 needed for 30% alcohol end result. 
Does this sound right??


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## AkTom

If Dawg is in, so am I. 
Next time I'm at Costco I'll pick up some everclear.


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## Putterrr

I hope you are making sweet and sour mix with the lemon juice. can you say long island iced tea

cheers


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> I'd guess 12 would be good. The size, age and type of lemon must all effect the final flavor. As far as flavor goes I pull a fast one on my wife and mom saturday night. I filled an empty Caravella Limoncello bottle with my version, chilled it and served it up before dinner. Neither one believed me when I told them it was mine and not the commercial stuff. I'll probably stop trying to tweek the recipe and leave it as is.
> Mike



I thought about that after writing(size, type, etc. of lemons would matter). 

Well, I went with 12 pretty good size lemons. Picked them up at a Mexican store in Omaha(I was there for Mexican chocolate and ancho peppers for another project). Peeled, removed remaining pith best I could and assembled Saturday night. Will strain next Saturday. Already has a very nice yellow color to it. Used a half gallon carboy. Bottle of Everclear just barely covered all the lemon.


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## Kraffty

way to to D.J. I made my first batch in a 1.5 liter brandy bottle, I never did get the lemons out and had to toss the bottle when I finished. Might consider something with a wide opening next time around if you want to reuse. Give it a shake or two a day.
Mike


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> way to to D.J. I made my first batch in a 1.5 liter brandy bottle, I never did get the lemons out and had to toss the bottle when I finished. Might consider something with a wide opening next time around if you want to reuse. Give it a shake or two a day.
> Mike



haha
Yeah, I thought about the removal of the lemon but decided to roll with it as it was all I had and wanted to get it going. I will dig them suckers out somehow as I use that carboy quite a bit.

Will do on the shaking. Swirled it around a little Saturday but didn't touch it yesterday.

Thanks again for the recipe.


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## wineforfun

@Kraffty
I notice you say you removed your lemons/extract after a week. Peels were turning white, etc.
Mine is on day 6 and peels are losing the vibrant yellow but nowhere near white. 
Also, I notice a lot of recipes online talk about leaving the alcohol/lemons alone for 30-40 days.
With that said, most recipes use vodka, which may be the reason for the longer steeping. I would assume the Everclear brings out the lemon quicker.
Thoughts?


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## joeswine

Lemon zest,is easier to use a ball jar is about 3// 375 bottles ,blend simple syrup and extract in one pot then add ever kleer to taste,easier process.
.


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## CheerfulHeart

I make my limoncello in a couple of 2.5 gallon glass canisters I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond for 30% off and a 15% off coupon. They were the last 2 in stock so both of them went home with me. Couldn't pass up the opportunity.


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## meadmaker1

Tomorrow is one week for my zest. Hard to tell color though the yellow fluid so I spooned out a few peals to examine and licked the spoon after, WOW it's lemon. Sweetening tomorrow and bottling for camping trip to brother's gold claim, next week end. 
Dont expect to bring any back home.


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## jburtner

Prepping to start zesting. I promise no knuckle skin this time! I'm going to need more lemons.... 

Cheers!
-johann


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## jburtner

1/2 way there and it smells great!

Cheers,
Johann


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## Ambugaton

We just did a large batch of cello. We messed around with some ginger and mint in some them but by far the best was limecello that we made! We zested everything but I see peeling is probably the better way to go. Man.... So much time zesting. Still have my knuckles some how.


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## wineforfun

Well, I transferred the extract from mini carboy to empty bottle. Will make simple syrup tonight and blend. My lemons stayed in 9 days total. No idea if that was long enough. It is a very deep golden color. Took a sip and it is very lemony and obviously "hot" being straight Everclear at the moment. Ended up with 26oz. so after mixing per Kraffty's ratio should end up with 3 - 750's.


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## Boatboy24

What's that purple-ish layer n the middle?


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## geek

Boatboy24 said:


> What's that purple-ish layer n the middle?



It looks like part of the bottle.


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## geek

I also strained the lemon skins last night and today need to make my inverted sugar simple syrup.
I only have about .450ml and not sure yet on how much sugar syrup to add at the moment.


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## wineforfun

Boatboy24 said:


> What's that purple-ish layer n the middle?



haha
I must admit, you made me look. I was like "what, where?"


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## wineforfun

geek said:


> I also strained the lemon skins last night and today need to make my inverted sugar simple syrup.
> I only have about .450ml and not sure yet on how much sugar syrup to add at the moment.



If you are making it according to Kraffty's recipe, you will add 900ml of simple syrup(made 2 parts water/1 part sugar).


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## wineforfun

Ok, because I over analyze things, check these numbers. I am trying to mimic @Kraffty 's recipe.

If I have 24oz. of Everclear extract and I need to dilute it to 1 part extract to 2 parts simple syrup, then I need 48oz.of simple syrup to add to the 24oz. of Everclear extract, correct?
And to achieve the 48oz. of 1 part sugar/2 parts water simple syrup, I will need 3 cups sugar and 8 cups(48oz.) water, correct?


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## Kraffty

There must be a formula for how much 2 cups of water plus 1 cup of sugar actually equal but it seems to me it's about 2-1/2 cups finished. I mixed up more than I needed by a couple of cups and just tossed the extra down the sink once I blended with the ever clear. Sugar is cheap. 
Your color looks great and will look really bright once you dilute. 
Mike


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> There must be a formula for how much 2 cups of water plus 1 cup of sugar actually equal but it seems to me it's about 2-1/2 cups finished. I mixed up more than I needed by a couple of cups and just tossed the extra down the sink once I blended with the ever clear. Sugar is cheap.
> Your color looks great and will look really bright once you dilute.
> Mike



Ok, so my numbers appear correct to you?

Yes, I am sure it will produce extra with the sugar added in the mix but that was my plan too, just dump what I don't need.

Thanks for the recipe, looking forward to the finished product..............as are my other "friends" I have told about it.


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## Kraffty

D.J., yes on the numbers. One more thing once you finish. Serve it from the freezer ice cold. The version I made from Vodka would ice up in the freezer and try to freeze. This version from the ever clear gets a little syrupy but does not freeze. We served some "blind" again on Easter to a couple of friends who said they had in in Italy but the couple of bottles they bought and tasted here were not very good by comparison. Both wanted to know what brand it was so they could buy some. Got to love the chance to brag a little bit on your own stuff.
Post more pics when you finish.
Mike


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> D.J., yes on the numbers. One more thing once you finish. Serve it from the freezer ice cold. The version I made from Vodka would ice up in the freezer and try to freeze. This version from the ever clear gets a little syrupy but does not freeze. We served some "blind" again on Easter to a couple of friends who said they had in in Italy but the couple of bottles they bought and tasted here were not very good by comparison. Both wanted to know what brand it was so they could buy some. Got to love the chance to brag a little bit on your own stuff.
> Post more pics when you finish.
> Mike



Awesome Mike, appreciate all the help. 

