I have tried both methods now for making seltzer. My wife cant decide on which method she likes more as far as taste. Me I prefer the vodka method as I can make a batch in about 5 minutes and force carb in about 24 hours. I have noticed that the vodka version seems to not hold carbonation as well as the fermented version. If I pull the keg out of the fridge and let it sit on the c02 for a day its nearly flat where the fermented version doesnt seem to lose any carbonation. Also the fermented version seems to foam up more while dispensing vs the vodka version.
My wife is going to be so stoked! She's been on a kick with these things! Like you I did a few batches with fermenting seltzer but now I just get vodka, its cheap easy and will not tie up a fermenter! Love the content! Cheers Gnarly!
Great channel! First attempt last year I used the nutrient and the Kviek yeast as well. All i could smell was sulphur. After adding some fruit extracts and hoping for the best, it ended up being a drain pour. Plan on trying the vodka method next for the wife. What puree did you use on the 2nd batch? Trying to make some on a budget but most extracts come in 4.4 and 11lb bags. Any flavors you would recommend over others?
Sweet video. I’m going to try this. My wife and I love drekker! Such a cool brewery. When you say 60/40 puree to water ratio are you using 60% water or 60% puree? The 11lb bag I ordered is 1.2 gal volume. So just want to make sure I’m following you correctly so I get the thickness you had in your second one! Thanks
@@HopsANDgnarly thanks for the info! Love your channel. You’ve helped me a lot while I was getting into home brew! Curious if your in the Fargo area? I’ve seen other drekker beers on your channel!
Great video man, very high quality editing too. I’m not a big seltzer guy, but I might give this a try. I’d probably lean more towards the first method since that looks like what all of my friends tend to drink on a hot day. Cheers! Keep up the videos.
Good question! I force carbonated it with CO2. Ideally I like to leave the keg at around 20psi for two or three days and then turn it down to around 10 for a couple more before trying it. But there are faster ways when you’re in a hurry.
@@HopsANDgnarly Thanks for your answer :) Is there any possibility to do it without direct CO2 ? (Even if I think your method will be faster than any other). Maybe by doing a small fermentation in can/bottle ? Or do you know another way ?
Yea definitely fermenting sugar water but I kinda wonder what ABV. You could produce a ton if you just made it like 15% and then dilute it down with purée and water.
Nice video, Dan! You mentioned a dilution calculator to obtain the proper ratios in the second method. Would you mind referencing the calculator you used? Thanks!
Neat concept and beautiful final product! But you know, nothing beats a lil jungle juice at the end of the day I guess lol. I share your sentiment on hard seltzer!
what do you mean by after 24 hours of carbonation? im interested in trying this out myself, but im not sure waht to do after adding the water/vodka/flavoring-mix to a keg. Any help would be appreciated!
Maybe adding the fruit puree to the keg after the seltzer was done fermenting might help get that desired smoothie body that was similar to the vodka batch.
@@RaymondFujii it depends on the temperature but you are right it could lead to refermentation in the vessel. Maybe adding a Camden tablet to kill the yeast and then add it to a keg with the puree could prevent any refermentation.
I've done it both ways minus the actual fruit (used extracts) and though I didn't use proper yeast nut, I used a heavy combo of yeast nutrient and DAP. I didn't mind the fermented one, but sure was a flavor that I couldn't ignore. My vodka/water combo tasted the best, was completely clean. I do however wonder if the quality of Vodka makes a difference, be cool to do a titos vs bottom-bottom shelf.
I've never had a smoothie seltzer, nor had I heard of it before this vide, but I really want to try it now. I really only have two commercial seltzers I drink, so this may change my mind on seltzers as a whole. Thinking about your second method and my first thought was tequila and mango/pineapple seltzer.
My wife is a huge seltzer fan. I have a topo chico clone (her fav) in the kegerator. Its nasty water to me but I'd consider making the smoothy style for her for sure. I wonder if you added the fruit after a cold crash if it would be more smoothyish. Thanks for bringing fierce fruit into my brewery. I have used them on a couple beers and the product is better than the canned stuff.
