Skeeter Pee

[roadymi]

Slight newbie question here, but....

I am looking to make a Skeeter Pee batch tomorrow.

A few tips to increase your chance of success.

Follow SNA (staggered nutrient additions) as guidelined on the mead page.

Use your new homemade wine whip to vigorously aerate your batch until it has reached 1.04 or so.

Since you are a beer brewer, I mashed a lb of 40L caramel barley for my last skeeter pee batch to try and add some residual sweetness. It is still in primary so I have no results yet.

 

[cosmatics]

My 1st batch of Skeeter is done, and I must say, I'm surprised and impressed with this homemade wine. I mixed up a starter using ec116 dry yeast slowly adding must as per Lon's original method. I made only 2 gallons and it fermented dry to about .998 in 8 days. I decided to kmeta/sorbate 1 gallon, let that go for a week, then cold crashed it last night. The other did not get any chemicals, just sparkolliod. I just sampled a glass of the kmeta one, and it is quite good, even dry. I'm going to try some sprite in a little bit. Obv. this is no actual wine I'd drink with food, etc. But for a day of power washing the sidewalk, PERFECT. Thanks to all for your past experiences.

John

 

[Captive]

Dave, Skeeter Pee is a fun and delicious drink for hot weather consumption, especially for those who don't have beer as their first choice. While your quest may not produce optimal results, I think we can get you something to share. See my responses below.

Slight newbie question here, but....

I am looking to make a Skeeter Pee batch tomorrow. I am hoping to have it in bottles by July 1st. Is this reasonable, or am I crazy? If everything goes well, you do have a chance to have something drinkable by your event with some modifications. You should probably be prepared to serve it cloudy, unless everything goes perfect, you won't likely have enough time to clear the beverage. You will want this to ferment fast, so either use a really healthy slurry, or add three packets of yeast to get things started fast. Keep the batch warm (75-80 degrees) and be sure to whip it a couple times a day to get some oxygen in there. Using this method, I've had batches complete ferment in as little as 5 days.

Second question: Is the sorbate going to truly kill all yeast, allowing me to be able to back sweeten with that whopping 6 cups of sugar? I can't afford to have a bunch of bottle bombs going off on the ride to my cabin for the 4th!! Sorbate doesn't kill yeast. What it does in inhibit the yeast's ability to reproduce. So in essence, it's birth control for yeast. This means that if you have active yeast in suspension, after an addition of sorbate, those yeast will live out their life cycle, but they will be the last generation. Since you plan to consume this on a specified weekend, I would skip the sorbate and use another method. When you sweeten and bottle, move it directly to the fridge. Keep the bottles cold and you won't have any problems with bottle bombs.

ASSUMING that I can't get this roughly 3-4 week process done in the next two weeks, how well does this plan work out:

Finish fermenting, SKIP Kmeta and Sorbate....then directly bottle, then sweeten (say, with simple syrup) upon drinking? Is it decent if it doesn't clear? You could do this, but it's a bit of a hassle. If you have room in a cooler, I'd sweeten prior to bottling and then keep it in a fridge or on ice. Batches that don't clear completely do carry a slight yeasty taste in my opinion, but it isn't a bad taste. Just as in beer, the flavors provided by the yeast become part of the beverage. If you would like to get it as clear as possible before bottling, I'd follow this proceedure: Ferment as fast as you can. Don't let your starting S.G. get too high because the more sugar you have at the start, the longer it'll take the yeast to consume it. As soon as your S.G. gets down to 0.997, rack it to a clean carboy. Then you can degas by using traditional methods of stirring or by using a drill mounted stirrer. IF you have a vacuum degassing set-up, that can speed the process of degassing significantly. If you don't have vacuum, you can try this: put the airlock on the carboy and agitate the carboy by placing it on a towel on a slippery countertop of floor. Slide the carboy back and forth to get it to "slosh" in the carboy. You should see lots of bubbling in the airlock as the agitation bumps the CO2 out of solution. Once you have a fair amount of the CO2 vented off, you can now clear the batch. If you have 3 days before your trip, you could try clearing it with KC-Superclear. I find the KC tends to work faster than Sparkolloid. Within a couple of days, you should see 99% clearing with KC. Rack to a new carboy, sweeten, and bottle. Immediately chill and keep bottles cold until consumption.

