Brew this month
Guide

How to make hard seltzer at home (5 gallon recipe)

How to make hard seltzer at home: sugar base to OG 1.031, nutrients, neutral yeast, a 5–7 day ferment, clearing, carbonation to 2.8–3.0 vol and flavoring.

Updated November 2026 · 7 min read

A ball-and-stick model of a glucose molecule
Photo: Bin im Garten, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The short version
  • How to make hard seltzer: ferment plain sugar in soft water with plenty of yeast nutrient, clear it, carbonate it hard and flavor it after fermentation.
  • BYO’s 5.25 gal (20 L) recipe: RO water, 4.5 g gypsum, 1.65 kg (3.6 lb) cane sugar to OG about 1.031, FG about 1.000, roughly 5% ABV.
  • Sugar has almost no yeast nutrition, so nutrients are not optional: BYO doses at pitch and again 36–48 hours later; Omega uses its Propper Seltzer blend.
  • Carbonate to 2.8–3.0 volumes (BYO), which suits a keg better than standard bottles.
  • A sugar wash is also the starting point for illegal distilling. We never cover that, and federal law prohibits it without a permit.

How to make hard seltzer at home surprises most beer brewers: there is no grain, no hops and barely any boil. A hard seltzer is a clean, dry base of fermented sugar, carbonated high and flavored with fruit or extracts. The challenge is getting yeast to ferment cleanly in a liquid with no nutrition, then keeping the base clear and neutral.

This guide follows BYO’s hard seltzer recipe and Omega Yeast’s guide to hard seltzers, scaled for a 5 gal batch, with product labels for nutrients. We summarize their published methods and the kit listings; we did not brew these batches.

What you need for 5 gallons

BYO hard seltzer base, 5.25 gal (20 L), about 5% ABV

Ingredient or stepAmount or settingWhy
Water21 L reverse osmosis or distilledNeutral base, no chlorine flavors
Gypsum4.5 g (about 50 ppm calcium)Yeast health and a little minerality
Cane sugar1.65 kg (3.6 lb)Fermentable base
Boil20 minutesDissolve and sanitize
YeastOne 11.5 g SafAle US-05 or another neutral strainClean, fast fermentation
Nutrients2.5 g yeast extract nutrient + 2.5 g DAP at pitch, again at 36–48 hSugar has almost no nitrogen
Pitch temperature64°F (18°C)Clean flavor
Ferment5–7 days, then chill to 32°F (0°C)Dry and clear
GravityOG about 1.031, FG about 1.000About 5% ABV
Carbonation2.8–3.0 volumesSeltzer-style fizz

Source: BYO: Hard seltzer recipe

How to make hard seltzer step by step

  1. Start with neutral water

    RO or distilled water with a small gypsum addition, per BYO. Tap water with chlorine or chloramine shows through in a base this clean; see water chemistry.

  2. Dissolve the sugar and boil briefly

    BYO boils 20 minutes to a pre-boil gravity around 1.031. Omega’s commercial method dissolves dextrose hot and boils 10 minutes. Use the dilution calculator to hit your target.

  3. Add nutrient

    Add the first nutrient dose at pitch (BYO) or the full Propper Seltzer dose at flameout (Omega). Follow the label for your volume.

    Omega Propper Seltzer Nutrient, 28 g
  4. Chill and pitch a neutral yeast

    BYO cools to 64°F (18°C) and pitches US-05. Omega uses Lutra kveik warm (78–86°F) and reports finishing in about 2–4 days. Avoid distiller’s or turbo yeasts; they are sold for spirits production, which we don’t cover.

    Fermentis SafAle US-05 Dry Ale Yeast, 11.5 gOmega Yeast Lutra Kveik Dry Yeast, 11 g
  5. Second nutrient dose

    BYO repeats the nutrient 36–48 hours after pitching. Stir gently to release gas first so it does not foam over.

  6. Ferment dry

    BYO: 5–7 days to about 1.000. Confirm with two equal readings and check strength with the ABV calculator.

    SOLIGT Triple Scale Hydrometer & Glass Test Jar Kit
  7. Chill and clear

    Cold-crash near 32°F (0°C). BYO mentions optional cartridge filtration; finings such as silica sol are another route (finings guide).

