Limeade (margarita wine)

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Apple_Jacker

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Here is my Margarita wine/ Limeade recipe:

6 pounds brown sugar
4 pounds white sugar
8 cups water
1/2 cup key west lime juice
Simmered this concoction for 30 minutes to dissolve the sugar

Yeast starter:
4 cups of water
2 packets Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons of the dissolved sugar mixture
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tsp. Yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp. Yeast energizer

Rest of the recipe:
5 - 16 ounce bottles of Nellie & Joes Key West Lime Juice
1 tsp. Tannin
3 tsp. Yeast nutrient
1 tsp. Yeast energizer
Water to make just over 6 gallons

Gravity: 1.080
Temp: 77 degrees F

I'll be adding the yeast starter sometime today
 
I hear about yeast starter but i dont understand the concept of how and why. Can you help?
 
theboot89 said:
I hear about yeast starter but i dont understand the concept of how and why. Can you help?

The why:

Lime juice is very acidic and has preservatives that would probably kill yeast if I just pitched the packet without making a good starter.

The what:

A starter is just as it sounds: starting to grow your yeast colony before adding it to your must (your juice and sugar mixture).
You rehydrate the yeast in the water and you add some kind of fermentable sugar for the yeast to eat and grow and multiply.
 
Thx for the formula! Have you drank this wine before, and was it really sweet?
 
I've made skeeter pee before, but this one is a first for me. The must by itself made for a great margarita by itself, so I'm hoping this will taste like one once it is finished. About 2 hours while watching the Tigers game, the airlock started bubbling away. It's going so strong that water is being pushed out if the airlock. I'll have to craft a blowoff tube before I go to bed.
 
I bought powdered tannin from a homebrew store up in Michigan last year. As far as fermentation times, I'm sticking to the recipe and directions found at skeeterpee.com
 
Wow, I would never have thought of this. I am just about to make my first mixed beery wine and apfelwein, but this will have to come next!
 
Looking fwd to trying this. I've made two batches of skeeter pee, substituting a 32 oz bottle of lime juice for the third bottle of lemon juice, and it's excellent, i.e. very light lemon-lime flavor, but could use more lime. Your recipe should give me the limey-ness I'm looking for.
 
Well, I do have an update. The yeast sure have been busy the last 4 days. It is already down to 1.038 (5.5% ABV). It has a distinct brown sugar and lime flavor and I can't even taste a hint of alcohol. It smells like a good, homemade margarita mix.


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This is after adding the nutrient, energizer, remaining lime juice, and pectic enzyme. As soon as the nutrient hit the surface, it foamed up pretty good, like a root beer, but with almost a 2 inch tall head.



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Here's how it looked when the foam settled out.



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I added a few ice cubes as it was warm and tart at first sip. It tastes like a non-alcoholic margarita. I have a feeling this one is going to be as popular as the skeeter pee I made :drunk:
 
I just did another taste test and gravity reading yesterday. It is at 1.012 and it tastes great so far. I've read on some other forums about not using 100% lime, to do 50-50 lime and lemon juice, but the key lime juice tastes great by itself.
 
As soon as I get my non-juice ingredients from NB, I'm going to make some of this. Too late for this summer, but then I'll be ahead for next summer.

Thanks for the thread!
 
Trying this on Wednesday. Hey Apple Jack, if I reduce this to a 5 gallon batch, could I get away with using one pack of yeast? Also, the yeast I have on hand is a Montrachet or champagne yeast. Would either of those work? Thanks for the recipe! :)
 
Hollie said:
Trying this on Wednesday. Hey Apple Jack, if I reduce this to a 5 gallon batch, could I get away with using one pack of yeast? Also, the yeast I have on hand is a Montrachet or champagne yeast. Would either of those work? Thanks for the recipe! :)

Im pretty sure most yeast packets are meant for 5 gallons anyway, so yes for that question. If I remember right, I used montrachet yeast with my skeeter pee and it turned out great. I don't see why champagne yeast would be a problem either. I guess it doesn't hurt to try them all and see what tastes the best.
 
Good afternoon Apple Jack. I am challenging myself with this recipe today :) w00t. Your recipe is for 6 gallons correct? If I want to make 3 gallons, I essentially just cut all of the ingredients in half except for the yeast right? :) Also, I do not have yeast energizer or nutrient. Can I get away with omitting those two ingredients? Thanks in advance.
 