Gotta love that, thinking your "homemade" is store bought or distillery made. Good stuff.


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## wineforfun

Well, mixed everything up and ended with a 1/2 gal. carboy and a 375 ml bottle, so right at 3 750 ml bottles.
Took a sip and not bad at all but again, I don't know what I am shooting for as I have never had limoncello. And my simple syrup was still a touch warm (not hot) so I am sure this will taste completely different once chilled/froze.

Now, of course, my mind got to thinking about making a similar product with oranges or limes or anise or ?????


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## Boatboy24

Orange cello is another good one. These are pretty much just extract liquers, which means the possibilities are almost endless. Lemon, lime, key lime, orange, tangerine, etc. You could also do coffee...

Question: I normally try to use organic lemons, as they don't have the wax coating that 'regular' lemons do. Anyone notice a residue or other issues using regular lemons? Obviously, the organic ones are much more expensive.


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## wineforfun

Boatboy24 said:


> Orange cello is another good one. These are pretty much just extract liquers, which means the possibilities are almost endless. Lemon, lime, key lime, orange, tangerine, etc. You could also do coffee...
> 
> Question: I normally try to use organic lemons, as they don't have the wax coating that 'regular' lemons do. Anyone notice a residue or other issues using regular lemons? Obviously, the organic ones are much more expensive.



Good point Jim. I recall RayWay or Jericurl doing endless vodka extracts a few years back. Since I am a weightlifting/health nut, I wouldn't want to drink a lot of these due to the high level of simple sugar. However, I love creating things so I would keep a little and gift the rest.
Hmmmm, coffee sounds interesting, especially since I roast my own beans. Of course I only drink black coffee so not sure how I would like the "sweet" coffee flavor. I may give that one a try along with an orange/vanilla.

So I just used lemons from a local mexican store here in town. Rinsed them off a little and started peeling them. I read later about "de-waxing" them, getting the pesticides off, etc. but didn't get overly critical with that.


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## ibglowin

Oldest daughter who lives in Burbank, CA came in to spend a week with us and brought a little care package from the back yard! 

3 dozen Meyer lemons and about couple dozen tangerines! 

Wonder what to do with all those lemons......


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## Kraffty

Man o Man, Tangerines sound like they'd just have to be Awesome!
Mike


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## geek

Just mixed simple syrup and ended up with these...


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## joeswine

Looks good to me.


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## Boatboy24

geek said:


> Just mixed simple syrup and ended up with these...
> 
> View attachment 35431



Let it mellow for a few weeks, then throw it in the freezer. With warmer weather approaching, its the perfect accompaniment for an evening on the deck.


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## wineforfun

geek said:


> Just mixed simple syrup and ended up with these...
> 
> View attachment 35431



Did you follow Mike's recipe or go at it differently?

Bottles look good.


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## wineforfun

Either this week or next I am going to try Mike's recipe using oranges and 1 vanilla bean. Kind of a orangesicle-cello. Picked up the oranges and Everclear last night.

See what you started Mike.


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## geek

Boatboy24 said:


> Let it mellow for a few weeks, then throw it in the freezer. With warmer weather approaching, its the perfect accompaniment for an evening on the deck.



yep, that's the plan, it is very strong and very sweet...!! 



wineforfun said:


> Did you follow Mike's recipe or go at it differently?
> 
> Bottles look good.



Somewhat, just changed the ratio a bit but for the most part yes. I think I ended up using about less than a glass jar of simple syrup.


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## wineforfun

Well, here we go with the "orange-creamsicle-cello". 12 oranges, 750ml Everclear, 1/2 split vanilla bean.


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## Kraffty

@wineforfun that sounds really good. I understand in italy they do a version of limoncello cocktail with cream mixed in. 
Mike


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## wineforfun

Kraffty said:


> @wineforfun that sounds really good. I understand in italy they do a version of limoncello cocktail with cream mixed in.
> Mike



Well, I will most definitely keep you posted. I hadn't thought about the vanilla bean addition until running across an article on the interweb. 
It is a lot of work peeling and de-pithing all the fruit, as you well know.

Pretty much just sticking to your limoncello recipe, as far as quantities, simple syrup ratios, etc. It has a very deep orange color already after two days. I think that Everclear really extracts things. Makes me wonder what it is "extracting" from our insides when drinking.


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## geek

I was checking my rather small batch of limoncello yesterday and is a bit "goopy" or syrup-like when I put the bottle upside down and vice versa. I know I didn't add too much simple syrup but maybe I did..the alcohol smell and taste is a bit strong...


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## joeswine

There is another way,in a ball jar place the zest only of 6 to 8. Lemon's add ever kleer to fill the ball jar,let it sit for a month,have at the ready simple syrup,and everkleer,add the zest and contents of the ball jar to a medium size pot,the add the balance of syrup to everkleer to taste,now you made it to your taste ,this Never failes.


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## Stevelaz

I was just turned on to some homemade limoncello, however it was made with orange, orangecello. It was awesome! They make theirs with Vodka and swear by it, and i have to agree with how good it was! They told me to use a mid-grade vodka such as Smirnoff because its a waste to use a higher end vodka because the taste will not matter. I was thinking if you use a higher end vodka, such as grey goose, it could only be better. They gave me the recipe and i will be starting a batch soon.

Anyone else use vodka instead of the grain alcohol??


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## joeswine

Yes, vodka is softer then ever kleer to us it's a ma5ter of preference, nothing more.


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## cmason1957

I started mine on Sunday with vodka. Like Joe says matter of preference. I don't care for the bite and harshness of Ever kleer.


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## Stevelaz

cmason1957 said:


> I started mine on Sunday with vodka. Like Joe says matter of preference. I don't care for the bite and harshness of Ever kleer.



What vodka did you go with?


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## cmason1957

I couldn't tell you. My daughter got married about a year ago. She bought a 1.75 litter bottle to take on the party bus. It may have been the only alcohol not consumed on the bus, it wasn't even opened. I also added a small amount of Costco Vodka, maybe 500 ml. And 30 lemons


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## wineforfun

geek said:


> I was checking my rather small batch of limoncello yesterday and is a bit "goopy" or syrup-like when I put the bottle upside down and vice versa. I know I didn't add too much simple syrup but maybe I did..the alcohol smell and taste is a bit strong...



Guessing maybe your ratios are off somewhat then. Mine turned out spot on doing it as Mike has written on page 1, second try.


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## Stevelaz

How the heck do you not know what you used in your own recipe? You just dont want to give up your secret! LOL..  Or maybe its a low grade vodka? lol... Il probably go to binnys today for my batch... i was just trying to get other input as to using lower grade vs higher grade vodka...


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## wineforfun

Stevelaz said:


> I was just turned on to some homemade limoncello, however it was made with orange, orangecello. It was awesome! They make theirs with Vodka and swear by it, and i have to agree with how good it was! They told me to use a mid-grade vodka such as Smirnoff because its a waste to use a higher end vodka because the taste will not matter. I was thinking if you use a higher end vodka, such as grey goose, it could only be better. They gave me the recipe and i will be starting a batch soon.
> 
> Anyone else use vodka instead of the grain alcohol??



