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The specialized high alcohol yeast ferments to 20% abv or more, and is especially well suited to use in liqueurs where the lower alcohol content will match that of commercial products. The extremely low volatile production means that the true flavour from the essence flows through, bringing you more true to style flavours. Well suited to the wine and beer maker, or where distillation is not legal or licensing is difficult to obtain. Included in European Connection Liqueur Kit: Please follow all steps precisely. Although all attempts are made to ensure the simplicity in making your European Connection™ Premium Liqueur Kit, in order to obtain the best possible results it is important to follow these instructions carefully. -
Sanitize primary fermenter, spoon, airlock and bung using pink chlorinated sanitizer (as per package directions). It is highly recommended that you use an air-tight primary fermenter when making your liqueur kit. -
Pour 12L of warm water into fermenter. Stir in 8kg (35 cups) of sugar until fully dissolved. Do not exceed 8kg of sugar as this will only result in a sweet liquor, not an increased alcohol level. See note 3. -
Top fermenter to 23L with water, trying to obtain a temperature of approximately 18-20°C (66-68°F) by using colder or warmer water for filling primary. DO NOT CONTINUE UNTIL TEMPERATURE IS IN THE SPECIFIED RANGE. Once water / sugar mixture has reached a temperature of approximately 18-20°C (66-68°F) add Yeast Package (gold foil package) and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Place lid tightly on primary and half fill airlock with water (see note 1). -
Fermentation should commence within 24 hours. During fermentation, watch the temperature closely (see note 2). The fermentation of your liqueur kit is very aggressive, and will generate heat. If the temperature becomes too high, it will cause the yeast to stop fermenting early, and maximum alcohol will not be achieved. It may be necessary to find a cooler place, such as a basement floor in order to reduce the temperature during fermentation. Keep the temperature during fermentation between 18-20°C (66-68°F). -
DO NOT CONTINUE UNTIL FERMENTATION IS COMPLETE (ie. no activity through the airlock, or a static hydrometer reading). When fermentation is complete (approximately 3 weeks), rack liqueur base to a sanitized carboy. Add package #1 (stabilizers). Soak package #2 (activated charcoal) in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes and add to liquor. Stir vigorously for 1 minute. -
Stir vigorously 2 times per day for the next 2 days. -
Boil package #3 (clearing agent) for 3 minutes in 1 cup of water. Add to liquor and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Liquor should be clear within 2 days. Although optional, filtering with medium filter pads will add a final sparkle to your liqueurs. Adding Flavourings The European Connection™ Premium Liqueur Kit has been designed specifically around the Prestige brand of essences. For this reason WE ONLY GUARANTEE THE QUALITY OF THIS KIT WHEN USED WITH PRESTIGE BRAND ESSENCES. Your liqueur kit will produce enough liqueur base for approximately 30-750ml bottles of finished liqueur. It is not necessary to make all 30 bottles at once, however. As there are no organics for oxygen to combine with, no oxidation can take place. You can therefore leave any unused liqueur base in your sealed carboy or other container until you are ready to use it. -
If using a blender, pour approximately 400ml of liqueur base into your blender (if using a mixer, pour your liqueur base into a tall bowl for mixing), and add appropriate amount of granulated white sugar (as per the instruction on the side of the essence bottle). It is best to add 20-25% less than the suggested amount of sugar, and adjust to taste. -
Blend for 2 minutes at high speed. -
Pour liqueur / sugar mixture into 750ml bottle, and add contents of essence bottle. For cream liqueurs, add 200ml of whipping cream to the bottle. DO NOT PUT CREAM IN BLENDER. Top up bottle with liqueur base. Shake bottle to mix. -
Relax and enjoy! Please note that some flavours, such as Ouzo or Mandarin Vodka, will turn milky to varying degrees when added to the liqueur base. This is due to the natural oils in the essence that are not soluble in water, and will cause no flavour or aroma change. Note 1: There are two types of Primary Fermenters available. One type uses a lid which is set loosely on top, but does not seal tightly, resulting in exposure to the air and contaminants. The preferred style of Primary Fermenter uses a lid with a rubber gasket, which when pushed on creates an airtight seal. These lids are then drilled to accept a rubber bung and airlock. This offers protection and longer storage times before transferring is required. Note 2: To ensure proper temperature reading easily, a stick on thermometer should be used on your primary fermenter. This will allow you to take temperature readings without removing the lid from your primary, which would potentially increase the risk of contamination. Note 3: It is best to weigh or measure your sugar to ensure that only 8kg is added. When purchasing sugar, most bags will exceed the net weight stated, and will therefore exceed the maximum 8kg that the yeast is able to ferment. This will result in some sugar being left unfermented.
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