Skeeter Pee - Starting with Dry Yeast

[calicojack]

Finally got around to bottling the skeeter pee today. We did several different flavors. From Left to right: Black Cherry, Original (lemon) Watermelon/cherry, pineapple, tropical punch. Out of all of them, i like the Pineapple and watermelon, cherry the mostest. The Starting Gravity was 1.0695. it finished up at .97. so by my calculation, that's 13%.

it should be noted that the small bottles (far right) are smironoff daiquiri bottles. they will not be used again. The other bottles are Bud Light w/Lime bottles. I want to get some modelo bottles; so i gotta go make nice with one of the mexicant joints here in town....

 

[geniz]

Beautissimus!

 

[Clifton]

I just whipped up a batch with Cote De Blanc.... lets see how it tastes.

How did it turn out?

 

[Sammyk]

May I ask what you used to flavor each?

 

[A50SNAKE]

May I ask what you used to flavor each?

+1..... please and thanks, I too would like to know how you flavored it.

 

[calicojack]

koolaid. flavors are listed in my post

 

[FeelinKindaGiddy]

On the skeeterpee.com website it says that most folks use Kool-Aid. 2 packs per gallon if I remember right. Is that what you used??? I read where some back sweetened and use regular unsweetened Kool-aid and some used the sugar included and it flavored and sweetened at the same time. Some even used the sugar-free version. I would love some experienced input before I bottle! Thanks everyone-Giddy

 

[FeelinKindaGiddy]

koolaid. flavors are listed in my post

Wow, beat me to it Calico, how did you sweeten?

 

[dwyler]

watching this thread, very interested.

thanks

 

[Reaver]

How did it turn out?

Well I need to work out the pitching rate. I didn't get good attenuation on the first batch. And the 2nd batch is till working thru. Batch #2 took 5 weeks to get get down to 1.010 (with alot of carbonation on the hydrometer). I'm clearing now and it smells really good. I'll update again when I bottle.

 

[Captive]

On the skeeterpee.com website it says that most folks use Kool-Aid. 2 packs per gallon if I remember right. Is that what you used??? I read where some back sweetened and use regular unsweetened Kool-aid and some used the sugar included and it flavored and sweetened at the same time. Some even used the sugar-free version. I would love some experienced input before I bottle! Thanks everyone-Giddy

1 or 2 packs per 5 gallon batch is what I recommend. Feel free to experiment, but remember that Kool-aid is really just flavor and acid. Put too much Kool-aid and it could eat through the glass bottles!

 

[calicojack]

1 or 2 packs per 5 gallon batch is what I recommend. Feel free to experiment, but remember that Kool-aid is really just flavor and acid. Put too much Kool-aid and it could eat through the glass bottles!

I generally break my 5 gallons up into 1 gallon batches for flavoring (as we are still trying out which flavors we like) i use half a packet per gallon and it comes out nice and clear. a whole pack makes for a very cloudy after product.

 

[calicojack]

Wow, beat me to it Calico, how did you sweeten?

i don't

 

[Reaver]

How did it turn out?

I bottled this today and it turned out pretty good. I backsweetened with a heavy sugar syrup to ~1.022 it had finished up around 1.010 (6%abv). There was a very good lemonade flavor to it. But it did not clear nearly as well as the Montrachet batches I had done before. I just started a new batch and will be pitching a double pack of CdB starter.

 

[HBngNOK]

I want to get some modelo bottles; so i gotta go make nice with one of the mexicant joints here in town....

I tried some modelo bottles - but the standard 26 mm cap wouldn't crimp on. I could pop the caps off with my thumb. They may need 29 mm caps. Double check me, just in case there was a problem with my capping technique.

 

[johnnync]

What SG do you rack to secondary?
thanks

 

[Reaver]

You don't really "secondary". Let the Pee ferment out to terminal gravity. Then you will clear, stabilize, and backsweeten.

 

[calicojack]

What SG do you rack to secondary?
thanks

usually at the four week period, per the original recipe. then i let it clear for an additional four weeks, bottle and consume.

 

[johnnync]

Just bottled one gallon of Skeeter pee from dry yeast.

 

[A50SNAKE]

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.

 

[Bradinator]

Just bottled one gallon of Skeeter pee from dry yeast.

That is gorgeous!

 

[Captive]

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.

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.

 

[A50SNAKE]

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.

 

[stujol]

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.

 

[Atek]

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.

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

 

[phuff7129]

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.

 

[Reaver]

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.

 

[ScootersAle]

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.

 

[geniz]

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.

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.

 

[SilverZero]

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!