What if I just dumped the whole batch into my brewpot, pasteurized it (to skip the sorbate neutralizing yeast activity) and then added the back sweetening sugar...then bottled it?

LASTLY...what's the best way to degas without any proper tools? I'm a beer guy for the most part and don't want to have to pick up a tool that will rarely get used.


Sincerely, a beer guy with no wine experience who is just excited to drink some pee!

Good luck, if I were in your position, I'd attempt it. It may not turn out to be your best batch of Skeeter Pee ever made, but I think you have a good chance of getting something to drinkable.

 

[Reaver]

I love that this has turned into almost a Cult Brew! So many people in my area love this, and I've gotten like 3 other people trying to make it.

 

[Boardndave]

Alright, this may be a somewhat silly question but.....after pitching the yeast, do I let the batch open-air ferment, or do I put the cover/airlock on my 6.5 gallon pale and let it go?

 

[Greenbasterd]

air lock it. you should have have let it air out for 1 or 2 days before with a paper towel over it to let it breath. just to get rid of any preservatives that may have been in your lemon juice. then you air lock the sucker..

edit: oh wait you used bucket.. paper towel prolly wouldn't have covered a bucket. lol

 

[HBngNOK]

Alright, this may be a somewhat silly question but.....after pitching the yeast, do I let the batch open-air ferment, or do I put the cover/airlock on my 6.5 gallon pale and let it go?

I just cover my bucket with foil.

 

[Clifton]

I use a clean dish towel until about 1.020, then airlock.

 

[Kampo]

so my slightly beefed up skeeter pee stalled on me this week. OG wsa 1.08 (intended to cut it down a bit by mixxing it with various juices) well it stalled at 1.002 and has been there for 3 days and it has seemed to developed a slight rubbing acholoe smell what would you guys do at this point? stabalize and rack to secondary and hope for the best?

 

[Reaver]

I've had it stop @ ~1.000 range. It depends on other conditions, but I would consider it done. Do you shake the carboy to off gas? One thing I've been doing is shaking the carboy every day-2days to help offgass the CO2. I don't have to degass with a wand or other method later on if i do this. I find it also helps vent other gasses. It might help you too.

 

[Exploit]

Anyone ever tried putting SP in mason jars? I would think that as long as you stop the fermentation there shouldn't be an issue. Just leave very little head space and I would think that this would work.

 

[lalnx]

I have, but just kept them in my fridge, I just filled them, screwed the lids on, and put them in. Found one stragler a year later, tasted just fine. I would imagine you could do them just like canning tomatoes, fill the jars, hot water bath them for an hour (that should kill the yeasties), let them cool and form that vacuum seal, store at room temp.

drinking it from a mason jar just seems right anyway.

 

[Exploit]

Drinking it from a mason jar is definitely how i envisioned it

 

[geniz]

I have, but just kept them in my fridge, I just filled them, screwed the lids on, and put them in. Found one stragler a year later, tasted just fine. I would imagine you could do them just like canning tomatoes, fill the jars, hot water bath them for an hour (that should kill the yeasties), let them cool and form that vacuum seal, store at room temp.

drinking it from a mason jar just seems right anyway.

If the Pee is stabilized and back sweetened you shouldn't have to heat it in mason jars. I've bottled plenty in wine bottles and never had a problem. I'd just put it in sanitized mason jars and enjoy

 

[bk0]

This recipe was easy as pie. Threw my batch on top of a big US-05 cake. Took a good 48 hours to start bubbling but fermented dry before I had a chance to add the last bottle of lemon juice! Added it anyway, waited a week and bottled. 10.3% ABV. Added priming sugar and sweetened with generic Splenda to taste. The sample was good!

 

[Golddiggie]

Do you recall how much splenda you added, per gallon? Trying to get a baseline on how much to add to mine.

 

[bk0]

Do you recall how much splenda you added, per gallon? Trying to get a baseline on how much to add to mine.

