Skeeter Pee

TheCollector said:

Funny you mentioned this. I just did it a few weeks ago. I took 2 already finished bottles of skeeter pee and opened them, then poured them into a 1 litre bottle and froze it completely. Then I turned it upside down and let drip into a mason jar. Turned out sour but really awesome!

Click to expand...

That is awesome! How strong do you think it turned sonics like I'm gonna ha e to give this a try for sure, seem like it would be a great mixer for.some drinks

I think it turned out around%17-18 but that is honestly just a guess. I removed probably %50-60 of the water from it and the finished pee prior to distillation was about%8.4 abv so that's where my educated guess comes from. Like I said, it IS sour but really yummy.

How important is it with the skeeter pee to have very little head space. Made the 5 gallon batch but added a little more do to the starter and such but in the 6 1/2 gallon carboy its probably only 51/2 GALLONS is that to much View attachment 1425512527095.jpg

Should not be a problem at all .Pee is as forgiving as it gets.

I'm making a blueberry pee this weekend that I will age on Jack Daniel bourbon barrel chips when it go's to secondary.

Hey guys, just wondering whats the longest time your skeeter pee has gone while using the slurry method before showing fermentation signs? It's been three days and I'm still sitting at 1.070.

I didn't like the format that the recipee (see what I did there?) was in on the website. So I put it in a more traditional recipeee format:

Day 1 (D0)
1. Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice.
2. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes.
3. Allow to cool slightly and pour it into your primary along with 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 1/2 gallons.
4. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.
5. Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry.
6. If your SG is a little low, you can add granular sugar to bring it to the target level. Make sure you stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar
7. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives.
8. Cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.

Day 2 (D0+1 or +2)
1. Give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine.

Every few days until "Day 3" below
1. Occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whisk.

It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (70-78 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.

Day 3 (when sg=1.050)
1. Add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice
2. Vigorously mix it in. Don’t be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time.

After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.

Allow the Pee to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop (SG between 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add 1/2 tsp Kmeta, 2 1/2 tsp sorbate, and Sparkolliod (follow directions on the package). After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.

Questions
I'm going to start with D0 tomorrow. If I read this correctly, I will not be putting in any yeast on Day 0, but I will be putting in yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. Correct? And then I need to wait "a day or two", and then I need to put in yeast slurry. I don't have any yeast slurry, but I do have a packet of EC-1118. How can I use that?

When I am doing the periodic whisking to add oxygen, I am supposed to be checking if active fermentation is happening. How will I know when that is happening?

The instructions say three time to "rack into a clean carboy". I only have one carboy. How do I do that?

Finally, it says to add water to take it to 5.5 gallons. I think my carboy is only 5 gallons (it's just a regular carboy, so maybe it's bigger???). Should I maybe just make 5 gallons then?

SkipMorrow said:

I didn't like the format that the recipee (see what I did there?) was in on the website. So I put it in a more traditional recipeee format:

Day 1 (D0)
1. Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice.
2. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes.
3. Allow to cool slightly and pour it into your primary along with 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 1/2 gallons.
4. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.
5. Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry.
6. If your SG is a little low, you can add granular sugar to bring it to the target level. Make sure you stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar
7. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives.
8. Cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.

Day 2 (D0+1 or +2)
1. Give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine.

Every few days until "Day 3" below
1. Occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whisk.

It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (70-78 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.

Day 3 (when sg=1.050)
1. Add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice
2. Vigorously mix it in. Don’t be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time.

After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.

Allow the Pee to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop (SG between 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add 1/2 tsp Kmeta, 2 1/2 tsp sorbate, and Sparkolliod (follow directions on the package). After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.

Questions
I'm going to start with D0 tomorrow. If I read this correctly, I will not be putting in any yeast on Day 0, but I will be putting in yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. Correct? And then I need to wait "a day or two", and then I need to put in yeast slurry. I don't have any yeast slurry, but I do have a packet of EC-1118. How can I use that?

When I am doing the periodic whisking to add oxygen, I am supposed to be checking if active fermentation is happening. How will I know when that is happening?

The instructions say three time to "rack into a clean carboy". I only have one carboy. How do I do that?

Finally, it says to add water to take it to 5.5 gallons. I think my carboy is only 5 gallons (it's just a regular carboy, so maybe it's bigger???). Should I maybe just make 5 gallons then?

Click to expand...

Dont make something simple into complication. Follow this easy video for instructions using EC-1118 Skeeter Pee - How to make Lemon Wine: http://youtu.be/PiqOQ8EBIeU

Quick question......I let my pee run dry till about .998 or so then put in the kmeta and sorbate, along with the sparaloid. Let it set while I went on vacation come back 10 days later and its crystal clear with a purple hue to it. And very strong alcohol taste. So the wife likes sweeter wine and the 1.02 was still to dry for her, so back sweetened it with simple syrup that I made to about 1.032 or so pretty sweet I know. Mixes it up...and I have to say...DAMN.....that's good stuff. But as I put the airlock back on I heard a few times throughtout the night the air lock bubbled. My question is I guess if fermentation started again do I let it go and test in a few weeks or should I add more kmeta and sorbate and then test gravity in a few weeks

Okay guy's I need input !!!! Just got my 2 lbs of lemon drop hops I ordered and was thinking about dry hopping a batch of skeeter pee I have going in the secondary now.... Anybody ever try to hop skeeter pee before and how much hop for 6 gal?

