What Is the Alcohol Content of Limoncello?

Not sure how to use the second calculator that allows the choice of sweetness. The first calculator gives the result for how much sugar syrup to add to the alcohol, but the second calculator gives the result of how much water to add, just water, not sugar syrup. The 1-5 sweetness scale increased or reduces the amount of water to add to the alcohol but I can’t seem to figure out how much sugar is represented by the 1-5 option. Some amount of sugar must be included in this calculation because just adding water to the alcohol would not result in limoncello. Can you explain?

I’ve made lemoncello every Christmas for family and friends for about six or seven years. I use a ratio of 600ml Everclear/600grams sugar/1.2 liters of water. I scaled up to make a lot this year, using 2 x 1.75 liters of of Everclear with a mix of 20 Meyer lemons, 32 organic lemons, and 8 of the largest limes I could find. I soaked all in diltue warm soap bath, then rinsing and drying. Between 4 – 1.5 liter Ball jars, I divided the lemons and limes and peeled and filled each jar in turn with the peels and then divided the alcohol evenly between the jars and stored them for about a week. I was especially careful this year to avoid the pith. It was helpful to keep in mind that after peeling the zest of the lemons and limes that they should still have their yellow or green cast, and if the skin was thick, the stippling shoud still be visible on the pith. That takes a good sharp peeler and patience. For the syrup, I upscaled to 7.5 liters of water and 8lbs sugar. This year, in order to control the sweetness and alcolhol content better, I filtered the contents of the lemon extract/alcohol though a strainer lined with cheese clothinto a large bowl and had the pot with simple syrup next to it. I then used one of my 1.5L Ball jars for mixing. There are gradations on the bottle side. I first added 500ml of the extract and 1000ml of the syrup. The extract is about 95% alcohol (190 proof). This ratio would produce appox 63 proof product (arrox 32% alcohol). I could then sample and adjust the strength to taste just prior to bottling, which caused me to add slightly more syrup producing something close to 60 proof. My original recipe calls for mixing the syrup and the raw extract with the peels and then straining into bottles. Besides making it impossible to adjust, I doubt that the interraction between the syrup and peel prduces any benefit. This year’s prduct eemed to confirm it since it turned out to be my best effort by far. Using some limes seems to enhance the flavor. I doubled my ratio of lemons as well this year. Adding more just seems to make the the product more rich. The original recipe only called for the zest of six lemns. If the calculator I used is the one you refer to, it seemed very far off to me. Hope that helps!

How about adding simple syrup infused with lemon juice. We wish to reduce the sweetness – we are using your formula for a sweetness level of “3”.

Greetings! I always use your calculator when making Limoncello! Did so a couple of months ago, but now when I try to get to it from your site, an ad comes up for ‘driverfixersoftware.com’. Has anyone else had this problem? Don’t know if it may just be my computer getting hacked, or if someone was able to hack yours.
Any clue would help.
Thanks…and thanks for your great site!

This is happening for me as well…if anyone has a solution please let me know!

I tried to place two orders, both of which never allowed me to select shipping because some of the bottles can’t be shipped to Oklahoma. I’ve had wine shipped from California to Oklahoma many times. I don’t know what the problem is. Hopefully I didn’t just almost $200 for nothing.

Order ID: 599b8d8a-e56c-4c15-9ad5-37bd2f0ae047
Order ID: b2787907-c98a-4e08-81bf-c5e9021c0494

Please help,

Janell Westveer

I have 750ml of 151 that had Lemon zest in it and then got stained (not filtered). It’s been sealed and in a cool dark cabinet for 6 years. Can I continue the process now and make Limoncello or is it trash?

What Brix % do you recommend?}

Just curious. Made limoncello once before that was perfect. Kept in freezer, served a little slushy. Just made another batch of limoncello, arancello, and pompelmocello (I’ve got lots of citrus trees), working since September. This batch FROZE in the freezer. Thinking I might have bought lower alcohol vodka (bought several different types)? The spouse said I should add some vodka. Would that work?

So I am making homemade limoncello and The recipe calls for 100 proof vodka. What would the percentage of alcohol volume be? 750ml bottle.

Thanks for the good help. I’m making my first two batches. One with 100 proof vodka, the other 120 proof Everclear. Your calculator is very helpful, but not sure what Brix factor I should be using? What do you recommend?