How to make Homemade Limoncello with EasyDens & SmartRef

The days get longer, summer is fast approaching, bringing with it the heat and the longing for the south – with its ripe, sweet fruits, sandy beaches, and sea breeze. What could be better than enjoying this feeling with a glass of chilled limoncello, whether neat or as a refreshing spritzer? This taste evokes memories of your last Italian vacation – or whets your appetite for the next one.
Limoncello is a delicious treat and surprisingly easy to make at home. All you need are a few sun-ripened lemons, high-proof alcohol, pure water, and sugar.
Here we´d like to share with you a foolproof recipe for making limoncello that can't go wrong. And to avoid any unpleasant hangover surprises the next morning, we'll also show you how to easily measure the alcohol content of your finished limoncello using the EasyDens and SmartRef combo and its accompanying Proof Meister mobile app.

From lemons to Limoncello - Recipe for making Limoncello at home

Ingredients for approximately 1.25 L of Limoncello:

•    3 ripe organic lemons
•    500 mL pure alcohol (96% ABV)
•    400 g sugar
•    750 mL water

Instructions:

1.    Prepare the lemons: Rinse the lemons with cold water and dry them. Carefully peel the zest, avoiding the white pith, which can make the Limoncello bitter.

2.    Infuse the alcohol: Place the lemon zest in a large jar and pour the alcohol over it. Seal the jar tightly. 

Here a special tip: For a shorter extraction time, to minimize the taste of the spirit and to receive a nice cloudy Limoncello, it's best to use 96 % ABV alcohol. Some prefer using grain alcohol or vodka, but these can alter the flavor, extract fewer oils, and require a longer infusion time. 
To verify that the alcohol content of your spirit meets the specifications, perform a measurement using the EasyDens density meter in conjunction with the Proof Meister app. For binary mixtures consisting solely of ethanol and water, EasyDens can be used alone to determine alcohol concentration with an accuracy of ±0.5 %v/v.

3.    Store the jar in a cool, dark place for about 1.5 to 2 weeks.

After the infusion period:

4.    Prepare the sugar syrup: Bring 750 mL of water to a boil, add the sugar, and stir until it's completely dissolved. Remove the sugar solution from heat and let it cool down.

5.    Combine and filter: Strain the lemon-infused alcohol through a fine sieve into the cooled sugar syrup. Stir well to combine. 
Your homemade Limoncello is now ready and can be filled into bottles.

But wait—you might be wondering about the alcohol content of your Limoncello. Let's explore how to measure it accurately as determining the alcohol content is crucial for the consistency of your product's taste and quality. Fluctuations in ethanol concentration can affect the flavor of your limoncello, leading to deviations from your usual standards.

Measuring alcohol content with EasyDens & SmartRef Combo

Measuring the alcohol content of Limoncello isn't possible with density measurement alone, as both sugar and alcohol affect the density, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. This is where the combination of the EasyDens (digital density meter) and SmartRef (digital refractometer) comes into play. By recording two measurement parameters, it's possible to determine the alcohol content in your liqueur with an unbeatable accuracy of 0.6 %v/v!

Here's how to measure your Limoncello's alcohol content 

1.    Sample preparation: Make sure your Limoncello is well-mixed and free of particles. If necessary, stir or filter (using a coffee filter) it before measurement.

2.    Connect devices to the Proof Meister mobile app:

• Switch on both EasyDens and SmartRef.
• Open the Proof Meister mobile app and connect both devices.

3.    Prepare the devices: Clean the devices before use and perform a zero adjustment using distilled water, if necessary.

4.    Sample preparation:

• Fill a 10 mL syringe with your Limoncello sample, ensuring there are no air bubbles in the syringe.
• First, fill the sample well of the SmartRef with the sample.
• Then, fill the glass tube of the EasyDens with the remaining sample.

5.    Temperature considerations: For fast measurements ensure that the sample's temperature is close to room temperature and doesn't differ significantly from the devices' temperature. Avoid measuring samples straight from the refrigerator.

6.    Start the measurement:

• In the app, select the "Measure ABV" option.
• Start the measurement. The alcohol by volume (ABV) value will be displayed within a few seconds.

7.    Post-measurement care:

• Save your measurement results in the batches of the app.
• Thoroughly rinse both devices with warm water, followed by deionized water, to ensure they are clean for future use.

As you can see, measuring the alcohol content of your homemade Limoncello is just as easy as preparing it. So, nothing stands in the way of your summer enjoyment. Pour a glass, sit back, and let your senses sail away to Italy. Cheers to a wonderful summer!