How to Make Hard Seltzer

Hard Seltzer

An easy to make and drink Hard seltzer.  Makes a 5-gallon batch. Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to the products listed.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. Corn Sugar
• 5 gallons Water
• 1 packet Propper Seltzer Nutrient
• 1 Packet Omega Lutra or Hornindal Kveik Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon Sparkolloid
• Flavoring of your choice
  • 6-8 oz. Brewer’s Best Flavoring
  • 4 oz. Amoretti Flavoring
• 5 oz. Priming sugar (if bottling)

Directions:

Day 1: Make invert sugar in a large stainless cooking pot by combining 5 lbs. sugar with 5 gallons water

Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add 1 packet of Propper Seltzer Nutrient. Stir and use a wort chiller or an ice bath to cool to 85°

Test S.G with hydrometer and record (shoot for an SG of around 1.040 which yields a beverage of around 5.25% alcohol). Vigorously beat the mixture for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen. Pour it into a 6-6.5-gallon fermenter and pitch the Yeast and attach an airlock. Store at 75°-90° You should see fermentation within 24 hours.

Day 10-14: Allow to ferment for 10-14 days. It may finish in 5-7 days, however allowing it to sit a few days longer allows the yeast time to “clean up” any off flavors and to drop down and clear. After 10-14 days check the gravity. When it’s at 1.000 or lower it is time to transfer and clear. Rack it into a clean, sanitized carboy. Leaving the sediment behind.

Prepare Sparkolloid according to the packet directions. (Typical directions are boil 1 cup water with 1 Tablespoon Sparkolloid for 5 minutes). Cool slightly and pour into hard seltzer, stir gently and attach airlock. Allow to clear. Approximately 5 days.

Day 19: After 5 days, the Hard Seltzer should be crystal clear. It is now time to flavor and bottle or keg.

If bottling and using Brewer’s Best Flavorings: Prepare priming sugar combine 1 cup water with 5 oz. priming sugar boil for 10 min. and cool. Meanwhile, using an auto siphon transfer the Hard Seltzer into a clean, sanitized pail leaving sediment behind. Next, add the flavoring we suggest 6-8 oz. per 5 gallons; however, it is to your taste so add more or less to your liking. Next, pour the cooled priming mixture into the Hard Seltzer. Mix gently to evenly distribute the flavors and priming mixture. Siphon into clean sanitized bottles. Cap and store in a warm location for 1-2 weeks to carbonate.

If bottling and using Amoretti Flavorings: Do Not Prepare a Priming Sugar! Amoretti has sugar in it and it will be sufficient to carbonate. Use an auto siphon transfer the Hard Seltzer into a clean, sanitized pail leaving sediment behind. Next, add the flavoring we suggest 4 oz. per 5 gallons; however, it is to your taste so add more or less to your liking. Mix gently to evenly distribute the flavors. Siphon into clean sanitized bottles. Cap and store in a warm location for 1-2 weeks to carbonate.

If Kegging: Use an auto siphon transfer the Hard Seltzer into a clean, sanitized keg leaving sediment behind. Add flavorings to your taste. Stir or attach lid and shake the keg. Chill. Set to 30 psi and allow to carbonate 36-48 hours. Turn psi down to serving pressure 8-10 psi.

A Note on Amoretti:

Amoretti flavoring when added at bottling will change the color of your seltzer and it will be slightly cloudy. An alternative method with these flavors is to ferment them. To do this add 4 oz. flavoring to the fermenter when approximately 1/3 of fermentation has completed, or the S.G. is 1.030-1.025. If more flavoring is desired at bottling you can add a Brewer’s Best Flavor to boost it up. The fermented Amoretti flavoring will still change the color of the seltzer; however, it will not be cloudy. If bottling, you will want to use the priming sugar method to carbonate because all of the sugar from the Amoretti will be gone from fermentation.

A note on Sweetening:

This Hard Seltzer is not sweet. It is similar to a flavored water such as LaCroix. If you would like it sweeter and are bottling you will need to use a non-fermentable sweetener such as Aspartame (two brand names: Equal and Nutrasweet) or a Sucralose (brand name: Splenda). If you use a sugar to sweeten it will ferment in the bottle and cause a potentially dangerous situation if the bottles explode from too much pressure. If using a kegging system, you can use sugar or a sugar substitute as the keg can withstand the pressure should it ferment.

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