Limoncello, Everclear / Vodka Question

[Mike Parisi]

So what is the weight of lemons per 750 ml ?

I use 2 pounds per 750ML of 190 proof Everclear. I had 7 Sorrento lemons from my tree that weighed out at 3 pounds, so I used 1125ml of Everclear. I think tomorrow will be about 3 weeks for the peels in the Everclear, sop I will make the limoncello tomorrow if I have time.

Whoa, CDrew! That will be some very strong limoncello. because 3.5 cups of sugar to 5 cups water would make it over 90 proof. I assume by "pure grain alcohol" they mean 190 proof.

 

[CDrew]

Whoa, CDrew! That will be some very strong limoncello. because 3.5 cups of sugar to 5 cups water would make it over 90 proof. I assume by "pure grain alcohol" they mean 190 proof.

I use the calculator to get the Limoncello to 30% alcohol. THat for me has been the sweet spot for taste, freeze point etc. The dilution syrup I like is 2 cups sugar per 5 cups water, so a bit less sweet.

Very helpful calculator:
https://limoncelloquest.com/limoncello-calculators/limoncello-alcohol-percentage-calculator

 

[Mike Parisi]

I made my own calculater using an Excel spreadsheet, but thanks for this. I'm sure it will be easier to use.

Your recipe is a bit less sweet and a bit stronger than we like. But that recipe had 3.5 cups of sugar and 5 cups water for twice the amount of Everclear -- 1.5 liters. I didn't use your calculator, but that would have to be over 90 proof.

 

[winemanden]

You're quite right Mike P. It doesn't say what proof. I just put the link on as a matter of interest. I'm not defending them, but Limoncello is similar to Pizza, everyone has their own version and everyone thinks theirs is the best.
As for the Sorrento lemons, whilst we were on holiday in Amalfi we came across a lady peeling lemons for Limoncello. They were huge and she used just the skins. When I asked her how many days, she held up one hand and two fingers. What the proof of her spirit was I don't know.
As I say, it's all down to personal taste.
Regards to all.

 

[winemaker81]

I use 80 proof vodka -- for a 3.5 liter batch, upwards to 10 lbs of lemons, and I typically let it steep for 4 to 6 months. I dilute mine down to 30% ABV with a 1:1 sugar syrup, basically 1 cup syrup to 3 cups lemon base.

[Originally I used a 2:1 sugar/water ratio, but the result is far too sweet for my taste. My sister likes 2 cups of 2:1 sugar syrup to 1 cup lemon base, so as noted above, tastes vary!]

If I use a stronger alcohol, I will have to dilute the lemon base more to achieve 30% ABV. Is the extraction from 150+ proof alcohol that much better to compensate for the increased dilution? Or do I need to simply add more lemon zest?

My wife loves it when I start a batch of limoncello, as the house smells of lemon for a couple of days. Conversely, she doesn't care for the taste.

 

[Mike Parisi]

The extraction will definitely be better with the higher proof alcohol. Use about the same amount of lemons, but the time will be cut drastically. I use about 2 pounds of lemons for each 750ML of 190 proof Everclear. So 8-10 pounds for 3.5 liters would be about right. Here is the link to my thread on making limoncello using Sorrento lemons.

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/limoncello-using-sorrento-lemons.70866/

 

[winemaker81]

Mike, thanks for the feedback. I just bottled a batch -- 13x 375 ml bottles, and have 8 bottles from a previous batch, so I have no need to start another one immediately. However, I will try whatever proof Everclear is available in NC.

Who am I kidding? I'll probably buy the materials over the weekend and start another batch.



No such thing as too much!

Anyone making limoncello -- make enough to let some age. I told this story in another thread -- a few years back I made a batch with limes. At bottling time it was lackluster -- it smelled great but had no flavor. A few years later the last 2 bottles were fantastic!

As good as it tastes at bottling time, this stuff gets better with age.

 

[winemaker81]

Costco was out of lemons today, so I purchased 5 lbs of limes. I made limecello a few years back and after aging it was pretty good. Stopped at the ABC store and purchased 1.75 L of 151 proof Everclear.

My son helped me zest the limes, I pour some of the Everclear into another container to make room in the bottle, and started stuffing zest in. When done I topped the bottle and put the remainder (1/4 cup?) in a batch of limoncello I have in progress.

The photo is the limecello after 30 minutes -- the color extraction is amazing! Yeah, just 30 minutes. I'm totally sold on Everclear.

 

[Mike Parisi]

I made limecello several years ago. It tasted great, but the color was rather putrid.

 

[winemaker81]

The color of the batch I made with 80 proof vodka was meh. Nothing like the brilliant yellow I get from lemons, even with vodka.

The color extraction with Everclear was amazing. The picture shows the bottle when shaken -- when the zest settles, the liquid above it is still a bright green.

I juiced the limes -- got nearly 5 cups of lime juice. Good thing I like limeade!

 

[ibglowin]

You can freeze it as well for use in Margaritas!

 

[Darrell Hawley]

The Orange cello was bottled a couple of days ago and turned out nice, the lime has a little more time to go before adding the simple syrup. Used the 1.75l bottle of Everclear.

 

[fsa46]

The Orange cello was bottled a couple of days ago and turned out nice, the lime has a little more time to go before adding the simple syrup. Used the 1.75l bottle of Everclear.

What was the final SG of the orangecello ?

 

[Darrell Hawley]

What was the final SG of the orangecello ?

Didn't take one this time, but should be close to the 30 abv. Simple syrup was 4 cups sugar 8 cups water but didn't use all of it like we did for the tart lemon or grapefruit. And we did add 1/2 cup water to get the taste just right.

 

[Mike Parisi]

Unless I miscalculated, the 4 cups sugar and 8 cups water would give just over 10 cups of syrup. Using that amount of syrup (2.4 liters) to 1.75 liters of Everclear would give you a finished ABV of about 40% if you are using 190 proof Everclear.

 

[Darrell Hawley]

Unless I miscalculated, the 4 cups sugar and 8 cups water would give just over 10 cups of syrup. Using that amount of syrup (2.4 liters) to 1.75 liters of Everclear would give you a finished ABV of about 40% if you are using 190 proof Everclear.

Your calculation looks correct, you lose a little Everclear with the peels, but not that much. And the fact it didn't freeze. So yes, it would certainly be close to 40.

 

[Mike Parisi]

That's good news for you. Add enough syrup to get it to around 30% ABV and you will just have that much more limoncello.