Skeeter Pee - Starting with Dry Yeast

johnnync said:

Just bottled one gallon of Skeeter pee from dry yeast.

Click to expand...

That is gorgeous!

A50SNAKE said:

ok, just checked my pee...its @ ~0.9 right now, sitting in my pail...been about 1 month I think...man, i gotta take better notes (read take notes period!) should be time to move to carboy now right? and then mix up the sparkaloid and other ingredients to add to it as well?...just wanted to check and make sure still doing it right...thanks.

Click to expand...

Sounds like it's done fermenting. Do you have the pail covered, sealed tight, with airlock? If not (if you're in a bucket with just a loose lid or towel), then on your next batch, I would protect it from air when the S.G. gets down to the 1.005 area. Then let if finish without exposure to air. I actually rack my batches to a carboy at around 1.005 and top it with an airlock.

In any event, you sound like you're ready to proceed. Drive off as much of the dissolved CO2 as you can, and then add your last ingredients. If you add any powdered ingredients to a gassy wine, you could get a foamy volcano. At this point, your batch really should be protected for oxygen, so put it under airlock while the Sparkolloid does its work. I usually wait to sweeten my batch until it has cleared and I rack it to a clean carboy.

oh ya, its in a pail, lid on tight and airlock since day one...I was just curious if it needs to go to a carboy or if it can finish in a pail. I have spare carboys so its not really an issue, I was just curious...also, i have a filter, is it suggested to filter this as well?

thanks for the tips and help Captive.

I move mine to a carboy some where around 10 to 14 days. Normally it has finished fermenting by then (ec1118)

Filtering is optional, I filter even when it is crystal clear. It really looks good after that and I think it is a little smoother.

stujol said:

I move mine to a carboy some where around 10 to 14 days. Normally it has finished fermenting by then (ec1118)

Filtering is optional, I filter even when it is crystal clear. It really looks good after that and I think it is a little smoother.

Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking how do you filter?

My experience getting skeeter pee to ferment with dry yeast has been pretty simple. I made the must per the instructions on skeeterpee.com. I took 2 cups of the must and put it in a sanitized jar, pitched 1 packet Red Star Premier Cuvee and put a loose piece of foil over the jar. Within a few hours the starter was fermenting. I basically left the starter untouched for 2 days while I left the must sitting for 2 days with a towel over the fermenter per the instructions.

After 2 days I pitched the yeast starter, stirred it in, aerated the must again, and put the lid with an airlock on it. Within 3 hours fermentation was going. OG was 1.070.

After 2 more days i checked the gravity and it was 1.048. I added the additional nutrient and energizer per the instructions. It has now been fermenting steady for 6 days and the gravity is at 1.015 so it is getting there.

I have kept the temperature around 70 degrees. I found the process to be pretty simple and had no troubles getting fermentation to start.

I don't use pails anymore myself. I just use 6.5gal carboy and shake it during the 24 hours that I'm letting my Dry Yeast started get going ( I use 2 packs in a light solution of must). And I would not leave the Primary for 1 month. I started getting some Autolysis at the 3 week point of my last batch. This stuff is pretty stressful on yeast. I was using Cotes de Blanc but found the Montrachet worked better all around. Faster Ferment, Cleaner Taste, Cleared Better, More Lemon in the finished product.

Thought I had sub'd this thread, but obviously didn't.

I've made a few matches of SP now, using this exact method, and has come out well every time.

ScootersAle said:

Thought I had sub'd this thread, but obviously didn't.

I've made a few matches of SP now, using this exact method, and has come out well every time.

Click to expand...

Excellent. Thanks for the feedback
It's always worked for me as an option when I want to make SP and dont have a yeast cake.

This thread is a bit stale, but I definitely lived here for the past couple of days while I was getting my first SP started so thanks to all the contributors!