I think you just need to strike the right balance of purée to all other liquids to make it more smoothie like. If I did the first one over again I’d make half as much hard water but with twice the ABV so the final ABV would still be 6% but it’d be mostly purée. Stoked to hear that about Fierce Fruit! They changed the way I think about making fruit beers
What temperature did you ferment? I've seen a few people doing seltzers with the same yeast (but liquid) and nutrients and they didn't mention off-flavors. Maybe the fruits did something weird? I've seen a few people having problem with clarification, doesn't finish crystal clean for everyone. My guess is the sugar.
Pretty low for kveik at 68F and it still dropped almost completely overnight before adding the fruit. I was thinking the same though this is the combo I always see people using and usually color and clarity are the only things they mention
I'm sorry for the comment but I see stuff that I shouldn't in the background 5.05. dirty mind. 🤣. Still enjoy the sound stage! The video could last for 60 min and I still be here listening to calming music and dreaming of brewing the same thing. Keep up the super work i enjoy it a lot! 👍
I'm really surprised at the conclusion you arrived at. Made a 1 gallon batch of the second recipe w/ Titos, and it tasted nothing like a proper seltzer smoothie from Drekker or Untitled Art, mostly due to the very prominent vodka character..
@@HopsANDgnarly I did exactly that, actually. It wasn't boozy or anything, but the vodka characteristic was obvious. Had my partner and some of our friends blind it against a couple other smoothie sours and it was unanimous.
was going to say you lost a fan!! (jk) I just can't get into the seltzer craze, they taste ok to me. I'd rather have a thicc boi fruit smoothie beer than a seltzer, even though I don't consider them beers. Been busy on my side and haven't made a beer since February! hoping next month to pick it all back up and punch some beers out!
Hahaha it’s good to have an open mind but let’s be reasonable lol! I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t taste the alcohol source anyways so add some beer, add some vodka - anything works with smoothies cause it’s all about the fruit
Thick body? Its alcoholic water with a ton of fruit purée. So many breweries marketing them as “gluten-free beer” to appeal to beer lovers knowing these aren’t beers. Breweries are using sugar in place of malt due to being cheaper and still charging the same price or more to to grab more dollars out of your pocket. It’s BS. Pretty much drinking half fruit concentrate, which also affects the gravity numbers with that much purée. Which leads me to believe that the abv listed on the cans is not that if actually lab tested.
I have tried both methods now for making seltzer. My wife cant decide on which method she likes more as far as taste. Me I prefer the vodka method as I can make a batch in about 5 minutes and force carb in about 24 hours. I have noticed that the vodka version seems to not hold carbonation as well as the fermented version. If I pull the keg out of the fridge and let it sit on the c02 for a day its nearly flat where the fermented version doesnt seem to lose any carbonation. Also the fermented version seems to foam up more while dispensing vs the vodka version.
My wife is going to be so stoked! She's been on a kick with these things! Like you I did a few batches with fermenting seltzer but now I just get vodka, its cheap easy and will not tie up a fermenter! Love the content! Cheers Gnarly!
Great channel! First attempt last year I used the nutrient and the Kviek yeast as well. All i could smell was sulphur. After adding some fruit extracts and hoping for the best, it ended up being a drain pour. Plan on trying the vodka method next for the wife. What puree did you use on the 2nd batch? Trying to make some on a budget but most extracts come in 4.4 and 11lb bags. Any flavors you would recommend over others?
what PSI did you carb at for the 24 hours?
I’ve got a bottle of vodka at home that I’ve been waiting to use to make an easy seltzer. This is just the motivation I need it! Cheers!!
🙌🏼 Don’t tell anyone but it’s been awesome to have on tap! Cheers dude!
@@HopsANDgnarly Hey sometimes it’s good to mix it up a bit 🤣🤣
I have never had much luck fermenting a hard seltzer. I am going to have to try method #2.
