Making 40 Proof Budweiser - Freeze Distilling

Making 40 Proof Budweiser
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So one of the big problems I have with domestic beers is that there is very little alcohol and flavor in them. Well what if I told you there was something you could do to change all of that? Check out this video where I make a "40 Proof" Budweiser.
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#DistillingBudweiser #DistillingBeer #FreezeDistilled

[@dank268]

That was Hella dope. I'm going to give this a try with PBR.

[@HopsAndBrews]

I bet that will taste better. I think pbr is better than bud

[@music_is_life95]

@@HopsAndBrews What does Pbr use as its adjunct I can’t remember it’s been awhile since I’ve had it but I love Budweiser it’s always been my go to beer

[@DansBuddhaBodega]

Ewww

[@Ernie_Centofanti]

I’ve tried this process with home-brew fermented brown sugar water with orange peel. I wound up with a faux rum at about 24% alcohol. I’ve also done it with inexpensive box wine rosé. I have yet to try it on beer, and that will have to be my next project.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Cheers to that!

[@patrickspapens5497]

Have you tried it in the meantime?

[@maxwiz71]

If you brew a strong (10-12 abv) dry apple cider and jack it by freezing you can get up to around 30% abv. If you then mix that in equal parts with a 60% abv vodka you end up with a 45% abv spirit. Age that in a demijohn with french oak spirals and you've made a good approximation to a french apple brandy (calvados) but without distilling.

[@garyharrington3240]

Tried this with 64oz of Steel Reserve, and on the third freeze, I froze it solid with some dry ice. I ended up with a 1/2 pint of very tasty sipping Steel whiskey, that could actually hold a flame.

[@HopsAndBrews]

DAMN! ... I should try the dry ice thing

[@bobhope4949]

Jesus Christ lol that had to be nasty

[@yute-hube779]

Gotta do it with my 2.5L/7.5%/£5 bottle of Frosty Jacks cider!

[@philliplapkovitch311]

I have been freeze distilling for years I love it Try it with hard apple cider 💪💪 It's called Applejack

[@HopsAndBrews]

yeah I have done hard cider before, I thought doing it to budweiser would be funny. I wanted to do this with other things too. Like a really hoppy IPA or another really bad malt liquor

[@rusmaster200]

So what if you put the bottle upside down in the cup in the freezer to minimize melting ice while the alcohol drips out?

[@HopsAndBrews]

The Ice would block the alcohol, never allowing the alcohol to leave the bottle. Really what you are suppose to do is, drill a hole down to the center and then let it drip.

[@rusmaster200]

@@HopsAndBrews ah thanks for the advice

[@yute-hube779]

@@HopsAndBrews Genius.

[@TheInfiniteMag]

Try refrigerator for slow fall of alcohol

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@jeremy-ez6nd what would you put in it to hold the ice up?

[@sellelpoc]

About to to recreate this with my tastiest homebrew recipe to make some cold-tek brandy ur a genius

[@gabrielbennett5162]

I tried this with some homemade mead (honey wine) once. Don't know what the final ABV was, but it was very sweet and VERY strong.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Yea I think most typical freezers really can only give you around the 20% mark

[@gabrielbennett5162]

@@HopsAndBrews I used a deep freeze, but yeah, I doubt it was above 20%. Still stronger than what I started with, though, which was, I would guess, around 12-14%.

[@Robert-mm3jo]

I don't know how high my homemade banana/blueberry/cherry wine was after freeze distilling 4 time's, but it was definitely higher than 20%, that stuff kicked my ass, couldn't stay awake afterwards 😂, and had a slight hangover the next day...

[@lindafoxwood78]

Wonderful experiment. I stopped drinking Bud or any store bought beer when I got into home made beer back on June 4th 2011. Good tasting beer is so easy and cost less to make than store beer. My frozen beer taste really good too. I just subscribed to your channel!

[@HopsAndBrews]

Hey thanks man, I'm hoping g to do more fun content like this starting next yr

[@duanmcinnes]

I freeze distilled mead. Took 3 freezes. Wasnt too concerned about extra water because you get it out in next freeze. Recommend doing this with home brew, BUT, minus any hops! Cheers

[@HopsAndBrews]

Yeah I'm thinking about doing this with a few other beers. Think it will be a fun video

[@hiphopguy0]

Don't do this with homebrew because You have no control over the methanol biproduct. Store bought booze has at least some of that removed.