No, both of mine are with Everclear. I see a lot of the DIY recipes out there use vodka. There are also a few with Everclear. I went with Everclear on mine since Mike had already done the "leg work" with the two. Since I have never had any "cellos" (pretty sweet drink for my liking),I went with his experience and the Everclear.

As far as what vodka to use, I stick to the adage, garbage in, garbage out. Now I wouldn't be buying Grey Goose, but I wouldn't be using $5 750ml vodka either.

My other issue using vodka, outside of Mike's recommendation, was with 50% (100 proof) vodka, in the end your finished product will only be approximately 16%+ ABV. I wanted something higher.

I may do a batch with vodka to compare. For now, I am done as I will have plenty. I don't drink much of it, mostly gift it. And, it takes quite a bit of time to peel and de-pith all that fruit.


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## Stevelaz

Well, the vodka used in my friends batch that i liked was smirnoff, and like i said i liked it very much.. and i did catch a buzz after a few..lol, so maybe i will go with that, i think smirnoff is midgrade, right? I drink Grey goose at home when i make martinis and other drinks...


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## wineforfun

Stevelaz said:


> i think smirnoff is midgrade, right?



Yes it is. I use it or Svedka or New Amsterdam when making baking extracts.


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## Stevelaz

wineforfun said:


> Yes it is. I use it or Svedka or New Amsterdam when making baking extracts.



Baking extracts?? Don't get me started!!


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## wineforfun

Stevelaz said:


> Baking extracts?? Don't get me started!!



haha
Thing with me is when I start doing something, it is full speed ahead.
So I started baking about a year ago. I make numerous types of cookies but my specialties are biscotti, bread and cakes/desserts. Everything is from scratch, no boxed mixes, etc. 
Tried finding a coffee extract here in town and took forever, plus it was $8 for 2 oz. Leaving the store I had this thought about "hey, why can't I make my own", and with that, scoured the interweb and currently have almond, anise, lime and vanilla going. 
Started drinking coffee a couple years ago and within two months of starting, I bought a roaster, green beans and now roast my own. Best coffee ever as it is fresh roasted and gets ground immediately before drinking. I make all pour over coffee, though I have an Aeropress, Turkish pot and French Press.
Then came along Kraffty(Mike) and his cello. Soooooo, now I have that going.


----------



## cmason1957

Stevelaz said:


> How the heck do you not know what you used in your own recipe? You just dont want to give up your secret! LOL..  Or maybe its a low grade vodka? lol... Il probably go to binnys today for my batch... i was just trying to get other input as to using lower grade vs higher grade vodka...




Oh I'm sure it was lower grade. I doubt my daughter sprung for anything great. How did I not know, I just didn't pay attention beyond, Vodka, 1.75 l. I figured it didn't matter.


----------



## Stevelaz

Made one of each!


----------



## ibglowin

Mine is in the extraction phase! You sure get a funny look when you ask the clerk behind the counter at the liquor store for the half gallon of Everclear!


----------



## CheerfulHeart

I wish half-gallons of Everclear could be purchased in California. Every so often there are rumors the state legislature is going to ban Everclear as a poison. So far that has not happened but about every two years or so I buy a case or two to have on hand if it is does. You get strange looks for that too...


----------



## Boatboy24

I'm going to mix up a batch today. @Kraffty: what did you do with the 40 lemons after you zested them - a huge batch of lemonade?


----------



## Kraffty

Hey Jim, I juice them and freeze them in 4 cup disposable containers. Use for lemonade and I'm hoping to finally make a batch of skeeter pee using my own lemon juice.
Mike


----------



## Kraffty

@stevelaz what's the difference between the two, different vodkas or vodka and ever clear? Great idea to test side by side.
Mike


----------



## ibglowin

We ended up squeezing them and then pouring the juice into ice trays (with silicon covers) and then freezing the juice. We can now pop a few cubes as needed for cooking purposes or pop an entire tray and make lemonade, lemon water.....



Boatboy24 said:


> I'm going to mix up a batch today. @Kraffty: what did you do with the 40 lemons after you zested them - a huge batch of lemonade?


----------



## joeswine

*Zesting for flavor and fun*

or this ..................easier method


----------



## Stevelaz

Kraffty said:


> @stevelaz what's the difference between the two, different vodkas or vodka and ever clear? Great idea to test side by side.
> Mike



The difference of the 2 is that one is made with lemon and the other with orange...


----------



## Boatboy24

It has begun.


----------



## Kraffty

Have the stock prices for everclear risen with the run on the stuff caused by all the limoncello makers?
Mike


----------



## ibglowin

My half gallon of Everclear was $45 w/o tax. Tax brought it up to ~$48.50 IIRC. They wanted ~$20 for the 750ml bottle so saved a few bucks by buying in bulk I spose.


----------



## wineforfun

haha
Great point Mike. Luckily us new limoncello makers are located all over the US and not in just one area.
I get my 750's of Everclear for $17.99 + tax.


----------



## ibglowin

Mine was actually purchased on an indian reservation liquor store about 15 miles down the road from me. We don't have any "real" liquor stores in town. Our local grocery store Smith's (Kroger) has a fully stocked liquor dept but they don't carry Everclear. Sadly I knew I could purchase it down the road on the "rez" as they say....

Its a nice enough store on the highway back towards Santa fe but I am always saddened when I enter/exit as as everyone knows the highest rates of alcoholism/DUI is within tribes and tribal members. IIRC we have 7 Northern NM tribes in our area and each one has their own casino and their own package liquor store. Probably 75% of the customers in the store were native american.

They finally closed down all the drive up windows about 15 years ago. Would you believe (once upon a time) you could pull up to a side window and buy alcohol, mixers and a styrofoam cup with ice and then drive right down the road...... 



wineforfun said:


> haha
> Great point Mike. Luckily us new limoncello makers are located all over the US and not in just one area.
> I get my 750's of Everclear for $17.99 + tax.


----------



## Stevelaz

All this talk about everclear is tempting me to get some and do a batch with that to see how it compares to the ones i got going now with vodka. Like i said before the one i had that was very very good was made with vodka...


----------



## CheerfulHeart

I added the simple syrup yesterday to the double batch I made with Everclear and vodka. It will need some time to mellow a bit but the sample I tried has really good flavor.


----------



## Boatboy24

I removed the peel and filtered mine some time ago, but have yet to dilute with the simple syrup. I have a couple of quarts of nicely yellow colored, lemon flavored grain alcohol right now.


----------



## geek

Leave it for July 4 and the fireworks


----------



## wineforfun

Don't know that I reported back on my Orangecello. It turned out awesome and more to my palate's liking. The Limoncello was very good but had that slight sourness from the lemons I didn't care for. Don't get me wrong, it is good, I just prefer the orange out of the two.
I will definitely be making both in the future as those I have gifted it to very much like it.................of course it could be because it was free.