Sweet video. I’m going to try this. My wife and I love drekker! Such a cool brewery. When you say 60/40 puree to water ratio are you using 60% water or 60% puree? The 11lb bag I ordered is 1.2 gal volume. So just want to make sure I’m following you correctly so I get the thickness you had in your second one! Thanks
Mostly purée but keep an eye on the consistency to make sure it flows out of the keg well 🍻
@@HopsANDgnarly thanks for the info! Love your channel. You’ve helped me a lot while I was getting into home brew! Curious if your in the Fargo area? I’ve seen other drekker beers on your channel!
I can't wait to try method 2. That looks awesome. Do you shake the keg every now and then to keep everything mixed up?
It seems to stay pretty well mixed but I did have to shake it a ton at the beginning
How many gallons of water vs how many puree for 5 gallon? I wanna give this a shot
Great Channel! Subbed!
Cheers 🍻
I would like a recipe for a 1gal batch of hard seltzer. I am just a beginner.
Thank You
Great video man, very high quality editing too. I’m not a big seltzer guy, but I might give this a try. I’d probably lean more towards the first method since that looks like what all of my friends tend to drink on a hot day. Cheers! Keep up the videos.
Cheers! 🍻
Thanks for the video ! But how did you carbonate the Seltzer (rookie question : I'm new to brewing) ? Thanks :)
Good question! I force carbonated it with CO2. Ideally I like to leave the keg at around 20psi for two or three days and then turn it down to around 10 for a couple more before trying it. But there are faster ways when you’re in a hurry.
@@HopsANDgnarly Thanks for your answer :) Is there any possibility to do it without direct CO2 ? (Even if I think your method will be faster than any other). Maybe by doing a small fermentation in can/bottle ? Or do you know another way ?
How do you think drekker is doing it? They are a brewery so you would think fermenting sugar water… but maybe not?
Yea definitely fermenting sugar water but I kinda wonder what ABV. You could produce a ton if you just made it like 15% and then dilute it down with purée and water.
@@HopsANDgnarly I didn’t even think of that, that’s probably true!
Nice video, Dan! You mentioned a dilution calculator to obtain the proper ratios in the second method. Would you mind referencing the calculator you used? Thanks!
Yep no problem here’s one (just scroll down to the dilution calculator) www.essentialdistilling.com/resources/alcohol-dilution-and-proofing-calculator
Thank you!
Neat concept and beautiful final product! But you know, nothing beats a lil jungle juice at the end of the day I guess lol. I share your sentiment on hard seltzer!
Yea bringing me back to the college days dumping bottles into some giant drink
what do you mean by after 24 hours of carbonation? im interested in trying this out myself, but im not sure waht to do after adding the water/vodka/flavoring-mix to a keg. Any help would be appreciated!
To carbonate you add CO2 to the keg at high pressure. 30 psi for 24hrs should get you close
Maybe adding the fruit puree to the keg after the seltzer was done fermenting might help get that desired smoothie body that was similar to the vodka batch.
i think it will just re-ferment
@@RaymondFujii it depends on the temperature but you are right it could lead to refermentation in the vessel. Maybe adding a Camden tablet to kill the yeast and then add it to a keg with the puree could prevent any refermentation.
Yep fair point and I did something similar in the smoothie sour a couple weeks ago. Just have to burp the keg before pouring 🍻
That said, there’s no getting rid of that yeasty fish food thing you get from fermenting with 100% dextrose
@@HopsANDgnarly That does not sound like a pleasant flavor in a hard seltzer. Do you think a different yeast would be a better choice?
I've done it both ways minus the actual fruit (used extracts) and though I didn't use proper yeast nut, I used a heavy combo of yeast nutrient and DAP. I didn't mind the fermented one, but sure was a flavor that I couldn't ignore. My vodka/water combo tasted the best, was completely clean. I do however wonder if the quality of Vodka makes a difference, be cool to do a titos vs bottom-bottom shelf.