Hollie said:
Good afternoon Apple Jack. I am challenging myself with this recipe today :) w00t. Your recipe is for 6 gallons correct? If I want to make 3 gallons, I essentially just cut all of the ingredients in half except for the yeast right? :) Also, I do not have yeast energizer or nutrient. Can I get away with omitting those two ingredients? Thanks in advance.
Yeah, I would say cutting the ingredients in half will work just fine. I say that, but I haven't tasted it since I checked the gravity in it, coming up in 2 weeks ago.
As for the nutrient and energizer, I would think if you made a big enough starter, or reused an existing yeast cake, you might be able to get away without the energizer. The nutrient definitely helped keep away any sulfur smells later on after it fermented about 1/3 of the way. It might be better to ask someone who made a lot of skeeter pee about skipping these 2 ingredients and what can happen, or not happen, if they aren't added.
 
I actually have nutrient. I forgot I bought it lol. I don't have energizer though. My nutriment has Urea in it but I used it anyway. Umm about my slurry. Is it just fine to use the banana slurry I have? I have around 3 cups of it. Also when I put it in the mason jar, it separated. Do I just go a head and plop that in the primary sometime tomorrow? Skeeter pee didn't really give an exact amount of this slurry to use. Hey thanks for getting back. I cannot wait to try this stuff! :)
 
Hollie said:
I actually have nutrient. I forgot I bought it lol. I don't have energizer though. My nutriment has Urea in it but I used it anyway. Umm about my slurry. Is it just fine to use the banana slurry I have? I have around 3 cups of it. Also when I put it in the mason jar, it separated. Do I just go a head and plop that in the primary sometime tomorrow? Skeeter pee didn't really give an exact amount of this slurry to use. Hey thanks for getting back. I cannot wait to try this stuff! :)

Hmm, the banana slurry could make for interesting flavors with the lime. I'd say throw the whole quantity if slurry in as a lot of it isn't living yeast. And I can't wait to try it either...mine is still in secondary. A lot of sediment dropped so I will be racking again. Just waiting on my new 6 gallon better bottle to arrive :) perhaps I'll do a gravity check and taste test while watching the yankees lose tonight!
 
Living? Oh I didn't know that. The slurry is bubbling still. Does that mean it is living? Yankees? Ahhh must be a sport you are into :)
 
Hollie said:
Living? Oh I didn't know that. The slurry is bubbling still. Does that mean it is living? Yankees? Ahhh must be a sport you are into :)

You aren't American, are you? ;-)

I'm sure there is a lot of living yeast cells in your slurry, but I was just saying that not all of that slurry is living yeast cells. A lot of it is probably some solids that dropped out of suspension from the bananas you fermented. Just so you know, whatever slurry you use will transfer some flavor to this limeade you are making. Does banana and lime flavor sound good to you? If yes, then go for it!
 
Finally did a taste test and racking. It tastes delicious! For some reason, fermentation has stopped at 1.012 (9% ABV) and has been there for almost 3 weeks now. Right now it is exactly the flavor I was looking for: like a margarita bit with no tequila flavor.


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Apple_Jacker said:
Finally did a taste test and racking. It tastes delicious! For some reason, fermentation has stopped at 1.012 (9% ABV) and has been there for almost 3 weeks now. Right now it is exactly the flavor I was looking for: like a margarita bit with no tequila flavor.

Nice color!
 
novalou said:
Nice color!

Thanks! It looks very similar in color to a glass of whiskey. I sampled this and 4 other things I have fermenting and/or aging and although everything tasted even better than at last tasting, this one in particular is what is impressing me the most.
 
Mine is in the primary violently throwing a fit. It looks aweful but smells delicious. I'm not getting any sulfur smell, and I think next time I will avoid adding nutriment. My stuff started acting up about 4 hours after adding the slurry. I'm wondering if fresh squeezed as opposed to bottled stuff makes a difference? I cannot wait to try it. It smells like a key lime forest :) I followed your recipe Apple Jack. I'm wondering, why brown sugar and not white? I used brown but am curious.
 
I like the flavor it adds. Have you ever made a homemade margarita using lime juice, orange liquer and brown sugar as your mixer? Try it and you will understand :)

The nutrient is mostly for later during fermentation when you add more to it to prevent sulfur smells and stuck fermentation.
 
