Skeeter Pee

[Reaver]

That's the one I was looking for to reference... Thanks Geniz

 

[Jukas]

If I wanted to avoid the kmeta & sorbate couldn't I either A) Let it finish completely dry & backsweeten with Dextrose @ 1oz/gal? B) Bring it to around 1.010 - 1.020, bottle and then pasteurize?

 

[Daedolon]

If I wanted to avoid the kmeta & sorbate couldn't I either A) Let it finish completely dry & backsweeten with Dextrose @ 1oz/gal? B) Bring it to around 1.010 - 1.020, bottle and then pasteurize?

Yes, you could, in theory, pasteurize it. But it does present some problems. I had a prickly pear skeeter pee that got infected. Rather than worry about it, I just did what you did, and pasteurized it. But, it is a ton of work for a 5 gallon batch, and it means that everything else could become a potential infection, without any of the good yeasties to help fight it off.

Going until the bitter end is a bit more difficult, mainly because depending on the yeast you can get a very high abv, but also because you can't be 100% sure when it is going to actually stop. Even if you reach what you think is tolerance, I would simply toss a bit of sorbate in there for good measure.

 

[DoctorWho]

If I wanted to avoid the kmeta & sorbate couldn't I either A) Let it finish completely dry & backsweeten with Dextrose @ 1oz/gal? B) Bring it to around 1.010 - 1.020, bottle and then pasteurize?

I'll throw in my 2 cents.

I've made skeeterpee about 5 times now (5gal batches some with fresh fruit added for flavor) and I don't like to use chemicals if I don't have too. The first time I made it I kemta'ed and sorbate'ed just to follow the recipe and understand everything.

The other 4 time I have fermented until completion, waited about a month for it to settle and clear and then back sweeten with good old table sugar to 1.020 Bottle condition for a few days testing carb levels. When good pasteurizing 10 at a time in a hugh lobster pot based on the pasteurization sticky by pappers.

Only one time in the beginning did one bottle break in the pot and it wasn't a crazy explosion (have a lid on the pot like I did.) It does take a while for a 5 gal batch, about 2-2.5 hours. But then you have sweetened carb pee forever, or 1 month of good drinking, whichever comes first

 

[Jukas]

Ugh, I got all the stuff to make a batch of skeeter pee and failed to really read the directions about needing a yeast starter. I don't have a stir plate to make a starter. I do however have EC-1118, and Still Spirits Turbo Yeast available to me, as well as fermaid k yeast nutrient.

Is a starter absolutely mandatory?

 

[geniz]

Make a starter. You dont need a stir plate.

 

[Accidic]

It's not absolutely mandatory. The original recipe was meant to throw on lees or cake but many (including me) have done fine pitching dry yeast. FWIW tho, I would DEFINITELY rehydrate properly or pitch two packs to minimize yeast strain. I've heard from several places dehydrating properly can double the number of yeast cells that survive pitching.

 

[CidahMastah]

It's not absolutely mandatory. The original recipe was meant to throw on lees or cake but many (including me) have done fine pitching dry yeast. FWIW tho, I would DEFINITELY rehydrate properly or pitch two packs to minimize yeast strain. I've heard from several places dehydrating properly can double the number of yeast cells that survive pitching.

+1 (+1 on rehydrating too)

I have done the recipe with no issues by simply double pitching the yeast (i.e. 2 packs champagne yeast).

Just be sure to keep your temps around 65+ I fermented mine generally in the 70-73 range to ensure attenuation. Done this with at least 8 or so batches.

 

[LeverTime]

I haven't read all 50+ pages, so maybe some already answered this, but....

I have Edwort's Apfelwein bubbling right now. When it's done, I would like to make two batches of Skeeter Pee: one normal batch, and one lime batch. Does anyone think I would run into a problem if I split the slurry from my apfelwein between two batches? Or do I need all of it for one batch? Would it help if I stuck a half packet of yeast in each batch with the half slurry?

 

[FeelinKindaGiddy]

Question, I am planning to rack off a kit wine this weekend and use the slurry to start a 5 gal batch of skeeter pee. My question is: the kit had bentonite in it and had me add before I pitched the yeast. Will the bentonite hurt my slurry?? I had never used a clearing agent in the primary before (this is my 1st "kit" wine). Thanks-Giddy

 

[Daedolon]

It should have no bearing on the situation, in my mind. Bentonite just helps with clearing, nothing else. So when you first put it in, that will stir everything up. Then, the yeast will begin to (slowly) fall, while they start munching on the sugar.

Look at it this way - the bentonite being added in the beginning had no bearing on the wine being fermented, did it?

 

[tellish33]

I was wandering if I could just use my carboy for my skeeter pee? I don't really have an extra bucket to start this process. I figured I could mix right off the bat in my carboy. Any body know? Thx.

 

[Clifton]

I'm pretty sure that I've read this entire thread, but not positive. I don't think this has been asked so......

Lemon Juice has no sugar in it. Couldn't you just ferment the sugar water and add the lemon juice after it is done? Does the fermentation process break down the lemon juice and change the flavor of the beverage?