I've never had a smoothie seltzer, nor had I heard of it before this vide, but I really want to try it now. I really only have two commercial seltzers I drink, so this may change my mind on seltzers as a whole. Thinking about your second method and my first thought was tequila and mango/pineapple seltzer.
Oh dude tequila would be fun with a ton of fruit like this! Keep an eye out for Smooj as well - super similar to these Drekker ones from what I hear
@@HopsANDgnarly gonna have to look for that!
I think you just cracked the code my dude. I'm definitely making a hard fruity smoothie next.
I’d be stoked to see how it turns out 🤘🏼🍻
My wife is a huge seltzer fan. I have a topo chico clone (her fav) in the kegerator. Its nasty water to me but I'd consider making the smoothy style for her for sure. I wonder if you added the fruit after a cold crash if it would be more smoothyish. Thanks for bringing fierce fruit into my brewery. I have used them on a couple beers and the product is better than the canned stuff.
I think you just need to strike the right balance of purée to all other liquids to make it more smoothie like. If I did the first one over again I’d make half as much hard water but with twice the ABV so the final ABV would still be 6% but it’d be mostly purée. Stoked to hear that about Fierce Fruit! They changed the way I think about making fruit beers
So for the cheap one, u just mix it all together then put in keg and then carbonate for 24h? Want to try that forsure
Yep and I just mixed it in the keg!
I have some leftover fruit in my freezer from a beer I didn't used all of it, that's definitely going into a seltzer
6:57 giving some real Fight Club vibes
What temperature did you ferment?
I've seen a few people doing seltzers with the same yeast (but liquid) and nutrients and they didn't mention off-flavors.
Maybe the fruits did something weird?
I've seen a few people having problem with clarification, doesn't finish crystal clean for everyone. My guess is the sugar.
Pretty low for kveik at 68F and it still dropped almost completely overnight before adding the fruit. I was thinking the same though this is the combo I always see people using and usually color and clarity are the only things they mention
I'm sorry for the comment but I see stuff that I shouldn't in the background 5.05. dirty mind. 🤣. Still enjoy the sound stage! The video could last for 60 min and I still be here listening to calming music and dreaming of brewing the same thing. Keep up the super work i enjoy it a lot! 👍
😂 is it thick and black?
Untitled Art in Wisconsin had these way before Drekker. They have a ton of variants. Both are great
I'm really surprised at the conclusion you arrived at. Made a 1 gallon batch of the second recipe w/ Titos, and it tasted nothing like a proper seltzer smoothie from Drekker or Untitled Art, mostly due to the very prominent vodka character..
I wonder if you had the same proportions. Easiest way to go about it is to use a dilution calculator and aim for 5% ABV
@@HopsANDgnarly I did exactly that, actually. It wasn't boozy or anything, but the vodka characteristic was obvious. Had my partner and some of our friends blind it against a couple other smoothie sours and it was unanimous.
was going to say you lost a fan!! (jk) I just can't get into the seltzer craze, they taste ok to me. I'd rather have a thicc boi fruit smoothie beer than a seltzer, even though I don't consider them beers. Been busy on my side and haven't made a beer since February! hoping next month to pick it all back up and punch some beers out!
Hahaha it’s good to have an open mind but let’s be reasonable lol! I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t taste the alcohol source anyways so add some beer, add some vodka - anything works with smoothies cause it’s all about the fruit
just co2 or nitro a mini keg with some fruit juice nd vodka and 'yer good to go!
Thick body? Its alcoholic water with a ton of fruit purée. So many breweries marketing them as “gluten-free beer” to appeal to beer lovers knowing these aren’t beers. Breweries are using sugar in place of malt due to being cheaper and still charging the same price or more to to grab more dollars out of your pocket. It’s BS. Pretty much drinking half fruit concentrate, which also affects the gravity numbers with that much purée. Which leads me to believe that the abv listed on the cans is not that if actually lab tested.
Amen. Tried the first one as a P.O.G. Unlike my kettle sour P.O.G. it was absolutely awful. Funkiest, fartiest beverage I've ever had. No thanks.