Light Lager / Shandy

MrBIP

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I make a Light Lager that turns out really nice. Clean. Easy Drinker. Been said like Coors Light. (have at it, break out the canoe jokes, ask why, etc. The style has it's place and it's fun to actually be able to pull it off clean)

Anyway, it mixes really good with lemonade for a shandy, so I've been thinking about doing that. But it's only 4.2%; I don't want 2.1% Shandy with a 50/50 mix.

The Lemonade I have mixed in the fridge, always, is a powder mix stuff, sugar free. So, with that, I'm thinking boil twice as long top off with Lemonade to 5-5.5 gallons and ferment as usual. Lemonade mix might affect ferment? Deal with water/Ph .. I think I'd need to make some correct water for that much top off?
OR
Do that, ferment first, top off with lemonade mix at kegging or just before cold conditioning? (not lagering, not a freezer, so can't get cold enough, not going to call it lagering)
OR
Make 5 gallon batch at 2x ABV,go to two kegs with 1/2 Lemonade each and end with 10 gallons. Might be more than I really want. Changing it up that much isn't the same base beer; different result.
OR
Mix it as I go.. kind of a PIA, would rather just go pull the tap and pour a shandy.. and not a 2.1% Double Imperial ODoul's shandy... I like low ABV, but come on man.
OR
Make a 2.5-3 gallon batch. Well, I'm kinda set up for 5 gallons, so not sure how that would go. A lot of change in the whole system scaling down by half.
OR
??

Any experience, suggestions? I've been rattling on this for a couple of months now.
Yes, I should make real lemonade, but this stuff is fine, I drink it all the time... coffee, water, sugar free lemonade, beer.
 
I recon top it off with your lemonade mix to taste at Kegging. Yea there may be some preservatives in that lemonade mix which could be harmful to yeast in fermentation. If you like your current shandy 50/50 ATM but I'd up the alcohol content a little higher to deal with your dilution come Kegging time.

Sounds like you've really thought this one out though but that's what I'd do remember I've never done shandy BTW.
 
I got one word for ya... Vodka! :)

Just brew the beer you like (I've seen that recipe of yours - it's a good one), add the lemonade and boost by a percent or so to make it all nice and satisfying. If anything, add a little something to your recipe to boost the body slightly...maybe a little Honey Malt or something.
 
I would first say just add the powder to the keg but the issue will be how to mix it without creating oxygen, so it might be best to add it as kind of dry hop around day 5, mix it well and wait it should be fine
 
I think I would flavor it with the lemonade at packaging, maybe 1/2 - 3/4 the powder it would take to flavor your entire batch of brew, if it was just going to be lemonade. I would hydrate the lemonade with as little water as possible to make sure it's completely dissolved. Then I would pour the solution in the keg/bottling bucket, and rack the beer on top of that. Just a bit of stirring, and you're off!
 
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I think I would flavor it with the lemonade at packaging. I would hydrate the lemonade with as little water as possible to make sure it's completely dissolved. Then I would pour the solution in the keg/bottling bucket, and rack the beer on top of that. Just a bit of stirring, and you're off!

its just going to sink to the bottom in a cold keg, if bottling yes but keg no
 
What's going to sink to the bottom? Any way you look at it, it's lemonade powder and water. If your theory is based on difference in temperature, it would equalize fairly quickly, like the time it takes to stir the solution/beer mixture.
 
Like I said before if your going to stir a solution into a keg your going to add oxygen and create a taste you wont like, if your really slow and good at it you will need to keep the lid off too long and add other nasties, you could stir and degas the keg for 15 minutes and that might work
 
Ok. Make a solution as I described. Put it in the keg first. Rack on top. Chill. Connect 30 lbs gas. Shake like heck to carbonate it, which also mixes in the lemonade. If the lemonade is going to settle to the bottom, it'll settle to the bottom no matter how you do it.

Personally, I'd still add the solution to the keg first, rack the beer on top of it, and gently stir it.
 
if your going to shake the keg add the gas first then degas it then shake it to your hearts desire but remember it will be cloudy and very flavorful for the first 3 weeks then clear to a great tasting beer
 
1:
You mentioned longer boil time, that would up your ABV and reduce batch size so then add a mixed concentrate of your lemonade mix, made with boiled and cooled water to bring keg volume up to normal, purge the O2 out as normal with a keg and hit it with 30# co2 and a vigorous shake. I agree with Ben that it could have stuff in the mix that could affect the fermentation but added late should not hurt a thing. Since you like the 50/50 mixture I would hold back a little with the lemonade mix. If it is to weak you can always add more. This would be more concentrated than just mixing the 2.
2:
Add sugar to your recipe to up the ABV ( not more than 20% of fermentables) then mix lemonade concentrate and add as described above.
 

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