It's tough to measure because the stuff I have is fluffy and very light (ie, intended to be measured by volume not weight) so I couldn't just weigh it like I do priming sugar.

It was a bag of WalMart brand Splenda that's supposed to be the equivalent of a 5lb bag of sugar (I think). I used about half of it, maybe 4-5 cups worth in a 5 gallon batch.

 

[edmanster]

It's tough to measure because the stuff I have is fluffy and very light (ie, intended to be measured by volume not weight) so I couldn't just weigh it like I do priming sugar.

It was a bag of WalMart brand Splenda that's supposed to be the equivalent of a 5lb bag of sugar (I think). I used about half of it, maybe 4-5 cups worth in a 5 gallon batch.

I've had good results with just using the serving size on the package and times that by 80 for 5gal.. most serving size is for 1 cup but I have seen 8oz also.. my last was a hard tea that I used stevia in.. not bad at all

 

[Double-R]

I've made a few batches. I used dry wine yeast (Red Star Montrachet) the first go around, building up the yeast and exposing it to a little lemon, for a few days. I had rhino farts that would kill the most hardened mother in law. I feel the yeast had a big part in it.

Since then I have used EC-118. I start the must and yeast starter at the same time. I used two packs of dry yeast into a an empty growler with a little sugar and water. After it started to ferment well I added in a cup of the must (about 8-12 hours after). And another 2 cups about 8-12 hours later. I then pitched the yeast into the must about 36 hours after I started them. No rhino farts at all.

The first batch I mostly poured out do to the overwhelming sulphur smell. I did save a few bottles and two in four seemed to be okay. The other two still smelled horrible almost a year later.

I don't recommend using Red Star Montrachet. I used it in other batches of various things and it seems very susceptible to producing rhino farts in both Skeeter Pee and Apfelwien to name a few. I am one of many people who used dry yeast and by aerating the must for a few days and building up a starter have been successful at making Skeeter Pee without rhino farts so don't be afraid.

I Really want to use Montrachet yeast,but this quote stands out. You guys think if whipped/De-gasing, twice a day it would not produce the sulfur smell.
This chart say it goes up to 13%.. Or just get EC-118
http://www.winemakersdepot.com/Wine-Yeast-Quick-Reference-Chart-W27C11.aspx

 

[novalou]

There are yeasts that are more susceptible to hydrogen sulfide. From my experience, as long as you have adequate yeast nutrients and don't cause any other condition to cause nitrogen deficiency (stir your musts), then I'd use your yeast of choice.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

I just started my first Skeeter Pee on Sunday. I didn't have any yeast slurry lying around, so I made my own. After I got my 5 1/2 gallons of lemonade ready and aerated (with 2 lbs. of blueberries in a muslin bag in the hopes to get some blueberry flavor), I began to make my yeast starter/slurry. I combined the following:

- 2 cups Simply Lemonade, just the regular kind
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 packets Montrachet Yeast
- 1 tsp. Yeast nutrient
- 1/2 tsp. Yeast Energizer

In a few hours, it was bubbling away. I just pitched it into my bucket of blueberry lemonade last night after work. A few hours later, there was no bubbling yet in the airlock, but I could see the pressure building up. By this morning, it was bubbling away very vigorously, around 3 bubbles a second. I just got home from work and it is still going at the same pace. I'm wondering if the addition of blueberries is doing something to cut the acidity of the lemon juice? Here is the recipe I used:

My sugar solution (same as what is listed on skeeterpee.com):
- 16 cups sugar
- 8 cups water
- 1/3 cup lemon juice

My lemonade recipe:
- 2 32 oz. bottles lemon juice
- 2 bottles of Simply Lemonade (the 1.75L/59 oz. bottles)
- 3/4 tsp. tannin
- 3 tsp. yeast nutrient
- 1 tsp. yeast energizer
- filtered water to make 5 1/2 gallons
- 2 lbs. frozen blueberries from the local Whole Foods store, thawed, squished, and placed in a sanitized muslin bag.

