WKD blue clone/ hard seltzer - not so easy?

[AXW123]

So my son asked me if I could make a WKD clone. This is the horrendous blue alcopop that you can purchase which costs about three quid for a 750 ml bottle. My original thought was why would I do that - but then I realised there were quite a few technical challenges to be overcome. Firstly you have to brew a clear wash / hard seltzer which is less than easy because water lacks vitamins and nutrients, Then I will have to clear it then add a syrup and probably keg before eventually decanting into PET bottles so I end up with it carbonated but don’t end up with sediment. So my question is this. Has anyone made hard seltzer - any tips on any of the stages or how best to do it. I have purchased some vile blue syrup intended for slush puppies so I have the authentic colour and flavour but the rest is out of my experience. I know that I won’t be drinking it personally but would like to try the challenge. I will document on here as I go.

 

[Covrich]

Out of morbid curosity I will be intersted to see how that goes

Used to drink a bit of that when I was in my late teens.. man its sugary and rots your insides

 

[johncrobinson]

I remember the alcopop surge in the 1990s the attraction was they did not taste like fermented beverages.
Spirit was used to provide the alcohol.

To copy the clean taste of such beverages you would need to make a sugar wash and treat the resulting liquor with activated charcoal,As per the high alcohol kits,These might provide a good starting point but omitting the included flavorings that come with the kit.
You can then flavour it with the slush puppy blue.

However the only way to get totally neutral alcohol would be to use vodka which would somewhat defeat the "homebrew" element.

 

[yrhendystu]

I've made hard soda (but not seltzer) simply by dumping it on the slurry of a bottled kit and letting it ferment out. Maybe doing this with some full fat "blue pop" would give a decent result?

 

[LeeH]

https://www.drinkstuff.com/products/product.asp?ID=28056
Any good? And some food colouring.

 

[Gerryjo]

There are a few good videos on YouTube but most recommend using distilled water as this will produce a clear brew and as mentioned it's basically a sugar wash but use US05 yeast to give it a clean neutral flavour.

 

[DocAnna]

So my son asked me if I could make a WKD clone.

Oh I'm well impressed that you are trying, and reassured I'm not the only one brewing something for their son! This sounds a very intriguing brew. Could you not persuade him of the merits of a nicely hopped IPA?

Anna

 

[Leon103]

You can buy hard seltzer kits.

 

[phildo79]

I believe the BYO website has recipes for hard seltzer. I guess you could follow one of them and just switch out the flavour for whatever the flavour of blue wkd is.

 

[johncrobinson]

Its true Doc Anna,
My late father used to brew all sorts for me, I did at the time appreciate it but now 25yrs later i realise what wonderful parents i had.

 

[AXW123]

Oh I'm well impressed that you are trying, and reassured I'm not the only one brewing something for their son! This sounds a very intriguing brew. Could you not persuade him of the merits of a nicely hopped IPA?

Anna

ha ha Doc Anna - he’s happy to drink a nice hoppy IPA he’s nearly 30! Just he still has nostalgia and occasionally goes and sits on the beach with his friends in Guernsey to drink it like they did when they were younger! They call it bitchpop!

 

[johncrobinson]

Ha ha on a good day i still think i am 18
chasing the birds is what young men do.

That said the amount of attention i used to get from the local lasses was embarrassing.

All a long long long time ago,

 

[HockleyPete]

Might be worth starting with Mangrove Jacks Hard Seltzer kit and switching their flavouring for yours. I won a giveaway on here last year and added a review - you can see the instructions in my review but at the flavour stage just add your colours/ flavours. Mangrove Jacks Hard Seltzer review

Probably cheaper ways to do it but B2B have these on offer for £18 for 19 litres Hard Seltzer 33 Pint Alcoholic Sparkling Water
It's easy to get going and I think it's a nice drink

 

[DocAnna]

Thinking about this I'd be tempted to use a mead like yeast nutrient schedule using Tronozymol (in place of Fermaid K) and DAP, with dextrose and water.
http://www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/
Anna

 

[itry]

i plan on trying this soon , my path is to ferment a plane sugar wash from distilling yeast. tick done. Next is to add a flavour/colour. next keg. then put in my conditioning freezer at around 60psi for a few weeks. bingo .

 

[lupinehorror]

i have made a lot of kilju and used flavourings/concentrates (vimto for example). unsure how that blue and particular taste could be gotten for WKD.

 

[Gerryjo]

My second eldest is coming 18 in April and I've been toying with the idea of making this and kegging it and she has finally decided she wants a pineapple one and a Hazelnut and chocolate one so have just put an order in for one of each at super strength which is recommended for alcohol beverages. Natural Pineapple Essence - uncleroys.co.uk
Check out this link from Martin Keen.

 

[ppsmith]

I recently made a hard seltzer with Omega Lutra kveik yeast and that came out literally as clear as water.

was the inspiration, last one of the 3 methods they show.

For nutrients I used a mixture of diammonium phosphate and VinClasse yeast vit, 10g of each in 19L but could possibly have upped that a bit as it finished at 1.010

 

[jof]

I make rose wine from Blackberry and Apple squash + sugar.
Was done to teach teenagers how to make their own 'wine' cheap.
Even got a 2nd 5 gallon batch on at the moment waiting for summer.
This time I added yeast nutrient & its been much healthier fermentation than last time.