skeeter pee slurry question

i started my first batch of skeeter pee yesterday. the slurry im gonna use is from a pomagranite zin i just racked. the zin was pretty dry when i racked it, sg about 0.998 or so. my question is this: since the wine im using the slurry from was so dry when i racked it, is the yeast still alive? wil it work?
thnx!

Yes, it will work fine. Wine and champagne yeast are bread to ferment out dry (most strains). You may have some dead cells in there, but nothing to worry about. I am also starting my first batch of skeeter pee tomorrow. I will be pitching onto a reisling slurry.

And the dead yeasties will act as a nutrient source, yes?

brew-n-booze said:

i started my first batch of skeeter pee yesterday. the slurry im gonna use is from a pomagranite zin i just racked. the zin was pretty dry when i racked it, sg about 0.998 or so. my question is this: since the wine im using the slurry from was so dry when i racked it, is the yeast still alive? wil it work?
thnx!

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I find that using a slurry that's gone dry can work but may take a little longer to get rockin-n-rollin. An active fermenting slurry gets right to work. It's like a fresh batch of booze being delivered to a party that's already in high gear. :rockin:

Using a slurry that has gone dry is more like showing up with fresh booze the next morning when everyone has a hang-over. True party animals will eventually dip into the new supply, but it might take a day or two. You will likely need more patience with this batch.

it's been three days and no action.....sad. i was thinking about tossin some fresh yeast in there. what do you guys think? good idea or bad idea? thnx alot for the response btw.

brew-n-booze said:

it's been three days and no action.....sad. i was thinking about tossin some fresh yeast in there. what do you guys think? good idea or bad idea? thnx alot for the response btw.

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If you've got some Lalvin EC-1118 or some Red Star Primier Cuvee yeast, I'd sprinkle two packets across the top. Many people have started a batch this way when they don't have a slurry. You may not see activity for a couple of days.

Skeeter Pee seems to be pretty resilient with its high acid. A more "bland" juice like apple might spoil quickly, but I find with lemon, it can sit a couple of days before the ferment takes off and there doesn't seem to be any ill effects.

so i pitched 2 packets of ec-1118 on friday, on sat i put in a little extra energizer and nutreint. im now starting to see some action, real, real slow, but some action. maybe a bubble every ten miniutes or so. oh yeah, i forgot to mention, this is from fresh lemon juice from a bunch of lemons my buddy picked from his tree.

Sooooooo....... the truth finally rears its ugly head!

Contrary to conventional belief, fresh lemon is harder to ferment than the bottled stuff with preservatives in it. The fresh lemon must contain natural elements that inhibit fermentation. I've had lots of comments to this effect from people who've tried it. They usually get it done, but it gives them a heap of trouble.

From my FAQ page on SkeeterPee.com

"Q: Can I use frozen lemonade concentrate or fresh lemons to make Skeeter Pee?

A: People have gone this route but with varying degrees of success. Because of differences in acidity, they often run into the same problems that the old hard lemonade recipes encountered. Be careful that your frozen concentrate doesn’t contain artificial preservatives. While fresh lemons don’t contain artificial preservatives, I believe there are natural barriers in the lemon that prevent or slow fermentation. If you use fresh or frozen, be prepared to do some extra babysitting to get the finished product. "

Many of the old recipes for making hard lemonade included things like wrapping it in a blanket with a brew belt to keep it in the 80's. Whip it with a wire whisk three to four times a day. Only brewing on a full moon. etc.

Here's another example of not understanding the REASON behind the steps in this particular recipe!!
It's like the person that said the whipping wasn't necessary... well, those preservatives need to come out of suspension somehow!!
I wonder how it compares to the original recipe? Would be fun to do a side by side taste test someday!!

Keep spreading the good word Lon!!

Debbie