I'm at the point in my batch where I need to add the yeast slurry. Yesterday I made the slurry with the EC-1118 like this video http://youtu.be/PiqOQ8EBIeU. My question is, after I pour the slurry into the Skeeter Pee, do I need to stir it or anything?

Colesrt8 said:

Quick question......I let my pee run dry till about .998 or so then put in the kmeta and sorbate, along with the sparaloid. Let it set while I went on vacation come back 10 days later and its crystal clear with a purple hue to it. And very strong alcohol taste. So the wife likes sweeter wine and the 1.02 was still to dry for her, so back sweetened it with simple syrup that I made to about 1.032 or so pretty sweet I know. Mixes it up...and I have to say...DAMN.....that's good stuff. But as I put the airlock back on I heard a few times throughtout the night the air lock bubbled. My question is I guess if fermentation started again do I let it go and test in a few weeks or should I add more kmeta and sorbate and then test gravity in a few weeks

Click to expand...

It could just be off-gassing. Take an accurate hydrometer reading and watch for movement over the next day or so. Rapid airlock activity would obviously be cause for concern. From what I understand, sorbate does have a shelf life of about a year. Any change your sorbate was outdated?

Captive said:

It could just be off-gassing. Take an accurate hydrometer reading and watch for movement over the next day or so. Rapid airlock activity would obviously be cause for concern. From what I understand, sorbate does have a shelf life of about a year. Any change your sorbate was outdated?

Click to expand...

I don't think so, since this is my first brew and just bought everything right before. Also I might have been from the movement or the rain outside I was hearing, cause it has not bubble in the air lock in a few days so I think I should be good.to go! Just a newb at this is all.

thinking of trying a batch of this with Wyeast 3711, feel like the funky saison taste will mesh well with the lemony acidity.

What about kegging and carbing? What's a good carb level?

I too have been debating kegging and carbing it up. Anyone try it both ways? I may use my carbonator cap and test it out.

jamursch said:

I too have been debating kegging and carbing it up. Anyone try it both ways? I may use my carbonator cap and test it out.

Click to expand...

If you look back to page 238 I made a post about carbing up 1 gallon of a batch by bottle priming/back sweetening with a cup of sugar then stove top pasteurization. It was almost like lightly lemony champagne.

gotbags-10 said:

What about kegging and carbing? What's a good carb level?

Click to expand...

I ran out of bottles last summer and kegged 1 batch of it..
I put about 10lbs on it to serve it and let the co2 sit on it. after about 3 weeks, it had become very well carbonated.
Myself, I prefer it still but it was a hit with my wife and her friends....
I have an unwritten order to keep some on tap all summer this year

Made my first batch along with some DB. Used D47 slurry from a batch of mead for the the SP and 1116 from a batch of agave wine for the DB. Both happily fermenting 6 hours after pitching the slurry.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1427226961.712497.jpg

I'm on the last step of making my skeeter pee. I added the sparkloid yesterday and it is a lot clearer already, but I see a bunch of yellow crud on the bottom. Do I need to stir it up occasionally, or do I just let it sit for a week and it will all disappear on its own? Or do I just try to be careful and let that stuff stay in the carboy when I transfer it to add the sugar?

That yellow crud is the reason you added the sparkloid. Your wine is looking clearer because all of the stuff floating around in there making it cloudy has fallen to the bottom

Leave it behind at racking and you'll have crystal clear wine

I recently started drinking my first batch of this. Its phenomenally good! I used some DME and brown sugar (along with white), pitched onto the cake from 5 gallons of Bartlett pear cider. Its been backsweetened with splenda and bottle carbed with just over an oz of corn sugar per gallon and is nice and fizzy.

I think I may have found my first "House" fermented bevvie...

gotbags-10 said:

What about kegging and carbing? What's a good carb level?

Click to expand...

I don't know what my level was, it was about 5 psi or so, just enough to push it out. Slowly got more sparkling as it sat on tap. I liked it bubbly, but it didnt last long enough to get really carbed up

I didn't backsweeten mine at all, we liked the dry sauvignon blanc-ish type flavor of the dry pee - and I have a batch of simple syrup I've been adding a shot or so to my glass when I want it sweet.

My next batch is about ready

This is going to be my go-to house beverage this summer I believe

Just moved my first batch into the keg. Carbonating and on its way.

Just backsweetened a batch of Aronia Berry Pee. 3.5lbs of frozen thawed berries in Primary, made 1 gall starter w 2 cups sugar, 64oz RW Knudsens Just Aronia Berry Juice, water, and EC 1118. Backsweetened with 64oz Just Aronia Berry juice and 2 cups of sugar.