[@duanmcinnes]

@@hiphopguy0 thanks for heads up. These are the little details we need

[@TotallyNotLoki]

@@hiphopguy0as long as you drink in moderation you’ll be fine. Also isn’t ethanol the cure for methanol poisoning?

[@peterpensi9478]

Nice video! Enjoyed watching it!

[@HopsAndBrews]

Thank you

[@Vikingwerk]

I did this with a 6 pack of tallboys of Smith and Forge hard apple cider. In the end it fit in a hip flask. It was really strong and really sweet.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Apple wine is delicious

[@TotallyNotLoki]

@@HopsAndBrewsthat’s more than apple wine. That’s applejack

[@juansolo1617]

My friends and I do this with ciders and wine. What we do is mix the distillate with the un-distilled wine about 1 to 0.5 parts. Then it's not so crazy overpowering. Kind of like a homemade wine boilermaker.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Yeah I've done it before with Cider. I thought it would be funny to do it to Budweiser though 😆

[@packrat2k7]

You had me at 40 proof... 😜 Seriously, are you ok? You looked like you've been hitting that concentrate a bit too hard...

[@HopsAndBrews]

I will state i was really tired before the review. But wow I woke up feeling like I had 2 Imperial beers just from what I drank of it that night.

[@packrat2k7]

@@HopsAndBrews that's a relief.

[@elfillari]

Great educational video for the future, in where the unnecessary transportation of water is not suitable!

[@scoyounger]

Been needing to do something with my gallons of old homebrew. Think I've still got half a corny keg with 20% barleywine. Also have a bunch of mead.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Try it.

[@DansBuddhaBodega]

Im a mead, wine, and brandy guy. Ive always wanted to try jacking up store bought products, but ive always been told the preservatives will mess it up.

[@HopsAndBrews]

maybe in the long run but if you drink it relatively fast you should be fine (weeks I mean)

[@bigbigspoon]

Gotta do a dark tasty beer. Also, Budlite Orange and add carbonation back. Then bottle. Then send to BMB.

[@HopsAndBrews]

I thought about doing a BLO, I was thinking of also doing a barrel aged BLO.

[@kurtapple3094]

This could be entertaining as a recurring segment with different beers. Love your chill content, perfect to have in the background while I am working

[@HopsAndBrews]

Was thinking of doing this with a stout

[@kurtapple3094]

@@HopsAndBrews imagine guiness or Rasputin....

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@kurtapple3094 oh man imagine how strong a Rasputin would be.

[@theghostofsw6276]

Aaaah....that sweet..sweet taste of methanol, acetates and aldehydes...everything distillers seek to cut out of their product. This is a good way to "discover" just how dirty a fermentation can be.

[@soda366]

This isn't hard to prevent if you use pectin blockers during fermentation

[@patrickspapens5497]

I'm making a honeywine with mango and pineapple. Got 5 gallons. Will be usinf half a gallon to freeze distill it. Also making a fortified apple wine, sweetened with maple syrup, will try and distill that aswell.

[@HopsAndBrews]

that sounds delicious

[@patrickspapens5497]

@@HopsAndBrews they're still in primary fermentation so i'll have to wait a bit before i can taste it 😅

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@patrickspapens5497 what abv are you hoping for?

[@patrickspapens5497]

@@HopsAndBrews both had a starting gravity of 1.100 so that will be around 14% if all fermented well

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@patrickspapens5497 that will take a bit of time. what yeast did you use?

[@JoeRafferty0]

Yeast Character... In bud. So it isn't just industrial alcohol mixed with water and yellow dye number 5?!? Three thoughts, I wonder what it would be like to barrell age that. if it's amplifies flavours it would be interesting to see the effect on a mid range IPA like lagunitas. And could bud 2020 be a cocktail mix ;) fantastic video as always Jon!!

[@HopsAndBrews]

I do have a barrel age video I want to do this would be interesting to try it with

[@steveday4797]

Probably the only way to make a Bud taste good

[@HopsAndBrews]

True

[@DansBuddhaBodega]

You drinking beer extract there buddy. Mix it with moonshine or bourbon. Try making applejack. Tastes better ,Way more fun, and productive. Here in Chicagoland, i usually make 25-40 gallons of applejack every winter. Sometimes ill double distill it for a proper brandy. But applejack, in my opinion, is a far more flavorful spirit.