----------



## Stevelaz

wineforfun said:


> Don't know that I reported back on my Orangecello. It turned out awesome and more to my palate's liking. The Limoncello was very good but had that slight sourness from the lemons I didn't care for. Don't get me wrong, it is good, I just prefer the orange out of the two.
> I will definitely be making both in the future as those I have gifted it to very much like it.................of course it could be because it was free.



I have a feeling that going to be the case with me. I will probably like the orange over the lemon. (i made one of each) About 2 weeks ago i did part 2 of my recipe and added simple syrup and other bottle of vodka. The orange smelled awesome! I also used 100 proof Smirnoff for my second addition. Im about at day 50-55 so July should be drinking it!

Oh, i also made a limoncello recipe i found on line from Giada De Laurentiis, from food network. Her recipe takes only 4 days! I found it very hard to believe a 4 day turnaround. I used Grey Goose vodka and actually let it go for about a week and half. Well im not real thrilled with it at all, but i figure it will do until my other batch is ready. Here is the link to that recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/limoncello-recipe-1916618


----------



## wineforfun

I should try to make a batch with vodka as it may smooth out the lemon "sourness". I just don't want the low ABV associated with the vodka.
I believe part of the lemon problem for me is the sourness coupled with the heat from the Everclear. 
As mentioned, it is very good, I just prefer the orange over it.

Regardless, thanks again to @kraffty for providing his recipe and experience.


----------



## Kraffty

Thanks D.J. I made a batch of the orange too as I has a little Everclear left from my last gallon batch of limoncello. I think that the Meyer Lemons really make it a smoother drink than the standard lemons. I poured a little of the orancello over vanilla ice cream and stirred it up a little bit and it tastes like the old 50/50 ice cream bar I used to love as a kid, you have to give that one a shot. I also added a 750ml bottle of a vodka limoncello (a lot less color and flavor intensity) to a sauvignon blanc kit I started about a month ago, it's added a really nice citrus flavor already, a tiny touch of sweetness and has already cleared but probably needs 6 months to really blend nicely. By the way I diluted both the vodka and ever clear versions down to 30% abv. I just end up with a smaller yield if using vodka.
Mike


----------



## Stevelaz

Dam! With all this cello talk i just went in the frige and had a shot of the limoncello from the recipe i was talking about that took a week. Much better! Been sitting about a month since last tried it! Someone did mention to let is sit a while and it should get better.


----------



## Boatboy24

Finally finished it! Liquid sunshine!!


----------



## Stevelaz

Boatboy24 said:


> Finally finished it! Liquid sunshine!!



Why is yours a darker yellow color? 

Here is what mine and most other limencello ive seen looks like.

Others pics ive seen here are that darker yellow too....


----------



## Boatboy24

Stevelaz said:


> Why is yours a darker yellow color?
> 
> Here is what mine and most other limencello ive seen looks like.
> 
> Others pics ive seen here are that darker yellow too....



Mine looked exactly like yours until I added the simple syrup (which was also crystal clear). The minute I added that, it clouded up. I have no idea why it happens, but it always does. My simple syrup hadn't cooled completely - was still around 90F. Would that have something to do with it?


----------



## Stevelaz

Boatboy24 said:


> Mine looked exactly like yours until I added the simple syrup (which was also crystal clear). The minute I added that, it clouded up. I have no idea why it happens, but it always does. My simple syrup hadn't cooled completely - was still around 90F. Would that have something to do with it?



Not sure. But i made sure my simple syrup was totally cool before i added it. You know what i did... I took the pot i made the simple syrup in and sit it in ice water in the sink and stirred it. Helped it cool much faster....

Also , i was just googling limoncello pics and believe it or not but half of them are dark like yours and others are more clear like mine.... With all this talk i just had a shot...lol


----------



## CheerfulHeart

1 double batch of limoncello made with Eurekas and a double batch using Meyers. I split the batches and blended half of each together. The blend is my favorite! So smooth and a really nice flavor.


----------



## jumby

3 gallons of goodness,,,,,,


----------



## Kraffty

Those look great, I'm going to have to find some of those Gallon Jars.
Mike


----------



## jumby

Kraffty said:


> Those look great, I'm going to have to find some of those Gallon Jars.
> Mike



They are always available at our local Target.


----------



## jumby

Limoncello bottling day. 3 gallons of Italian goodness bottled and ready to drink. Saluti!!!


----------



## wineforfun

jumby said:


> Limoncello bottling day. 3 gallons of Italian goodness bottled and ready to drink. Saluti!!!



Looking good. There is a whole lotta "happiness" there.


----------



## Boatboy24

When Mom and Dad temporarily moved in about two weeks ago, a half bottle of commercial limoncello came with them. I'm sipping some now. The homemade stuff is sooooo much better. Smoother, more 'natural' tasting - just much better overall.


----------



## kire

jumby said:


> Limoncello bottling day. 3 gallons of Italian goodness bottled and ready to drink. Saluti!!!



Fantastic quantity of Limoncello there! I just recently completed three versions of Limoncello

- Version using Everclear and lemon zest
- Version using 4 dehydrated lemon slices and vodka
- Version using 10 dehydrated lemon slices and vodka

Interesting to hear the feedback so far as it is evenly split. The Everclear version appears to be more traditional and stronger in flavor and ABV. The vodka versions are clearer in color and lighter in flavor but still with a significant lemon flavor.

I also finished a batch of "crabberry-cello" that is amazing. Cranberries with zest of lemon and grapefruit. Few weeks later added zest of lime. This is flying out of my cellar but hoping to retain at least one bottle for Thanksgiving.


----------



## Doug’s wines

Darn... Saw this thread yesterday and bought lemons today.... Thanks for making me do one more drinkable concoction . I enjoy a good Limoncello!

Started the infusion using 8 Myers Lemons with 400ml Everclear (need the rest to fortify a port that is clearing. Struggled to zest them as my veg peeler was duller than my fingers. Had to use a knife! Won’t do that again. 

Really appreciate the recipe and hope it’s good!


----------



## Brewenstein

I saw this two days ago. Walked into Trader Joe’s yesterday and saw bags on Meyer lemons. Figured it was a sign so I went to Binny’s in the same plaza and bought some Everclear. Got it going as soon as I got home. Saw yellow color within minutes! Looking forward to final product. 

Trader Joe’s has a limoncello for $7.99 for 375ml. We really like that, so hoping this is as good.


----------



## Brewenstein

So it’s been a week. Strained the extract through a coffee filter. 



All dumped in. 



Started with 750 ml and ended with 750 ml. 



Crystal clear. 



Made the simple syrup, cooled it and added it to the extract. 2:1 syrup to extract. I didn’t have any clear bottles, but I did have some 500 ml Grolsch swing tops. Ended up with 4 bottles and about 250 ml in a Mason jar. 