    Biofine Clear, 1 L
  8. Keg and carbonate high

    Carbonate to 2.8–3.0 volumes using the keg carbonation chart.

  9. Flavor after carbonation

    BYO adds fruit extracts, a little juice and citric acid after carbonation. Juice adds fermentable sugar, so keep the keg cold and drink it fresh, or stabilize first.

    North Mountain Supply Food Grade Citric Acid, 3.5 ozCraft A Brew Citric Acid, 4 oz

How strong is a homemade seltzer, in standard drinks?

Seltzers taste light, which makes their strength easy to underestimate. One US standard drink is 0.6 fl oz (14 g) of pure alcohol (NIAAA). Here is what common can sizes hold at two strengths:

US standard drinks per serving

Ounces × ABV ÷ 0.6 fl oz alcohol per standard drink (NIAAA)

12 oz at 5%12 oz at 5%: 1116 oz at 5%16 oz at 5%: 1.31.312 oz at 8%12 oz at 8%: 1.61.616 oz at 8%16 oz at 8%: 2.12.1
Source: NIAAA: What is a standard drink?

Adding more sugar raises strength fast. Each extra 0.008 of gravity is roughly another percent of alcohol by the standard formula. Keep homemade seltzer in the same range as commercial ones and label kegs clearly.

Know what’s in the glassHomebrew is often stronger than commercial beer. One US standard drink is 14 g of alcohol: 12 oz of 5% beer or 5 oz of 12% wine. Brewing and drinking are for adults 21 and over; never drink and drive.Source: NIAAA: What is a standard drink?

Flavoring, clarity and carbonation

Seltzer flavor is all post-fermentation: natural extracts, a small amount of juice, and acid for brightness. BYO’s example uses lemon and lime extracts, single-strength orange juice and citric acid dissolved in the juice. Add a little, taste, then scale. Omega suggests adding fruit late while the yeast is still finishing if you want it fermented dry, and preservatives if you want to keep residual sweetness.

A row of swing-top bottles filled with pale golden drink
Bottled, carbonated and crystal clear is the goal.Photo: Jim Champion from Southampton, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Clarity matters because the drink is colorless. A cold crash for a few days, careful racking and a fining agent or filter give a water-clear base. High carbonation (2.8–3.0 volumes) is above what many brewers put in standard bottles, so kegging is the practical route; if you bottle, use heavier bottles and see bottling from a keg.

CO2 cylinders and pressureKeep cylinders upright and secured, and always use a CO2-rated regulator (US CO2 tanks use the CGA 320 valve fitting); never connect a cylinder straight to a keg. Store tanks cool and away from heat. CO2 displaces oxygen and collects low: ventilate, close the tank valve and leave the room if a tank leaks. Never exceed a fermenter’s or keg’s rated pressure.Source: Kegco: Everything you need to know about CO2; OSHA hazard bulletin on CO2

Sugar, water and pH: why seltzer is fussier than beer

Malt wort is full of amino acids, minerals and buffering compounds. A sugar solution has almost none of these, which creates three problems the recipe has to solve.

Filling a glass of water at a kitchen tap
Seltzer has no malt to hide the water, so start with clean, dechlorinated water.Photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Nitrogen. Yeast build cells from nitrogen. Without it they stall and produce sulfur. That is why both BYO and Omega treat nutrient additions as essential, split over the first days of fermentation.
  2. Minerals. Calcium and other minerals support yeast health and flocculation. BYO adds gypsum to RO water for about 50 ppm calcium.
  3. pH. With no buffering, pH can fall quickly once fermentation starts, which slows yeast. Seltzer kits and nutrient blends often include salts for this reason; follow the kit or blend label rather than adding acid or base by guesswork.

Sugar choice matters less: cane sugar and dextrose (corn sugar) both ferment cleanly. Dextrose is what Omega’s commercial guide uses and what most home brewers already have for priming.

Scaling and strength

To change batch size, scale sugar, gypsum and nutrient together, then check the starting gravity. To change strength, adjust the sugar and recheck; do not go far past a typical commercial seltzer strength. Higher gravity also means more yeast stress and more nutrient, and a stronger drink that still tastes light.