I have 5 gallons going right now that I waited 6 hours after pitching to add the first bottle of juice and another 9 for the second. I had CO2 production at each addition.

 

[Clifton]

I'm having the hardest time with this piss...First my OG was waay low, now I've gone through 8 days with no fermentation either in the airlock and in hydro-readings. I used an apfelwein slurry the first time, yesterday I made a starter with sugar water and K1V-1116 so hopefully that'll get her going.

In the future I'm gonna do the backwards method I read about: don't add any lemon juice until at least 2 days into active fermentation, then just add it a little at a time over 2 weeks.

This is the reason I asked the question above.

 

[Jukas]

I'm having the hardest time with this piss...First my OG was waay low, now I've gone through 8 days with no fermentation either in the airlock and in hydro-readings. I used an apfelwein slurry the first time, yesterday I made a starter with sugar water and K1V-1116 so hopefully that'll get her going.

I've always heard that you should make a starter with DME as if you make a starter with sugar, the yeast won't then convert the sugar in your primary.

I've never tried a sugar starter pitched into a primary, but if that doesn't work you may want to make a starter with DME and give it a try.

 

[Clifton]

@Jukas, the reason for a DME starter is that in beer the yeast will be fermenting maltose and if the starter is with sugar the yeast will be "lazy" and not want to break down the maltose into more simple sugars. Since this beverage is entirely sucrose the sugar starter is fine.

 

[robin850]

Made 5 gallons, gave away all but one bottle!
added 2lbs honey in the primary, backsweetened with 6lbs honey. Bee Pee!
(check Skeeter Pee facebook page for graphic)

added pectic enzyme one day into fermentation
great cold or better hot in a coffee mug with a cinnamon stick!
aged about 2 months, then stabilized.
was 10% before sweetening, didn't test after sweetening.

 

[Reaver]

That Bee Pee sounds good!

 

[CidahMastah]

Made 5 gallons, gave away all but one bottle!
added 2lbs honey in the primary, backsweetened with 6lbs honey. Bee Pee!
(check Skeeter Pee facebook page for graphic)

added pectic enzyme one day into fermentation
great cold or better hot in a coffee mug with a cinnamon stick!
aged about 2 months, then stabilized.
was 10% before sweetening, didn't test after sweetening.

This is a cool idea - I think I just might try it!

 

[BBBF]

I'm in the process of making my first batch. While tranfering to the secondary, I had take a sample. Backsweetening will help, but it's still good in it's dry, yeasty form.


Then I added some ice tea to the sample. Arnold Palmer Pee... Yum!

 

[Jukas]

I made a batch of this on 1/12 and pitched a starter made from turbo yeast & lme on 1/14 into a 6 gallon better bottle and wrapped the BB in a blanket as ambient temps in my house this time of year is 65-68 and put it in my office.

Today I'm getting a heavy sulferish/rhino fart smell coming from it, stick on thermometer says 72 and I'm seeing heavy air lock activity 2-3 bubbles per second and a light foam on the top.

I'm assuming the smell is from the yeast becoming stressed. Is 2 days since pitching long enough to check SG to determine if I should add more nutrient/energizer? I can get a small wooden spoon in to try and aerate a bit, but being a carboy I can't really fit a wisk in.

Should I even muck with it at all, will it resolve on it's own? I don't mind living with the smell for a bit during the fermentation process, but my wife is looking forward to this drink and I'd had to ruin a batch.

 

[KemP130]

Why do people use turbo yeast? It strips all flavor.

 

[Jukas]

Why do people use turbo yeast? It strips all flavor.

I don't know why other people use it, but I can tell you why I did. I ended up with Turbo yeast as I didn't have a yeast cake to make a slurry from, the LHBS didn't have any EC-1118 in stock and I didn't know if Notty would work. I described what I was making and asked for a suggestion which was Turbo Yeast.

As I don't have a enough brewing/wine making experience and I'm not overly familiar with all the different yeasts yet, including which are great, which are good and which suck I have to trust the recommendations I get and adjust accordingly depending upon the results.

All that being said, what to do about the rhino farts?

 

[Sammyk]

I think you have nothing to loose by waiting. I am on my 4th batch and will start the 5th when this one is in secondary. I used 1 quart and 1 pint of slurry from my 4 berry wine. No yeast was needed. If you make a wine, save that slurry. I read to start another batch right away and I didn't, now I do. Everyone loves it.

I have some found some awesome ways to do back flavorings. This batch now is made with 15 oz of lime and 15 oz of lemon. I don't use the 3rd bottle because it is too acidic for us as we both have acid reflux.

 

[BeerWard]

Then I added some ice tea to the sample. Arnold Palmer Pee... Yum!

Try it with sweet tea vodka and ice. It is super good, and dangerous:cross:
I call it Skeeter Tea

 

[stujol]

Today I'm getting a heavy sulferish/rhino fart smell coming from it, stick on thermometer says 72 and I'm seeing heavy air lock activity 2-3 bubbles per second and a light foam on the top.