Chilled a small glass to sample and it’s pretty good. Seems a little hot, and the lemon on the aftertaste is strong too. (I used 12 Meyer lemons.) Anxious to see how it is after a few months of aging. Like it enough that I will soon be starting 1.5L of it and maybe 750ml of orange. Any suggestions for what type of oranges to use?


----------



## Mismost

I wish I could get that deep yellow color...mine is pale but clearer. Taste is good...but I like that deep yellow color.


----------



## Brewenstein

Started an orangecello tonight.


----------



## Brewenstein




----------



## Brewenstein

Limoncello on the left, orangecello on the right.


----------



## olusteebus

I saw this recipe and thought I might try it. After reading this thread, I am thinking, how in the world could this recipe taste like lemons.

gizmodo.com/how-to-make-the-best-limoncello-youve-ever-had-1533528095

I think on my first try, I will go with Giiatas recipe.


----------



## jumby

Starting a 1 1/2 gallon test batch of lemon/limecello. I used the zest of 25 limes, 15 lemons and 1.75 liters of 195 proof Everclear.


----------



## tjgaul

This is a bit on a tangent, but somewhat related. I recently made a batch of Moscato and reached the desired flavor and sweetness without using the entire F-pac. I hate to waste anything so I mixed the residual of the F-pac with a little simple syrup and nearly an equal volume of plain vodka. The end result is quite delicious, especially over a couple ice cubes. I know now what to do with unused F-pacs.


----------



## Mismost

tjgaul said:


> This is a bit on a tangent, but somewhat related. I recently made a batch of Moscato and reached the desired flavor and sweetness without using the entire F-pac. I hate to waste anything so I mixed the residual of the F-pac with a little simple syrup and nearly an equal volume of plain vodka. The end result is quite delicious, especially over a couple ice cubes. I know now what to do with unused F-pacs.



I have used the left over Fpacs to flavor Tea Wine....had a Wildberry batch and a Peach Apricot batch. Waste not want not!


----------



## almargita

Mismost said:


> I have used the left over Fpacs to flavor Tea Wine....had a Wildberry batch and a Peach Apricot batch. Waste not want not!





jumby said:


> Starting a 1 1/2 gallon test batch of lemon/limecello. I used the zest of 25 limes, 15 lemons and 1.75 liters of 195 proof Everclear.


Can someone tell me exactly where i can buy Everclear near Pittsbugh, Pa.


----------



## gorillla68

Im excited to make some limoncello, thank you for posting this! I havent yet read the entire thread but I have a lot of orange trees on my property that are ripening and I want to make use of them somehow... has anyone made the using orange and if so how does it come out? And compared to limoncello? Thanks for the input!


----------



## jumby

I made orange. Personally I didn't care for it. It tasted like spiked orange juice to me. I also made lime. For me, lemons are the way to go. That's the traditional Italian way...


gorillla68 said:


> Im excited to make some limoncello, thank you for posting this! I havent yet read the entire thread but I have a lot of orange trees on my property that are ripening and I want to make use of them somehow... has anyone made the using orange and if so how does it come out? And compared to limoncello? Thanks for the input!


----------



## CDrew

I've made quite a bit of Limonchello over the years and have some general comments to offer:

1-Always use Everclear. It works way better than vodka at extracting the flavor compounds from the peels. I use a 45 day soak on the peels, have gone longer. THere are several forms of Everclear depending on your state laws. The max alcohol percentage in the PRK is 77%.

2-Use more fruit than the recipe calls for. If it calls for 20 lemons, use 30.

3-Meyer lemons (mentioned earlier in this thread) make only fair limonchello. This is sad to me because our Meyer tree makes hundreds of pounds of lemons every year. But Eureka Lemons have a better tart/fruit/sweet balance and make better Limoncello. This is not a big deal because unless you live in California, there are not many Meyers out there.

4-Most recipes have you use a 50/50 simple syrup to sweeten-that's much too sweet (in my opinion, yours may vary). I use a 2 : 5 ratio, sugar to water ratio and much prefer that.

5-Grapefruit makes the best 'cello. As in it's great. We get excess grapefruits off our tree and use them up making this. It's so good, we have to hide it from one of our good friends who has been known to polish off an entire bottle at one sitting (and paid the price the next day). And grapefruit harvest is now so starting more next week.

There's a great website out there with calculators to get alcohol and sugar percentages right:
https://limoncelloquest.com/limoncello-calculators/limoncello-alcohol-percentage-calculator


----------



## crabjoe

Have any of you guys added the lemon juice like this guy? BTW, what are you guys doing with the skinless lemons?


----------



## Boatboy24

crabjoe said:


> Have any of you guys added the lemon juice like this guy? BTW, what are you guys doing with the skinless lemons?




I've never seen a recipe that calls for the juice - or honey for that matter. I'm tempted to try it with the juice just for fun. But I think the honey would alter the flavor.


----------



## cmason1957

Boatboy24 said:


> I've never seen a recipe that calls for the juice - or honey for that matter. I'm tempted to try it with the juice just for fun. But I think the honey would alter the flavor.


Adding the juice is an interesting thought, I may try that next time. The honey, I'm with you would really already the flavor. This certain would be much higher alcohol than the one I make. 

What too do with the peeled lemons, if you don't add that juice? I made Skeeter pee with the juice one time, other times I have frozen the lemons and used the juice cooking later.


----------



## winemaker81

I drop the naked lemons in a juicer. The result is milky looking due to pith. I add bentonite, put it in the fridge for a week, and pour off the clear(er) liquid. It's still on the milky side but most of the sediment is gone.


----------



## winemanden

winemaker81 said:


> I drop the naked lemons in a juicer. The result is milky looking due to pith. I add bentonite, put it in the fridge for a week, and pour off the clear(er) liquid. It's still on the milky side but most of the sediment is gone.



Any bitterness from the pith?


----------



## winemaker81

winemanden said:


> Any bitterness from the pith?


A bit. When I didn't fine the juice, it gained some bitterness the longer it sat on the lees (pith). In a later batch, when I immediately hit it with bentonite, that reduced the bitterness a lot.

If it's a problem, use a regular juicer.


----------



## winemaker81

I viewed the digest email from yesterday and this caught my attention:

*Limoncello, take 2 * ( 3 New Posts Yesterday )
_I drop the naked lemons in a juicer._ The result is milky looking due to pith. I add bentonite, put i...

My first thought was, "I bet that line is making people scratch their heads!"


----------



## Rocky

almargita said:


> Can someone tell me exactly where i can buy Everclear near Pittsbugh, Pa.



Al, I have not lived in Pittsburgh for more than 40 years but they used to sell it in the State Stores under names like "Golden Grain" or something like than. I believe it was 180 or 190 proof. Have you tried a State Store?


----------



## winemaker81

CDrew said:


> 1-Always use Everclear. It works way better than vodka at extracting the flavor compounds from the peels. I use a 45 day soak on the peels, have gone longer.


Does Everclear produce a real benefit?

