BeerBorg

A question for those of you who have dabbled in making a hard lemonade: how long did it take to complete fermentation? I started a batch on 04 December 2013. I did a great deal of research before brewing, and educated myself as much as possible on the perils and particular challenges involved in brewing in such an acidic environment. It has now been 34 days and the yeasties are still going strong. I am not complaining, nor am I in a hurry. I am just curious what others have experienced in the way of lengthy fermentation periods. I intend to let it ferment to completion.

My recipe:
6 (12 ounce) cans of Frozen Concentrated Lemonade
402 grams white granulated sugar
227 grams lactose
1 lemon: zest and juice
5 grams "yeast nutrient" (a packet of MB fromunda yeast added to initial boil)
water to bring final volume to 2 gallons
Deduced Original Gravity: 1.075

Yeast: 5 grams Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast (dry: rehydrated and fed a bit of the lemonade mixture every half hour for three hours before being pitched)

I have ignored it until this morning when I took a tasting sample: in one word: YUMMY!

I've done several, and always have used Lalvin EC-1118 for my yeast. If the Red Star is anything like the Lalvin, it's definitely a slow process. I usually let it work for 6-8 weeks. I came to that amount by checking hydrometer readings.

In short, I wouldn't worry about leaving it as long as you're comfortable doing so. The destination will make the journey worthwhile!