I'm assuming the smell is from the yeast becoming stressed. Is 2 days since pitching long enough to check SG to determine if I should add more nutrient/energizer? I can get a small wooden spoon in to try and aerate a bit, but being a carboy I can't really fit a wisk in.

I use a EC1118 starter and the second day is always the day I add more nutrient. I'm at work so I can't look at my notes but I follow the recipe exactly except for the starter and a little less back sweetening.

 

[Captive]

Introducing some air wouldn't hurt. If you have another carboy and a funnel, pour the contents from one carboy to the other and the sloshing will give it a breather and should help dissipate the offending smells. Keeping it from happening is easier than trying to correct it. The smell doesn't typically affect the taste, but the smell does take some of the enjoyment out of it.

 

[tellish33]

Made my first batch of Pee on Sunday. I used D-47 dry yeast instead of a slurry. My first reading was dead on at 1.070. On wednesday I checked the reading and it was still 1.070. So I pitched another packet of D-47 and another 3 tsp of nutrient/energizer mixture. I stirred/mixed until I couldnt feel my arms. Today I mixed like crazy again and I took another reading and it was 1.064. It finally moved. If you put your ear close to it you can hear a fizzing sound. Totally excited that I have some action finally. I will probably transfer to a carboy this weekend. Cant wait!

 

[Jukas]

Introducing some air wouldn't hurt. If you have another carboy and a funnel, pour the contents from one carboy to the other and the sloshing will give it a breather and should help dissipate the offending smells. Keeping it from happening is easier than trying to correct it. The smell doesn't typically affect the taste, but the smell does take some of the enjoyment out of it.

Thanks,

I aerated it quite a bit last night, then added the last bottle of lemon juice and added the nutrient. I aerated it again today and while the smell seems to have dissipated some, it's still very present. The original carboy cap I had on still reeks and it's been sitting in water & oxyclean for 12 hours.

I'll let this batch finish, but I have a feeling I'll end up dumping it.

 

[Jukas]

Racked to a secondary tonight. I tasted te sample I Thieved. It was nice and lemony at first then I tasted sulfer. =(

This batch seems destined for the drain.

 

[Daedolon]

Don't pour it out, at least not yet...

Give it a week, degas, and then take a single cup and sweeten it up, to see how it tastes. I've had a batch that smelled like sulfur, and it tasted just fine.

 

[TwoDollarBill]

Mine was very sulfur-ey at first, but was fine. Wife hated how it made the brew room smell!
Tasted pretty good.

 

[Clifton]

I've bubbled CO2 through a batch of sulfur wine and got rid of the smell.

 

[dwyler]

I'm new to this, how do you save the slurry and what is it exactly?

 

[Captive]

Dwyler, the best place to get a rounded summary of what you're dealing with is to visit the website. www.skeeterpee.com Be sure to visit the FAQ page; it'll answer most questions you'll have. Enjoy!

 

[Clifton]

I'm trying to decide whether to keg and carb this or bottle it still. Please vote on my thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/skeeter-pee-carbonated-still-297847/

 

[petey_c]

Slurry, or "must" is wine's trub. Yeast "chill-axing" at the bottom of your fermenter. My first batch reeked of sulfur for awhile. That went away and was pretty popular all around. I made my second batch with a white wine must and it looks more pee like.

 

[02fx4dude]

Question for the skeeter pee gurus...

Since I'm more a beer brewer than wine maker, I don't have any active wine fermentations at the moment, so I chose to pick up some Lalvin EC-1118. Would it be better to hydrate the yeast before pitching, or just sprinkle dry yeast into the fermentor?

Thanks

 

[Sirthomas42]

I wouldn't call myself a Pee guru, but I have made several batches of Pee, all from dry yeast. I just rehydrate the yeast, and make a good vigorous starter before pitching. Often I'll use a can of white grape concentrate (it's kind of neutral flavor I think, and it doesn't affect the Pee flavor too much) diluted to roughly the OG you're shooting for in your Pee, add a few ounces every hour or two to the starter...

Once that's all added, I'll add a cup or two of the Pee must every few hours to the starter until I have a full pitcher (I use a 2 quart pitcher for my starters). Once that's full, I give the yeast a few hours to populate up (sometimes overnight) and pitch it on in. Yeah, it's a little extra work, but it works great. I've yet to have a batch of Pee stall out early or give me rhino farts. I do it with all my Pee -- I've never used a slurry -- and use the mighty EC-1118 yeast.

I've made regular Pee, strawberry pee, lime pee, key lime pee, mango pee, cranberry lime pee, and concorde grape pee. All turned out great

 

[Accidic]

The way I understand it is rehydrating your yeast could double and even possibly triple your viable cell counts. I've seen many who just used two packs and dumped them straight in with no problems tho. But no harder than it is to hydrate, I can't imagine not bothering when I could get away with just one pack with what should be the same results. Granted, I wouldn't go with things like goferm or anything but rather boiled tap or even bottled water (it's what I usually go with).