I had bottles of limoncello base (strained and filtered) that I had not mixed yet. Today I made sugar syrup for a different reason, and made up bottles of limoncello to use it up. I used a 1:1 sugar syrup and mixed it 3:1 limoncello base/syrup. I started with 80 proof vodka, so simple math indicates my final result is around 60 proof.

If I use 180 proof Everclear and I get better extraction, is this going to matter? I will have to dilute the limoncello base a LOT more to get the proof down to something I want to drink. Will this negate any additional benefit I get from better extraction?

My thought is to double or triple the amount of lemon zest used.


----------



## joeswine

Geek how was the taste?


----------



## gorillla68

Im going to head to a few stores today looking for Everclear here in CA... not entirely sure what the laws are but online sources are only selling 120 proof (60%) versions in California. If thats all that is available for me at local stores I have found another option. Do a search on Amazon for "culinary solvent" and you'll find several options available. Prices are comparable, just need to find sellers that will ship for free.


----------



## geek

joeswine said:


> Geek how was the taste?



My limoncello has been sitting in the kitchen for a loooonnnnnggggg time, will drink this weekend with friends


----------



## joeswine

Always good before or after dinner or when the mood hits you


----------



## joeswine

You can use Voka. Also


----------



## Mike Parisi

I bring bottles of the 190 proof Everclear to my brother and brother-in-law in southern California because they can't get it there. It is available here in Arizona.

Yes, you have to dilute it more to get it to a sippable ABV level. But the extraction is so much better and so much faster, too. Instead of taking months, you can get full extraction in around 2 weeks, maybe even less.


----------



## joeswine

the vodka was just a WHAT IF. Like the everkleer best if you have seem my thread making an extract it's very clear ,,EVERKLEER


----------



## Mike Parisi

Yeah, I understand that. I was acually responding to winemaker81's post above, asking if it really made any difference using high ABV Everclear.


----------



## joeswine

And it does,yet have you ever tried infused vodka with lemon or tangerine zest it takes on a different note as Strong but nice on the plate.just a thought.


----------



## Mike Parisi

No, I just don't like vodka at all. It just has a taste I can't stomach. Probably dating from an incident during my teen years.


----------



## joeswine

No problem , it's just another way to create flavor.
I know all of you have seen the flavored vodka and gin products yet alone beer.
I fusion the name of the game.or as I put it Thinking Outside the Box.


----------



## CDrew

Just bottled today. All Eureka lemons, 47 day soak/extraction, diluted down to 30% ABV. Will taste tonight once cold.

Grapefruit will be next!


----------



## Mike Parisi

Bottled mine a few days ago, diluted down to somewhere between 28% and 30% ABV. Started out as 225ml of 190proof everclear, steeped in the peels for 3 weeks.


----------



## joeswine

Looks tasty guy,


----------



## Darrell Hawley

CDrew said:


> Just bottled today. All Eureka lemons, 47 day soak/extraction, diluted down to 30% ABV. Will taste tonight once cold.
> 
> Grapefruit will be next!
> 
> View attachment 60359


Enjoying my first batch of Limoncello using Everclear that was soaked for 25 days. Also have the grapefruit soaking for 27 days and looks like it going to take longer. How long did you soak your grapefruit? Thanks


----------



## CDrew

Darrell Hawley said:


> Enjoying my first batch of Limoncello using Everclear that was soaked for 25 days. Also have the grapefruit soaking for 27 days and looks like it going to take longer. How long did you soak your grapefruit? Thanks



Grapefruit in the past has been about the same time frame-ie around 6 weeks. Mine is at day 30 right now, so in another 2 weeks, it will be time to bottle.


----------



## geek

anyone drinks limoncello cold or just room temp?


----------



## Darrell Hawley

geek said:


> anyone drinks limoncello cold or just room temp?


Mine goes in the freezer. Now that I know it takes 6 weeks for the grapefruit, I picked up another big jar, oranges and two 1.75 ltrs of EverClear. They were on sale for $22.99, so picked up another one for another limoncello later. Gave a bottle to each of my 2 kids and their spouses, so it goes very fast. Hope they don't like it TOO much.


----------



## Doug’s wines

+1 for the freezer. The colder the better as far as I’m concerned!


----------



## Yooper🍷

Found this tread this morning and went out and found a bottle of 150 EC and 14 organic lemons. Zested lemons and got them infusing. What I’m asking is since this looks like 1/3 of his recipe what amount of syrup would you Putin to cut to 30% or what would give 25%. Thanks for any help


----------



## CDrew

Use the calculators on A Personal Pilgrimage to Create the Perfect Limoncello

Decide what strength you want but right around 30% ABV is about right. Lower than that your bottles will be at higher risk of freezing in the freezer.

Careful with your syrup too. If it's 1:1, it will be too sweet (in my opinion). 2:1 is better (2 parts water, 1 part sugar). I'm at 5:2 now and that gives the Limoncello a bit more bite. You'll need to experiment.


----------



## Yooper🍷

I understand the making of the simple syrup. But how do you determine amount of syrup added to arrive at 30%. Here is 3 bottles we brought back from last trip to Italy and the infusion I started yesterday.


----------



## cmason1957

Yooper🍷 said:


> I understand the making of the simple syrup. But how do you determine amount of syrup added to arrive at 30%. Here is 3 bottles we brought back from last trip to Italy and the infusion I started yesterday. View attachment 60908
> View attachment 60909



The answer to your question lies in proper application of the Pearson's square. You know your volume of wine and it's ABV. You are going to end up with something with an ABV of 30% and you want to determine the volume of 0%ABV to add. I believe the program/app for your phone Fermcalc can help with the answer to this as well.


----------



## CDrew

Yooper🍷 said:


> I understand the making of the simple syrup. But how do you determine amount of syrup added to arrive at 30%. Here is 3 bottles we brought back from last trip to Italy and the infusion I started yesterday. View attachment 60908
> View attachment 60909



Use the calculator. I made it easy for you:









A Personal Pilgrimage to Create the Perfect Limoncello


LimoncelloQuest has all you need to get started making your own limoncello at home!




limoncelloquest.com


----------



## Yooper🍷

Thank you


----------



## Yooper🍷

Did my first Limoncello, 15 lemons, 1 bottle EC, 2 weeks extraction, used calculator for amount of simply syrup to bring down to 30%. Wife couldn’t tell diff from Italian. 2 750ml plus (4) 7 oz fever tree cleaned bottles for gifting w


----------



## TonyP

Kraffty said:


> For this go-around I used 3 750ml bottles of 95% abv Everclear. I used a potato peeler to take just the zest of 40 lemons (yellow part only as all recipes stress). After a week the lemon peels turned white and would snap in half when you bent them. The difference in the extraction between the different alcohols was amazing. I strained the extract through paper towels then diluted the extract at 1 part alcohol to 2 parts simple syrup (made from 1 part sugar to 2 parts water). Both versions ended up right at 30% abv but this one had a completely different taste. It was smoother right from the beginning. No harsh alcohol flavor and really beautiful color and even the density of color. I’ve stocked them away to mellow a few months more but they really are drinkable already.
> Mike



Mike (or anyone else), I never tried anything like this but I'm about to give it a try. A few questions which show how little I know. First, what do you mean by extraction? Is it just a matter of putting the zest in the Everclear? Second, when you describe the lemon peels snapping in a week, should I wait a week to add the zest or add them right away?


