I’m using a Partial Mash Scottish ale as a base recipe and adding a pound of persimmons at either primary (about 4 days after fermentation begins), or at secondary. My target OG is 1048. I’ve been soaking the somewhat mashed persimmons in vodka for about a week. There’s about 6 oz of vodka.
I tasted the vodka which is great as it’s infused with some of the persimmon flavor. My original plan was to pour off all but a about an oz of the vodka before dumping in the beer. How much of the vodka could I get away with adding w/out ruining the beer? It’s a 5 gallon batch.
thanks.
The amount of alcohol the liquor will add is just a weighted average. Assuming it’s 80 proof, 6 fl oz * 40% = 2.4 fl oz EtOH.
2.4/(5*128 + 6) = 0.0037, or about 0.4% ABV.
[quote=“a10t2”]The amount of alcohol the liquor will add is just a weighted average. Assuming it’s 80 proof, 6 fl oz * 40% = 2.4 fl oz EtOH.
2.4/(5*128 + 2.4) = 0.0037, or about 0.4% ABV.[/quote]
^^^
Yet another reason our highschool math teacher’s wanted us to pay attention during class. 
cheers
Ya, that’s pretty awesome. Good work a10t2!
:cheers:
thanks.
Well, I came in 2 points under my anticipated OG at 1.046.
So, is there any harm just chucking in persimmons and the full 6oz of vodka?
I get that it adds .4 % alcohol, but what other ‘side effects’ if any, could the vodka have on my beer?
Thanks again!
Vodkas are supposed to be more or less flavorless. That’s also roughly the amount of alcohol that you would get from priming with sugar anyway, so if you don’t pick up a flavor difference due to bottle conditioning then I doubt you’d notice anything from this either.
I’ve done coffee beans and cocao nibs (for stouts) in vodka, same way, and added to secondary/bottling. absolutely no decernable impacts.
:cheers:
cool…guess I was most worried about it affecting the flavor.
thanks.
Just try to avoid using cheap vodka unless its for your airlock.
