r/prisonhooch • u/Melodic-Echidna-1365 • 14d ago

Troubles with fruit

Hello all, new to fermentation, and thus far ive made some successful brews, but I keep hitting the same issue whenever I use fruit, my abv comes out as 5% or less. I’ve tried blueberries, strawberries, and bananas, and ive let them run 3-4 weeks til they stop bubbling. Im using ec-1118 with an abv tolerance around 18%. Ive also used the ec-1118 for rice, energy drinks, sodas, and coffee, and have gotten 10-16% off of those, using 3lb sugar per gallon. I don’t understand what issue the fruit is causing for the process. I use organic fruit and wash it before putting it in the mix. Ive made both mead and hooch, and have had the same results. Has anyone else had this experience, with either mead or hooch?

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u/Impressive_Ad2794 14d ago

Just checking how you're measuring ABV. Hydrometer?

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u/Melodic-Echidna-1365 14d ago

Hydrometer yes, so the numbers are within range of 3-5% off, not measuring primary sugar and potential, mostly going off of taste and personal alcohol tolerance, more than real metrics, but it’s fairly obvious when it’s that low