----------



## Darrell Hawley

TonyP said:


> Mike (or anyone else), I never tried anything like this but I'm about to give it a try. A few questions which show how little I know. First, what do you mean by extraction? Is it just a matter of putting the zest in the Everclear? Second, when you describe the lemon peels snapping in a week, should I wait a week to add the zest or add them right away?


Tony, here is a little different version, but it might help if you have more than one and use a little of both.


6 lbs of lemons or more (enough lemons so the amount of Everclear just covers it)
1.75ltr Everclear (190 proof grain alcohol) 95%abv
simple syrup 4 cups suger, 8 cups water (1 part suger,2 parts water)

Drop lemons in boiling water ( one at a time ) for a second or two and the wax will come right off and floats to the top.
I then remove it and wipe it clean. I tried other methods but this worked the best for me.

Use a potato peeler to take just the zest off the lemons (yellow part only as all recipes stress)
The white part will make it very bitter.

Pour the EverClear into a gallon container or larger(with a tight lid).
Put in the lemon zest and tighten the lid
Shake once per day and should be kept in a dark place.
Do this for around 25 days or whenever the lemon is white and it is brittle.
Take out the lemons and discard.

Heat the simple syrup until it is almost boiling, stirring slowly.
Take off heat until cool.

You may need to put the Everclear in a large mixing bowl to mix.
Add most of the simple syrup and taste. Add more syrup and/or more water as needed.
to suit taste. Not to syrupy and not to high alcohol(should be about 30% when done).

Put in wine bottle with a twist cap. Should make about 5 bottles.
Keep 1 bottle in freezer until ready to drink


Use the calculators on A Personal Pilgrimage to Create the Perfect Limoncello

Decide what strength you want but right around 30% ABV is about right. Lower than that your bottles
will be at higher risk of freezing in the freezer.


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## Boatboy24

TonyP said:


> Mike (or anyone else), I never tried anything like this but I'm about to give it a try. A few questions which show how little I know. First, what do you mean by extraction? Is it just a matter of putting the zest in the Everclear? Second, when you describe the lemon peels snapping in a week, should I wait a week to add the zest or add them right away?



Extraction refers to how much of the color and lemon flavor comes out of the peel (or zest) when it's in the Everclear. In this case, I think peel and zest are the same thing, just two different ways of getting the yellow part of the skin off the lemon. You can use a zester, which will give you a lot of little yellow pieces. Or, as Darrell suggested (and I recommend), use a potato peeler type of instrument to remove the yellow part of the skin. It's quicker and easier and you'll get larger pieces that will get 'crispy' after a week or two in the Everclear. They'll also go from bright yellow to white, with all that color now being in your liquid.


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## Kraffty

Those last two posts do a great and clear job of explaining the process. Some people also suggest filtering it with coffee filters but it seems to end up slightly opaque no matter if you filter or not so I don't bother any more. Reminds me, I think I need to break out a bottle this afternoon.
Mike


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## sour_grapes

Kraffty said:


> Those last two posts do a great and clear job of explaining the process. Some people also suggest filtering it with coffee filters but it seems to end up slightly opaque no matter if you filter or not so I don't bother any more. Reminds me, I think I need to break out a bottle this afternoon.
> Mike



In a different thread, @stickman correctly identified the source of the cloudiness, which is inherent to the product. (See quotes below.) I believe this argues that you do not WANT to filter it with coffee filters. Doing so would probably remove some of the goodness you worked so hard to get _into _your 'cello.



stickman said:


> That was kind of my point also, citrus essential oils that provide aroma and flavor are extracted by the alcohol, but these oils are not soluble in water, so what you have is a dispersion of small droplets of oil creating the haze. The haze is more pronounced if the droplets are of larger size.





sour_grapes said:


> Ahh, the Ouzo effect! Ouzo effect - Wikipedia Good call, Stick!
> 
> Also see: "
> *Looking into Limoncello: The Structure of the Italian Liquor Revealed by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering" https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.8b01858 *


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## Darrell Hawley

sour_grapes said:


> In a different thread, @stickman correctly identified the source of the cloudiness, which is inherent to the product. (See quotes below.) I believe this argues that you do not WANT to filter it with coffee filters. Doing so would probably remove some of the goodness you worked so hard to get _into _your 'cello.


Oil or not, it sure tastes good .  Just ready to try a limecello, not sure if anyone tried that before.


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## Bliorg

Our limoncello went into bottles today. 151 EC, 5 pounds of lemons zested and peeled (some of each - my daughter zested, I peeled, ended up something like 16 lemons in five pounds), started with 1325 mL of alcohol. Sat on the zest for 49 days. Cut to 60 proof, netted just over eight 375 mL bottles:

Strained and filtered:


Limoncello by Scott, on Flickr

Sweetened:


Limoncello by Scott, on Flickr

Bottled and finished:


Limoncello by Scott, on Flickr

Very happy with how this turned out. Have a bottle in the freezer for tonight, and the ~1/3 bottle my daughter is using to make pound cake tonight. Looking forward to toasting the passing of Isaias tonight.

(Side note: There seems to be a shortage of 375 Belissima bottles, at least in this region. Couldn't find any clear, let alone frosted. Ended up finding the 375 stretch Hock frosted bottles at Keystone last weekend, and I think I'm happier with these than I would have been with t'other.)


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## Mike Parisi

Looks great. How do you mke the labels?


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## Bliorg

Thanks Mike. I make the labels in Publisher and copy them to a template in Word. I’ve pretty much standardized on Avery 94215 photo glossy labels for convenience. And I spend WAY too much time on 1001fonts.com...


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## Kraffty

nice looking cello!


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## DizzyIzzy

Bliorg said:


> Our limoncello went into bottles today. 151 EC, 5 pounds of lemons zested and peeled (some of each - my daughter zested, I peeled, ended up something like 16 lemons in five pounds), started with 1325 mL of alcohol. Sat on the zest for 49 days. Cut to 60 proof, netted just over eight 375 mL bottles:
> 
> Strained and filtered:
> 
> 
> Limoncello by Scott, on Flickr
> 
> Sweetened:
> 
> 
> Limoncello by Scott, on Flickr
> 
> Bottled and finished:
> 
> 
> Limoncello by Scott, on Flickr
> 
> Very happy with how this turned out. Have a bottle in the freezer for tonight, and the ~1/3 bottle my daughter is using to make pound cake tonight. Looking forward to toasting the passing of Isaias tonight.
> 
> (Side note: There seems to be a shortage of 375 Belissima bottles, at least in this region. Couldn't find any clear, let alone frosted. Ended up finding the 375 stretch Hock frosted bottles at Keystone last weekend, and I think I'm happier with these than I would have been with t'other.)


