I recently read that alcohol is produced by yeast which consumes sugar and excretes alcohol. So theoretically if I wanted to cheap out and make my own liquor all i'd have to do is buy some sugary fruit juice and mix it with some yeast from the supermaket?
2006-10-18 08:48:42 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
Does it need to be brewer's yeast? or will regular still work
2006-10-18 09:01:14 · update #1
If you strictly want to make alcohol, you can actually simply take water, dissolve sugar into it, put yeast in (any kind will work) and let it ferment. This is called hooch or prison liq (pronounced "lick")
However, If you want to make something with flavor you will need to look into proper equipment for homebrewing and recipes that have been tested to ensure flavors. Here is a site I recommend if interested: http://www.beernut.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi
2006-10-18 09:28:45 · answer #1 · answered by burnemwill 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First you definitely need brewers yeast. Don't worry though, it's very cheap at about $1 for a packet that'll ferment up to 5 gallons. If you mix the yeast into some apple juice and sugar the result will be a very very watery alcoholic beverage with no body to it. It will be way to tart for you. What you need to do is replace the table sugar with a malt extract which you can find at a homebrew store. This will give the drink some body and make it taste MUCH better. So if you're truly interested in making a decent beer buy some malt extract, some hops (very cheap) and some yeast. These are all you need to make a good beer.
2006-10-19 02:25:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The simple answer is yes, it will work. You're essentially making a cider or a wine, depending on the sugar content. The more sugar, the more alcohol (to a point).
However, if the fruit juice contains Sodium Benzoate as a preservative, all bets are off...it kills yeast dead...no fermentation.
How well it works is dependent on a number of things. How well sanitized all the stuff is that it's fermenting in and mixed with. If you're not concerned about quality and just want something alcoholic, toss in a packet of rapid rise yeast, shake the crap out of it, and put the cap on, but DO NOT TIGHTEN (it *will* explode otherwise from all the CO2 produced).
If you want it to actually taste GOOD, then you need yeast for brewing, not for baking. There are different qualities in each which very noticeably affect how it tastes. More information on making good tasting stuff can be obtained here:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/
http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk/
2006-10-18 12:17:24 · answer #3 · answered by Trid 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is the basic recipe for home-made fruit wine. There are a few "gotchas" though.
1. You have to use brewer's yeast - not baker's yeast. You might not get that at the supermarket.
2. If you want something stronger than ~5% then you will probably need a fermentation lock. This allows the carbon dioxide to leave your fermentation vessel without letting fresh air (& bad bacteria) in. If you don't have this you will produce vinegar.
3. You should sterilize everything and make sure it is all clean otherwise you might end up with vinegar anyway.
4. Be you should control how much fruit and/or sugar you use and how long you let it ferment if you want something that tastes decent. Also, you will need to syphon off the good stuff or filter out the yeasty gunk to avoid serious stomach problems.
An easier approach might be to find some fresh, sharp apples, not supermarket ones (they are often sterilized and waxed). Cut them up finely, put them in water for a few weeks and you will get cider (hard cider to americans).
2006-10-18 09:04:35 · answer #4 · answered by hbarrass 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A little, but not a lot more than that. The yeast you should buy from a beer/wine making shop. You will need a suitable container (preferably a Demijohn), a plug and an air filter - all quite reasonable. Read on wine making and away you go. It is fascinating and takes a few weeks. You can also make beer in more or less the same fashion...............
2006-10-18 08:53:59 · answer #5 · answered by thomasrobinsonantonio 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeast and bacteria both carry out fermentation. all of us imagine of yeast first (beer, for sure!) yet many bacteria also produce ethanol as a byproduct of anaerobic respiratory (fermentation).
2016-12-04 23:29:23 · answer #6 · answered by degennaro 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no,sugary stuff from the store contains all sorts of additaves, crush you own fruit and keep it pure
2006-10-18 08:57:18 · answer #7 · answered by michael m 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but it will taste awful.
2006-10-18 14:05:32 · answer #8 · answered by kako 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that's about right.
2006-10-18 08:55:17 · answer #9 · answered by mstrywmn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