I made a 1.5x batch (7.5 gallons, with only one minor hiccup) this week and started it with 2 packs of Red Star Premier Cuvee. I started the yeast yesterday morning, did a couple of must additions - even though I probably could have just added the rehydrated yeast directly to the fermenter, I was waiting for my must to get up to pitching temp from my chilly garage. I just added a tablespoon of sugar to a cup of warm water with a pinch of nutrient and energizer, then sprinkled the two packs of yeast on top and let them rehydrate, then I added 1 cup, 1 cup, and 2 cups of must throughout the morning, letting the starter get foamy between each addition. Yeast was going strong all through the 3 additions I did, so I pitched it yesterday afternoon, and it's got some foam going this morning at 74F. I gave it one more stir with the paint mixer and now I'm just going to watch for 1.050 so I can hit it with the last addition of lemon, nutrient, and energizer. All seems to be going well so far!

Nice!

I see the thread has been a bit stale but I hope people are still watching it. I asked this question in another thread and was given the "why don't you just follow the original recipe" answer. I get it if you don't want to modify it, but why bother stepping on someone else conversation who is looking to make some changes. Anyway, like others on here I was thinking of just throwing everything in the pail but holding off on the lemon juice until it get fermenting, then adding juice a bottle a time with some yeast nutrients to help when the acidic juice is added. So I was thinking you are supposed to I stir this to gas off the preservatives from the juice so my idea was to pour the juice in a bowl by itself and let that gas off by itself adding.
Anyone see any issues with this plan.

I always start my SP off as just sugar water. After it gets going then I add a bottle of juice a day. When I add the last bottle I usually add my last dose of nutrients and energizer. No need to off gas the lemon juice, in my opinion.

I love this board. Post a question and get an answer in 8 minutes!

Thanks for the quick reply. So then do you stir the must as it is going to degas? Ever have any problems with sulfar smells in you pee?

I stir daily until it gets started, then with each addition. After the last bottle I stir, seal it up, and wait. No problems with sulfur. I use Premier Cuvée yeast.

I make mine by just mixing everything together, waiting 24 hours, pitching yeast, and letting the yeast do their thing. No yeast cake, no fermenting sugar water, to stepped nutrient addition, no stepped lemon juice addition, nothing. I do invert the sugar though, although sometimes I don't and even then it works out pretty good. I've used EC1118 for all but my most recent batch, which I used 71B for....it's still clearing so I don't know how much better/worse it is, but can only imagine it will be better since 71B will leave more color/aroma/flavor of the lemon compared to the EC1118 (or so I've read at least).

I really don't think you can screw this up, but then again I should never say never....

Just bottled mine up today! This was my first batch, this stuff is awesome!

itsme_timd said:

Just bottled mine up today! This was my first batch, this stuff is awesome!

Click to expand...

Looking great!!

geniz said:

Looking great!!

Click to expand...

Thanks, neighbor!

Started my batch of Skeeter Pee on Friday of last week by following the directions for the must exactly and had an OG of dead on 1.070. I didn't have a slurry so I made a starter with 2 packs of ec1118 with about a cup of water and a couple tbsp of sugar on Sat. Once that was rolling I did add a cup of must and let it get rolling again. I then pitched that into the must and whipped the heck out of it. I had active fermentation just 6 hours later. Monday I hit 1.050 so I added the rest of the juice, nutrient and energizer and whipped it again with active fermentation later that day. Checked the sg a few minutes ago and I'm at 0.994 just 5 days after starting. It's late so tomorrow will be transferring to another ferm bucket and clear it up. I can't wait to finish up and drink up!

Hey everyone. I'm thinking of doing a cherry limeade version. I'm undecided on how to add the cherry flavor. I know someone mentioned koolaid(how much and when?) I also have a bottle of cherry extract that came with a stout beer kit I bought. I used Cheerwine syrup instead to make a Cheerwine stout. On that note, I also have Cheerwine syrup left. Which would be the best option? And when should it be added? I asked on the Skeeter Pee page but my comment was deleted.

Medic_RN said:

Hey everyone. I'm thinking of doing a cherry limeade version.

Click to expand...

What about some montmorency tart cherry concentrate. That stuff is VERY concentrated and flavorful.

Thinking about making some of this, but more of a lime version (I and he wife both prefer lime to lemon)...have heard best to do 2/3 lemon and 1/3 lime....will have to decide....have never even tasted the normal recipe, so should maybe just do the lemon/lime before thinking about adding other flavors?

I did a lemon and a lime then another lemon. All 3 batches turned out differently. First batch was best and I can't figure out what I did different. Take detailed notes.