I like the flavor it adds. Have you ever made a homemade margarita using lime juice, orange liquer and brown sugar as your mixer? Try it and you will understand :)
But does any brown sugar flavor make it through? Brown sugar is just white sugar coated with molasses, both of which are ferment able, you don't get an un-sweet molasses-type flavor in the end? Or are you back sweetening to balance out? If that was so wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to just ferment with regular sugar sense it's only used as food for the yesties anyway?
 
All fermentables have different flavors. Ferment some sugar water, some brown sugar water, and some honey water and you will taste the difference. I'd actually be interested in tasting an all-molasses and cider beverage.
 
dmbriske said:
But does any brown sugar flavor make it through? Brown sugar is just white sugar coated with molasses, both of which are ferment able, you don't get an un-sweet molasses-type flavor in the end? Or are you back sweetening to balance out? If that was so wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to just ferment with regular sugar sense it's only used as food for the yesties anyway?

To answer your question more directly, yes using brown sugar does have a different flavor than table sugar.
 
Good morning Apple Jack. I pulled the pee out of the primary. It looks nothing like yours though. I didn't add anything to it once I put it in the secondary because skeeter pees website confused me a bit. Not sure if to add campden and such now or later when I rack again? Anyhoodle, how does it look at this stage? Is this normal? It smells like banana and lime. :)

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Hollie said:
Good morning Apple Jack. I pulled the pee out of the primary. It looks nothing like yours though. I didn't add anything to it once I put it in the secondary because skeeter pees website confused me a bit. Not sure if to add campden and such now or later when I rack again? Anyhoodle, how does it look at this stage? Is this normal? It smells like banana and lime. :)

Did you do the step that calls out using Sparkalloid? That clears it up significantly. Also, did you use light or dark brown sugar and how much? Mine was darker but just as cloudy. Since I racked it, it still is dark, but not cloudy anymore. Maybe the banana yeast slurry you used lightened it up also. How does it taste?
 
I used light brown sugar in the amounts your recipes called for. I can taste it now? Well let me get on that. No I thought I use sparkaloid when I rack it the second time?
 
Wooo weee Apple Jack! It is sour! And banana-ee. I dig it! A little rough going down. Is it too late to add sparkaloid? As I have too order it online. Yowser that made me warm haha. That's the first time I tried a homebrew. :)
 
Yes, when you rack it a second time you add the Sparkalloid. You can taste test your stuff any time you want really. yours sounds like its going to taste good. The tartness will mellow a little the longer it goes, but if mine is any indication, it won't go away completely.
 
Woo Apple Jack. I'm on my second rack. This stuff is absolutely delicious! Since I'm on my second rack, I added my k-meta, sorbate, and sparklloid. Honestly, it cleared up nicely before adding sparklloid. I might not use it on this again since I like the amber almost clear color. This recipe is a Keeper. I'm at 9.97% ABV and am happy that it will kick my butt! So my question is, the skeeter pee site calls for this second rack to sit for two weeks, then to rack again and THEN add the sugar? Why? In other words, why can't I just add the sugar into this same Carboy in two weeks? Is there gonna be that much more sediment to even bother?


:)
 
Oh and the tartness has mellowed significantly. :) this recipe will be passed down to my children!
 
Awesome, I'm glad it is working out for you too! Adding the sugar to backsweeten is optional. If you low the taste as-is, then don't bother with it. You would rack onto the sugar to help mix it in with your wine. I forgot to add the k meta and sorbate, so ill have to add that when I have time.
 
Hollie said:
Woo Apple Jack. I'm on my second rack. This stuff is absolutely delicious! Since I'm on my second rack, I added my k-meta, sorbate, and sparklloid. Honestly, it cleared up nicely before adding sparklloid. I might not use it on this again since I like the amber almost clear color. This recipe is a Keeper. I'm at 9.97% ABV and am happy that it will kick my butt! So my question is, the skeeter pee site calls for this second rack to sit for two weeks, then to rack again and THEN add the sugar? Why? In other words, why can't I just add the sugar into this same Carboy in two weeks? Is there gonna be that much more sediment to even bother?

:)

I'd rack when needed. You want to add sugar only when the wine is clear and not dropping any more sediment. Otherwise fermentation will continue.
 
I'd rack when needed. You want to add sugar only when the wine is clear and not dropping any more sediment. Otherwise fermentation will continue.

Gotcha! There's a bit of sediment still. Thanks for the tip :)
 
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