Skeeter Pee Carbonation

I am looking for a method to carbonate Skeerter Pee. I have tried the corbonation tablets with no success. My thought is that the yeast is dead at the end of the process so that it does not react with the carb tablets???

The chances your yeast are "dead" is slim. Rather, my guess is all the stuff you add at the end (Kmeta, etc) halts any further fermentation, which is required for carbonation. This explains how you can back-sweeten with table sugar and not produce bottle bombs. Unless you're kegging, I don't believe Skeeter Pee (which I've never made) was originally intended to be served carbonated, but still, like wine. Just my .02

You could always skip the stabalization process that halts fermentation, back sweeten with an unfermentable sugar, like lactose or something, and use dextrose when you bottle to produce carbonation.

Bruce....when you put the carb tablets in, how many did you use per bottle, and had the Skeeter Pee been stabilized with k-meta and sorbate at this point? How much time has elapsed since you added the carb tablets and bottled? In case you were curious, two tabs per 12 ounces usually yields low carbonation, while 3 is "average" and using 4-5 tabs per 12 ounces is typical of a higher carbonation typically found in an American lager (for comparison)...age the capped bottles at room temperature for two weeks, out of the light. One week will often do the job of carbonation though it can take longer, just depends on the type/viability of the yeast. Aging up to two months can improve the flavor considerably.


I have some now in PET bottles, been about 4 days, so it is still early. I did not stabilize with k-meta and sorbate, but it had been dosed with k-meta in preparation of bottling and back-sweetened with a blend of stevia and sucralose. I have the bottles at room temp, on their side, out of the light and I check daily. Once the bottle is firm I will transfer to the refrigerator (and will put some in wine cellar to see how they hold up) and keep them there until consumed. Eventually I will have enough Grolsch-style bottles and/or Champagne bottles so that I may expand into glass for other sparkling wines.

I used this process to prime:
Make a simple syrup using 4 oz cane sugar for 5 US gallons. At 70F this should yield 3 volumes of CO2 (similar to the carbonation level of an American Wheat beer). Allow simple syrup to cool to room temp, divide the total volume by the number of bottles you need to prime and add in fluid ounces to each bottle. OR add entire amount of priming concoction to carboy (EASIEST AND MOST STABLE METHOD), stir to incorporate and immediately fill and cap your bottles.
For example: 4 ounces of priming concoction, 10 bottles, use 4/10 of an ounce per bottle.
4 oz = 24 tsp, 10 bottles, use 2.4 tsp priming concoction per bottle.
I highly recommend adding the priming sugar to your entire batch, stirring well and then bottling.
If you have stabilized your wine with k-meta and sorbate already and would like to make a carbonated wine, combine 1/8 ounce of wine yeast(will dose up to a 5 gallon batch) with your priming sugar...but just remember if you are looking for an off-dry wine you need to backsweeten with a non-fermentable sugar.

See also, http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11.html--has a lot of useful information on carbonating and a volumes of CO2 chart.

I had used kmeta and sortbate to stabilize, I also only used 1 tablet to carbonate per package instructions. I can see how this would not be enough after stabilization. I have a couple of 12 oz bottles left, I will add a couple more just to see if anything happens. It's funny though,I have had 4 bottle bombs from the same batch in 750 ml corked bottles? Next time I will not stabelize a portion of the batch and see what happens. Thanks.

1. What was the S.G. of your Skeeter Pee when you racked and added the k-meta/sorbate?
2. And you are sure you added 1/2 tsp/gallon of sorbate and 1/4 tsp k-meta/5 gallon?
3. How old is your sorbate?
4. Have you already backsweetened this--with what?

The 750ml bottle bombs:
1. Did these get carbonation tabs too?
2. Were these champagne bottles or everyday wine bottles?
3. Were they stored at same temperature as the "others"?

I have some on tap.. regular skeeter process...force carb at the end... or as was posted... ferment bone dry...sweeten with splenda or something of that nature.....prime with corn sugar and bottle.

saramc: in response to your questions:
The Sg at racking was 1.02
I added per recipe; 1/2 tsp sorbate, and 1/2 tsp of Kmeta per the 5 gallons.
Sorbate is 6 months old
Did not back sweaten this batch, results in a tart wine.
The 750 ml bottles did not get any carbonation
The 750's were regular wine bottles, corked.
They have been stored in the same environment as all others, basement ~ 70F
I have since installed foile seals and haven't lost another one.

Thanks for the help.