My plan is to keep the berries in the primary only so I can clear in the secondary. The one thing I might have needed to add is some pectic enzyme. I read in another post when someone had asked about adding strawberries to their Skeeter Pee and someone replied back suggesting adding 1/4 tsp. pectic enzyme per gallon while it's in the primary to help reduce any haziness/cloudiness caused by the addition of the berries. Is it too late to add this to my already fermenting Skeeter Pee? Should I even bother if I'm going to add Sparkalloid when I transfer it to my secondary?

So far, it does smell a little funky, but nothing to oppressive yet.

 

[pvtschultz]

I've also got a batch of this fermenting away now. I opted for the 1/2 gallon white grape juice starter method and used two packets of EC-1118. I poured off a large glass of the grape juice, drank it, and dumped the yeast and some yeast nutrient in the bottle placing the cap back on lightly. I had great yeast activity a few hours later and added 1 cup of the Pee must to the starter. The following morning I added another cup and that afternoon I dumped half of the starter into the bucket of Pee must. I nearly topped of the starter jug with Pee must and it kicked off almost right away. I added the contents of the starter to the must ~5 hours later which was last night. By this morning the airlock was dancing and the gravity was down to ~1.047. I didn't have time to add the remaining lemon juice and yeast nutrients per the original recipe so I'll have to do that when I get home tonight. At this rate fermentation should be complete within a few days. The fermentation temperature was ~77 degrees this morning. I can't wait to try this stuff; I'm stoked to say the least and love how easy it was to follow the original recipe.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Yeah mine has been fermenting like crazy. I forgot to check the gravity last night, but ill be sure to check today to know if I need to add the remaining bottle of lemon juice and nutrient. I'm only adding a 15 ounce bottle instead if a 32 ounce because I already have 2 32oz. bottles and 2 bottles of Simply Lemonade fermenting away. This is been extremely easy so far. My neighbor came by yesterday evening and I got to talking about what I'm in the process of making right now...I think I inspired him to start making some wine Spread the addiction!

 

[pyth]

Wonder how long this stuff keeps, have 5 gallons of it sitting in a sealed carboy for like 3 months. Not bottled/used due to lack of available bottles. Think it's still good? Still crystal clear and no obvious mold or anything in it.

 

[Clifton]

If it fermented fully then it is fine. It'll probably taste better now than it would if you had bottled it 2 months ago.

 

[D_Nyholm]

I too have about 5 gallons of it sitting for about 3 months now. I am going to bottle tommorow. Going to bottle 10 wine bottles and then put the rest in a keg so I can carbonate it. I do have some extract flavorings like strawberry and cherry. I wonder if it would be worth it to try and add a little to one or two of the wine bottles? Has anyone used extract flavorings with skeeter pee with good results?

 

[Apple_Jacker]

I just checked my gravity of my Skeeter Pee. It was at 1.042, a little lower than what the recipe calls for but I went ahead and added my lemonaden juice, yeast energizer, yeast nutrient, and pectic enzyme due to the blueberries I have in there. I was pretty impressed when I began to sprinkle in the yeast nutrient and almost immediately the skeeter pee foamed up about an inch and a half, like an instant krausen the color was less purple than before; almost a neon pink! I'll take a reading this weekend to see where my gravity is at before I remove the blueberries and rack to the secondary.

 

[FredTheNuke]

OK I've been reading many many pages of this. My question is what is wrong with making 5 gallons of sugar water (by adding 7 pounds of dextrose) and adding the yeast to that. And then WHEN it is fermenting strong adding the first 2 bottles of lemon juice??? Anyone see any issues with this instead of making a separate starter when the lemon juice acidity is what makes the fermentation start slowly?

Also how big of a krausen does this typically form? Is keeping it in a 5 gallon carboy from start to finish a problem? If it foams alot can the same anti-foam drops used for wort be used in the skeeter pee process?

 

[Clifton]

OK I've been reading many many pages of this. My question is what is wrong with making 5 gallons of sugar water (by adding 7 pounds of dextrose) and adding the yeast to that. And then WHEN it is fermenting strong adding the first 2 bottles of lemon juice??? Anyone see any issues with this instead of making a separate starter when the lemon juice acidity is what makes the fermentation start slowly?