[@skraegorn7317]

ngl I wanna try this with some store bought wine to see if I could make brandy. It might take a few more passes in the freezer to get all the alcohol out since wine tends to have more alcohol, but I'd probably either drink the end product straight if it's palatable or add it back to some fresh wine with some herbs and aromatics to make something like vermouth.

[@HopsAndBrews]

You could do it, it would taste more like a really high port wine. You will also need a very very cold freezer to get above 20%.

[@skraegorn7317]

@@HopsAndBrews That's true, wine also has a lot of sugar which would make it even harder to fully freeze. Also note that freeze concentration of wine and cider is not legal in the US, and you are only allowed to concentrate a certain amount of alcohol before it becomes illegal.

[@patrickcarter4016]

Approximately how long did the entire freeze and drain process take? Trying to prepare for Christmas Eve...

[@HopsAndBrews]

3 days but I did 4 just to make sure. 24hr freeze each time works great

[@patrickcarter4016]

@@HopsAndBrews Whoops, looks like I need to get started tomorrow. Thank you!

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@patrickcarter4016 and it really depends on the starting abv. A standard freezer will only freeze to 20%. So if ur starting at 10% u only need half the time

[@giovannip.1433]

Carbonation may help - Soda Stream? Problem with many 'value' strong beers is that the taste is too strong and the drink becomes a chore not a pleasant experience or a match with any food.

[@HopsAndBrews]

I did recarbonate it. Head on a high abv beers will dissipate extremely fast. You can see in the zoomed in parts that it is carbonated. Well i mean it is Budweiser so its already "value" beer 😄

[@giovannip.1433]

@@HopsAndBrews In New Zealand it is priced as a 'premium' beer LMAO! Premium brands are typically between $22 to $30/ dozen. Boutique or craft is usually $40 and above. NZ currency anyway.

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@giovannip.1433 hahaha oh yea the beer I used here was about $6

[@comptegoogle511]

The proper physic term is not cold distillation but ice precipitation. By doing so you remove the CO2 out of the beer.

[@HopsAndBrews]

I reinjected the co2 after the process. But you don't really taste it bc of the high abv and thickness of the beer now.

[@RedwoodCity357]

What about the " Lost Heidelberg Recipe"!??? From Tacoma, Washington; until the bricks of the building fell in, in 1999.

[@HopsAndBrews]

What recipe, the one 7 Seas bought?

[@carlwebb1199]

Question. And this might be a stupid one but is the distilled brew still carbonated at all?

[@HopsAndBrews]

@@carlwebb1199 no, you would need to recabonate it

[@fredrickneakok8260]

Add a shot to the beer

[@RedwoodCity357]

Do they really Charge It, w/ a wound copper distill tube ???

[@HopsAndBrews]

? What ?

[@true-sense-maker]

What if we put it in a mug with a stick and then freeze it .just like making icecream . Then the alcohol will be in the bottom . Then pull the stick . It may pull only water ice with it and the liquid alcohol will be left in the bottom.

[@HopsAndBrews]

That would only work for higher proof beverages. there is so little here that the water traps the alcohol making you think it's 100% frozen. And for that I would need a much more powerful freezer. they do have a machine that turns any liquor into Ice cream...I want to buy one but it's 4500

[@MrCalldean]

Badwiser - was that deliberate?

[@HopsAndBrews]

Yes

[@OmiOnna]

Good Ol’ Mad Dog 😂

[@HopsAndBrews]

you need to see my Mad Dog video ;)

[@hogginger2982]

I wonder if he would share the number for his barber?

[@HopsAndBrews]

what's a barber 😆

[@ClaudeDiamond]

Great Vid, Thank you. Bud should learn from this and make Bud Intensity Brew:-)

[@HopsAndBrews]

I mean they did make BUD ICE before. coming in at 7%. Their Bud Light Platinum Seltzers are 8% (dont know hows thats "light")

[@mdj.6179]

I always poke it once with a stick so it pours better. ↖️

[@HopsAndBrews]

Yea thats always a good idea

[@hahaha8566]

Ima do this with a 10% IPA

[@HopsAndBrews]

You will need a really cold freezer.

[@dancarr8494]

immediately the start if the video this guy seems buzzed already lol

[@RedwoodCity357]

Was that a good reminder, or What....of Halogen Blue headlights as being the Hydrogen 3 Ion production of Synthetic Oil, and Vapes ??!!?

[@HopsAndBrews]

what?