Equipment

Any beer fermenter works, and a kegging setup makes the high carbonation easy. A clean, neutral fermenter matters more than usual, because a seltzer base has nothing to hide old hop or fruit aromas absorbed into plastic. Many brewers keep a dedicated bucket or PET fermenter for seltzer and cider.

Seltzer, sugar washes and the law

Treat a homemade seltzer like any other homebrew: personal or family use within the household limits, and never for sale (see is homebrewing legal). The same fermented sugar water is also what illegal distillers start from. TTB states that federal law prohibits producing distilled spirits at home without a permit, even for personal use. That is why this site never covers distilling, stills or “turbo” spirit yeasts.

No home distillingFederal law prohibits making spirits at home without a permit, even for personal use; unregistered stills can be seized. We don’t cover stills, “freeze jacking” or distilling to remove alcohol.Source: TTB: penalties for illegal distilling

Common hard seltzer mistakes

  • No nutrient. Sugar alone stalls and smells of sulfur; sources agree nutrients are essential.
  • Chlorinated tap water. It shows in a neutral base; use RO or treat the water.
  • Flavoring before fermentation. Yeast strips delicate fruit aroma; flavor at the end.
  • Juice in an unstabilized bottled seltzer. Fresh sugar plus live yeast in a sealed bottle risks bottle bombs.
  • Overshooting strength. More sugar means more alcohol, not more flavor.
Avoid bottle bombsBottle only after the gravity reads the same 2–3 days in a row, measure priming sugar with a calculator, use standard bottles only to about 3 volumes, store them in a closed box at room temperature and refrigerate once carbonated.Source: BYO carbonation priming chart

Kit or from scratch?

A seltzer kit (such as Northern Brewer’s 5 gal Ruby Grapefruit or BrewDemon’s 1 gal Blackberry) gives you a tested base and flavoring; check the listing for the equipment it still needs. From scratch costs less per batch and lets you set strength and flavor. Either way, seltzer is a natural summer project because a kveik strain is happy in a warm garage; see the summer brewing hub and the kveik guide.

Gear picks for this guide: best yeast nutrients for mead, wine and beer and best homebrew keg systems.

ABV calculatorWork out ABV from OG and FG with the standard and high-gravity formulas, hydrometer temperature correction,…Keg carbonation chart and PSI calculatorKeg carbonation chart and calculator: regulator PSI by beer temperature and CO2 volumes, with an altitude…Dilution and boil-off calculatorDilute wort to a target gravity, and work out pre-boil volume from your boil-off rate, boil time and losses,…

Questions

How do you make hard seltzer at home?
Dissolve sugar in soft water to a low gravity (BYO: about 1.031), add yeast nutrient, ferment with a neutral yeast for about a week, clear it, carbonate to about 2.8–3.0 volumes and flavor it at the end.
What yeast is best for hard seltzer?
A clean, fast, neutral strain. BYO uses SafAle US-05; Omega uses its Lutra kveik warm. Avoid distiller’s and turbo yeasts.
Why does my hard seltzer smell like sulfur?
Usually yeast stress from too little nutrient. Sugar has almost no nitrogen, so dose nutrients at pitch and again a day or two later, per the label.
How long does hard seltzer take?
BYO ferments 5–7 days, then chills and carbonates; Omega reports about 2–4 days with kveik at warm temperatures. Allow a week or two for clearing and carbonation.
How strong is homemade hard seltzer?
BYO’s recipe lands around 5% ABV. A 12 oz serving at 5% is one US standard drink; a 16 oz can at 8% is about two.
Can I bottle hard seltzer?
Yes, but seltzer carbonation (2.8–3.0 vol) is near the top of what standard bottles handle. Kegging is easier; if you bottle, use heavier bottles and never add juice to an unstabilized batch.

Sources

  1. BYO: Hard seltzer recipe
  2. Omega Yeast: Guide to hard seltzers
  3. NIAAA: What is a standard drink?
  4. TTB: Penalties for illegal distilling
  5. BYO: Carbonation priming chart
  6. 27 CFR 24.75: Wine for personal or family use (Cornell LII)