I just purchased 375 Bellisima bottles from Home Brew Ohio. NO shipping for orders over $50....................................Dizzy


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## DizzyIzzy

Bliorg said:


> Thanks Mike. I make the labels in Publisher and copy them to a template in Word. I’ve pretty much standardized on Avery 94215 photo glossy labels for convenience. And I spend WAY too much time on 1001fonts.com...


How did you obtain/determine the "template"?............................Dizzy


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## Bliorg

DizzyIzzy said:


> I just purchased 375 Bellisima bottles from Home Brew Ohio. NO shipping for orders over $50....................................Dizzy


Thanks for that - decent shipping (better than my usual sources, though with the price of the bottles, probably a wash).


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## Bliorg

DizzyIzzy said:


> How did you obtain/determine the "template"?............................Dizzy


The template was downloaded off of Avery for Word. It's pretty useless and doesn't fit the labels exactly, at least not with my printer (HP ENVY Photo). Tweaked it a bit. I make the designs in Publisher, save as some graphic file or PDF, copy and paste into the Word template. The labels are 4x3.33". Get 6 to a page.


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## cmegaf

Any suggestions on what to do with all the lemons? I'd hate to waste them.


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## Boatboy24

cmegaf said:


> Any suggestions on what to do with all the lemons? I'd hate to waste them.



Lemonade?


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## Darrell Hawley

cmegaf said:


> Any suggestions on what to do with all the lemons? I'd hate to waste them.


Skeeter Pee


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## winemaker81

Making limoncello and limecello with 80 proof vodka produces a clear liquid -- colored yellow or light green, but clear. At the recommendations here, I made limecello with 151 EC ... and it's cloudy-looking, even after filtering through a coffee filter, like @Bliorg's 3rd picture a few posts above.

The 151 EC certainly extracts more color and flavor -- it wouldn't work otherwise, as it has to be diluted so much. I'm wondering what else it extracts that makes the result cloudy.


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## winemaker81

cmegaf said:


> Any suggestions on what to do with all the lemons? I'd hate to waste them.


I juice the lemon or limes and put in a bottle in the fridge.

3/4 cup juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and fill with water to 2 quarts makes a good lemonade. Might be a bit tart for some tastes, so up the sugar as desired.


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## Darrell Hawley

Another way to use Limoncello -
Wife made a box lemon pound cake and wanted to drizzle a little frosting on top. Took the powered sugar and instead of water to mix in, she used the limoncello. That really added a lot of flavor to the pound cake.


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## winemanden

If you want to make it even more BoozyCelloy poke quite a few holes in the Cake and drizzle Limoncello over it before you frost it. Very moreish!


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## sour_grapes

winemaker81 said:


> Making limoncello and limecello with 80 proof vodka produces a clear liquid -- colored yellow or light green, but clear. At the recommendations here, I made limecello with 151 EC ... and it's cloudy-looking, even after filtering through a coffee filter, like @Bliorg's 3rd picture a few posts above.
> 
> The 151 EC certainly extracts more color and flavor -- it wouldn't work otherwise, as it has to be diluted so much. I'm wondering what else it extracts that makes the result cloudy.



Did you miss the discussion about the ouzo effect? See post #171 in this thread:



sour_grapes said:


> In a different thread, @stickman correctly identified the source of the cloudiness, which is inherent to the product. (See quotes below.) I believe this argues that you do not WANT to filter it with coffee filters. Doing so would probably remove some of the goodness you worked so hard to get _into _your 'cello.


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## winemaker81

sour_grapes said:


> Did you miss the discussion about the ouzo effect?


It appears I did!

 

I'm going to experiment with bentonite next time I make a batch, and not filter.

EC 151 will be used again. With the limecello I had a bright, vibrant green for the first week, and I put the jug down stairs and didn't check it again for 2 or 3 weeks. At that time, the color faded to a really dark, ugly green. When I diluted it, the color improved, but I'm going to pay close attention to the next one to strain it before the color changes.


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## Giacomo

My lemon cello recipe is one quart of cheap vodka, peel as thin as possible 10 lemons, keeping the wide strips of peel as whole as possible, never chopping it up; let it marinate for two weeks, then heat one cup of sugar w one cup of water; when cool, add to vodka, let marinate ten days, strain, and put in the freezer. Keep a small flask in the refrigerator for “emergencies.”


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## Bliorg

That time of year again!



Cut and Bottled by Scott, on Flickr


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## joeswine

That looks delicious


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## Paulietivo

Love Lemoncello. Let me share my hack for peeling the zest very quickly although can be slightly messy. 
I use a table mounted apple peeler. The juice of the lemon will run down the table but its so fast I won't even consider using a knife or hand zester any longer. Super easy, just turn the crank. You will have to play around with the adjustment on the knife part but once you get it set its smooth sailing.
If you do it just right you can nearly peel the entire zest in one long thin strip. 
Salute!


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## geek

I made a limoncello long time ago and been sitting in the fridge forever because it came out very strong, rocket fuel probably.
How can I "water" it down a bit....lol


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## winemaker81

geek said:


> I made a limoncello long time ago and been sitting in the fridge forever because it came out very strong, rocket fuel probably.
> How can I "water" it down a bit....lol


Add sparkling or mineral water to the glass to cut it to the desired strength.


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## TurkeyHollow

geek said:


> I made a limoncello long time ago and been sitting in the fridge forever because it came out very strong, rocket fuel probably.
> How can I "water" it down a bit....lol


Here's a great resource to help you "tweek" your recipe to your liking:








A Personal Pilgrimage to Create the Perfect Limoncello


LimoncelloQuest has all you need to get started making your own limoncello at home!




limoncelloquest.com


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## BernardSmith

geek said:


> I made a limoncello long time ago and been sitting in the fridge forever because it came out very strong, rocket fuel probably.
> How can I "water" it down a bit....lol



What proof spirits did you use? You can always cut the proof with water. You really don't want the alcohol to be more than about 80 proof (40% ABV)


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## Kraffty

Ideally Limoncello should be 27 to 30 ABV no matter what your base Alcohol ABV was. Should absolutely be diluted with simple syrup made from purified or distilled water to desired sweetness.


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## Darrell Hawley

Kraffty said:


> Ideally Limoncello should be 27 to 30 ABV no matter what your base Alcohol ABV was. Should absolutely be diluted with simple syrup made from purified or distilled water to desired sweetness.


And for those that like tea, ---- The Arnold Palmer with non-sweet tea and Limoncello. Not too bad.


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## geek

I don't have the numbers but when I made this a couple years ago it was strong and thought it would mellow down a bit, obviously it did not.


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## wood1954

A few years ago my niece sent me a bottle of limoncello made with everclear and grapefruit peel. It was awful. I stuck it in the back of the cabinet and after 2 or 3 years it was really good.


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