This latest batch again demonstrated how FORGIVING this recipe is:
Dumped in 3 .5 lbs of frozen thawed Aronia berries in primary, only 2 lbs fit in the strainer bag, so half floated loose on top. Forgot about this batch after pitching yeast, so it sat for 2+ wks and got down to 1.002 before I remembered to add third bottle of Lemon juice and second batch of nutrients. Still got down to .993, cleared up, tastes great after backsweetening.

Aronia Berries are interesting, like tart blueberries w that cranberry tart aftertaste. Some places on the internet said they dont taste good by themselves and need to be mixed with other fruit. I would have to disagree, but can see how their flavor would lend itself well to being mixed with cranberries, pomegranates or other berries. The Knudsens juice is really good. Berries gave the wine a beautiful Deep Red color, like cranberry wine.

I tasted my first batch of skeeter pee. I pretty much followed the recipee exactly. I was surprised that it didn't taste more lemony. It tastes good and I like it, but I still would like it have more lemon flavor. Can I add some lemon kool-aid or something to make it taste more like lemonade?

Surprised it wasn't lemony enough. Mine usually comes out tasting like good lemonade that will sneak up and hit you in the back of the head with a hammer.You might be able to buy lemon flavoring at your lhbs or you could probably use lemon extract.Enjoy it.

SkipMorrow said:

I tasted my first batch of skeeter pee. I pretty much followed the recipee exactly. I was surprised that it didn't taste more lemony. It tastes good and I like it, but I still would like it have more lemon flavor. Can I add some lemon kool-aid or something to make it taste more like lemonade?

Click to expand...

When you serve it, try adding a little more sugar. The backsweetening brings out the lemon.

I have given up on this clearing. Added Sparkaloid and 21 days later no change, then added gelatine and 10 days still looks like lemonade. Put it in the keg at 30 psi for a day and then let it fall to 18 for a few more days and we should be done.

Not a big thing that it has a "natural" look. It may clear in the keg. Either way I just want to get to the drinking part.

Tom

I have my first batch going now. Planning on bottling a case as is, and then making a tea out of lavender and adding it to the second half for my girlfriend. Haven't seen anybody make an attempt at it, so I'll post results in a few weeks

Oh that sounds great. I always thought a cardamom tea infused SP would be amazing. Just have yet had the chance to try it in the recent past.

I make beer but this is a wine I will make very soon to enjoy over the summer

We have been making Skeeter margaritas all day. Just a handful of ice cubes, an egg white, and piss from the keg, all in the vitamix. Super frothy summer yum yum.
Anyone else doing this? Any variations I should try?
Girlfriend is sideways......great summer drink.

Arpolis said:

Oh that sounds great. I always thought a cardamom tea infused SP would be amazing. Just have yet had the chance to try it in the recent past.

Click to expand...

This weekend I mixed my skeeter pee with sweet tea vodka.
Epic fail.
Did not mix well together!

Sweet tea vodka? Hmmm never used that before. But instead of the powdered tannin in the original SP recipe I have used 1 tbs of black loose leave tea and have also used earl grey. That has always came out great for me. I just have not tried cardamom.

For those of you that have used other fruits and/or juice concentrates in addition to the lemon juice, does it work best adding it to the primary or the secondary? Or should it be held all they way to the end, when you backsweeten? I'd like to try a strawberry pee but not sure when to add the strawberry. Think I'll try the daquiri mixer route, the first time out, rather than actual fruit.

Paschendale said:

For those of you that have used other fruits and/or juice concentrates in addition to the lemon juice, does it work best adding it to the primary or the secondary? Or should it be held all they way to the end, when you backsweeten? I'd like to try a strawberry pee but not sure when to add the strawberry. Think I'll try the daquiri mixer route, the first time out, rather than actual fruit.

Click to expand...

Check out Dragons Blood recipe. Mixed berry Skeeter Pee. It uses mixed berries or all strawberries if you want along with the lemon juice at the start of fermentation. I keep a batch on constant rotation. I'm not sure if there is a thread on HBT about it or not. If not check out our sister site, wine making talk. It's an epic thread.

Thanks, gotbags-10, I'll check that one!

Interested in trying this but finding certain ingredients in Israel is a bit hard.
Can I use a Campden tablet instead of the Add 1/2 tsp Kmeta, 2 1/2 tsp sorbate, and Sparkolliod

Paschendale said:

For those of you that have used other fruits and/or juice concentrates in addition to the lemon juice, does it work best adding it to the primary or the secondary? Or should it be held all they way to the end, when you backsweeten? I'd like to try a strawberry pee but not sure when to add the strawberry. Think I'll try the daquiri mixer route, the first time out, rather than actual fruit.

Click to expand...

My wife and I juiced about 5-7 lbs of strawberries and used them as part of the back sweetener. Turned out absolutely amazing.