[@GreySquirrelly1016]

Axehead,11% big can, I think 25oz, it is disgustingly sweet lol when you described the smell I almost gaged thinking of that. Used to buy that axehead when I was broke and hurtn for a drink lol. when alcohol content is what you look for, cuz your broke and want more bang for your buck and don’t care how it tastes because ‘it’s better than nothing’, than you have a problem lol

[@LoganStargazer]

or Earthquake at 10% $3.19 for 4 16-ounce cans.

[@MikeyGSify]

Wonder u barely aged it after how it would come out

[@HopsAndBrews]

I still have some, taste pretty much the same. A lot of banana/Belgium esters (is what I get) really surprised actually

[@timothycarlson3663]

You should sanitize the 2 liter bottle and any utensils before trying this.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Sure, but you should be fine with just some extreme hot water bc you are placing the liquid in a freezer. nothing should grow or effect the taste. By the time the liquid is done melting its still below any temp for contamination

[@timothycarlson3663]

Try back sweetening it with a juice

[@HopsAndBrews]

Ita already super sweet, would probably just add water to it....but then it would just be Budweiser again😅🤣😂

[@PhillySportsFan4for4]

So just going by your reactions it didn't taste good it had a weird thickness to it and it smelled not to pleasant soooo then why in the hell would you want to do this to a beer lol I'm confused

[@HopsAndBrews]

because....why not 😆

[@MaestroPdx]

Um only thing is there is a reason to not distil something with hops in it lol.

[@Daniel-ou4fb]

Could this be a loophole to laws against home distilling? Where I live, you can brew at home, but owning any equipment capable of distilling is a felony, even if used to make distilled water.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Yes it's a loop hole. I live in Oregon and you cannot distill here without a license. However freeze distilling is classified under the homebrewing process so it's legal to do at home.

[@theghostofsw6276]

Unfortunately you're drinking all of the toxic "dirt" that proper heat distillation lets you "cut out". I have a stainless steel reflux column, myself....for legally purifying water of course 😉.

[@royal9848]

Bud, the beer of chicks with "something extra". "Hey there big boy"

[@colonelangus7535]

Just in case the budweiser headache isn't potent enough, now you can concentrate the methanol. If you're going to make jack, at least heat the stuff to about 140 in an open vessel to drive off some headache juice.

[@HopsAndBrews]

no headache ever happened

[@robertkirk6250]

King cobra

[@HopsAndBrews]

Oh man that stuff is nasty! I should drink some of that ;)

[@LoganStargazer]

How to drink a whole lot of beer in just a few swallows.

[@HopsAndBrews]

Your not wrong

[@mattcy6591]

Should have carbonated it

[@AMVPOKEMASTER-]

A true alchoholic

[@Doctor_Al]

Nothing wrong with this project, just remember you've increased the alcohol by volume and the hangover by volume. Ask anyone who has overindulged in freeze distilled applejack. Same process.

[@HopsAndBrews]

yes same exact thing

[@elmestguzman3038]

maybe stop at 2nd or 3rd distilling

[@HopsAndBrews]

I mean you can but if there is still alcohol in there I wanted to get as much out as possible

[@BenKaminski]

Drinking bud out of a Teku is just straight up disrespectful.

[@HopsAndBrews]

I soaked them in disinfectant for hours after

[@Buford2735]

You lose a lot of beer when you can just drink whiskey or bourbon

[@HopsAndBrews]

True, but there isn't ANY beer in Whiskey or Bourbon, And actually I didn't lose beer, I lost the Water in beer.

[@jsEMCsquared]

this is a comedy right? you tightened the cap to make sure "it wouldn't explode" ? HA HA!

[@HopsAndBrews]

Comedy.....right 😁

[@robertcawthorn8318]

Dont bother it tastes rank

[@HopsAndBrews]

Did you also do this?

[@fingal113]

bet it smells like a state fair garbage can

[@HopsAndBrews]

Hahahaha actually smelled pretty good. Like a good Belgium beer. But I'm sure if it was old and on a hot day, sitting in a plastic bag for 10hrs ...yea probably smell bad 😆

[@shaftomite007]

If you're actually doing this... you MIGHT be an alcoholic

[@garyharrington3240]

I actually do this to 1/2 of each batch of home brewed beer to have four 16oz at regular strength and four 8oz bottles at double strength, then recarbonate the double strength with champagne yeast. I enjoy one bottle of my choice on a Saturday night. Not an alcoholic, but a hobbyists.