I did this with my last batch.

Also how big of a krausen does this typically form? Is keeping it in a 5 gallon carboy from start to finish a problem? If it foams, alot can the same anti-foam drops used for wort be used in the skeeter pee process?

Not much of a krausen (lack of proteins). I'm still not sure I'd trust it in a 5 gallon carboy, maybe someone else can weigh in.

 

[edmanster]

OK I've been reading many many pages of this. My question is what is wrong with making 5 gallons of sugar water (by adding 7 pounds of dextrose) and adding the yeast to that. And then WHEN it is fermenting strong adding the first 2 bottles of lemon juice??? Anyone see any issues with this instead of making a separate starter when the lemon juice acidity is what makes the fermentation start slowly?

Also how big of a krausen does this typically form? Is keeping it in a 5 gallon carboy from start to finish a problem? If it foams alot can the same anti-foam drops used for wort be used in the skeeter pee process?

i dont make a starter and i stopped the second day additions and do it all at the same time but i do pitch 2 packs of EC1118.. i use a 5gal carboy for mine. i add some top-off water at the end and make sure to stop at the bottle curve before it starts sloping to the bottle neck, no karusen with champagne yeast!!

 

[FredTheNuke]

Thanks Guys! I love this forum! I am going to use Redstar Premier Cuvee yeast and pitch 2 packs with lemon juice in one 5 gallon batch and pitch one pack with no lemon juice until fermentation begins in the other 5 gallon batch. I will post the comparison. Both will be done in carboys with the water level up to the curve and I will note how the krausen looks with some pictures.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Well, it has been 1 week since adding the Sparkalloid to my Skeeter Pee, and it has cleared nicely; it cleared faster than I thought it would. It went from looking neon pink, like pepto bismol, to looking like cranberry juice, to the translucent purple/pink color it is now. I went ahead and did a gravity reading and pulled out a little extra for tasting. Gravity is exactly as it was 1 week ago, so I think it is safe to say that the yeasties are finished. I will still wait another week per the skeeterpee.com recipe before adding any more sugar to sweeten, but it is already delicious. It is dry, with a solid blueberry taste that I was going for. I'm thinking these 6 gallons will not last very long

 

[bk0]

My skeeter pee took longer to carb than I anticipated (good 3 weeks) but now that it's fully carved its sooooo good. I'm glad I didn't over sweeten it at bottling because now it tastes a lot like a mild semisweet champagne. Much better than when I tasted it flat.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Isn't the original recipe is for a still drink, not carbonated? What did you do differently to carb it?

 

[D_Nyholm]

I am in the process of carbing 2.5 gallons and I bottled the rest still. Can't wait to try it carbed as it tastes good still with a bunch of ice. Very refreshing.

 

[bk0]

I backsweetened with Splenda and primed with table sugar. It is seriously good carbonated!

 

[FredTheNuke]

I backsweetened with Splenda and primed with table sugar. It is seriously good carbonated!

Did you use potassium sorbate as in the instructions and if so it primed with sugar? I intend to sweeten with cane sugar and force carbonate. Dont want fermentation to restart in my case.

 

[edmanster]

Did you use potassium sorbate as in the instructions and if so it primed with sugar? I intend to sweeten with cane sugar and force carbonate. Dont want fermentation to restart in my case.

dont have to sorbate it when using splenda since like 90% is maltodextrine filler and non fermentable! I used to do the same but found that splenda/maltodextrine added a thick mouth feel that I didn't like.. I've been using stevia lately but if you use too much it tastes metallic/chemically..

 

[bk0]

The generic Walmart splenda I used didn't change the mouthfeel at all, luckily. It's very light.

But yeah, you don't need to stabilize with sorbate when you backsweeten with artificial sweeteners since they aren't fermentable. It would prevent carbonation anyway.

 

[FredTheNuke]

So there is nothing wrong with my plan to sorbate treat the SP, sweeten it with normal cane sugar and then force carbonate? What is the reason for using artificial sweeteners (is there a down side to using sorbate)??