Skeeter Pee

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

Hi everyone, first post here, and I'm a pretty new brewer.

I have a large bergamot (sour orange) tree, and several hundred oranges. Being a new brewer, I'm trying to brew all the things and I stumbled upon skeeter pee.

So here's my idea. I was thinking to take a goodly amount of zest, probably 100 oranges worth or so, and boil it with the sugar for the skeeter pee recipe to further flavor the wine, straining the peel out before fermenting. Basically, making skeeter pee otherwise according to recipe, but substitute orange flavored sugar water for the plain.

The juice of the oranges is sour, but not very flavorful. It tastes mostly like lemon juice. The peel however is really complex and flavorful.

Does this sound like a reasonable experiment? Thanks!

Heck yeah! I don't know about using that much but....

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I'm not sure using just the zest would get you where you need to be.

Its my understanding that aroma (which zest provides more than flavor) would essentially be scrubbed out during fermentation, and the end result wouldn't have much orange flavor.
If I were in your shoes, I'd juice the oranges until you have about the same volume as the recipe calls for lemon juice. Save the zest until it's time to backsweeten, then boil the zest with the sugar water at that point.

Anyone else have better insight on this?

Nothing wrong with a little experimentation though

 

[z-bob]

I started another 3 gallon batch last week, pitched with yeast from the first batch (I washed it, and built it up on a stirplate -- it took a few days before it was healthy)

I did not make invert syrup this time, just put 2 gallons of tapwater and a crushed vitamin C tablet in a 3 gallon carboy, and shook it up good to aerate it. Added 4 pounds of sugar, some yeast nutrient (3 tsp?), and a bottle of lemon juice, and swirled it around to mix it. A lot of the sugar was still sitting on the bottom. I poured in the yeast starter, and it was bubbling the next morning. I *think* it is fermenting more vigorously than the previous batch, but it's hard to compare because that was in a bucket without an airlock. I gave the carboy a little swirl now and then to get the sugar mixed better.

Yesterday I added another 1/2 pound of sugar with 1/2 tsp of tannin and 1 tsp of yeast energizer mixed in. It almost foamed out the top when I added it. I am going to wait until it is almost done fermenting before I add the rest of the lemon juice (because of the preservatives) and top it up with the last little bit of water.

* * *
I like the idea with the bergamot; I think that's too much zest, but I don't really have a frame of reference. Have you tried boiling it before to see what kind of extract you get? What about steeping it (cold) in cheap vodka?

 

[RegarRenill]

I wouldn't bother boiling the zest; I'd ether make an extract with vodka/everclear, or I'd put it in a spice bag and let it steep during secondary. Taste every now and then and when it gets to where you want just remove the zest. *hint* Add some sanitized marbles to keep in submerged and tie some sanitized fishing line to the bag to make taking it out easier.

 

[Briatta]

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I'm not sure using just the zest would get you where you need to be.

Its my understanding that aroma (which zest provides more than flavor) would essentially be scrubbed out during fermentation, and the end result wouldn't have much orange flavor.
If I were in your shoes, I'd juice the oranges until you have about the same volume as the recipe calls for lemon juice. Save the zest until it's time to backsweeten, then boil the zest with the sugar water at that point.

Anyone else have better insight on this?

Nothing wrong with a little experimentation though

They didn't say anything about using the zest during fermentation or juicing the oranges. All they asked was if making a sugar syrup flavored with the zest of the sour oranges would be something to try for the back sweetening. Did they make a different post that got edited that I'm missing?


Their idea sounds good to me.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

The idea is the same isn't it? I thought zest provided more of an aromatic that fades over time. It's the same idea behind dry hopping: more of a contribution to aromatics than flavor.

I could be wrong and their idea might turn out fantastic, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[TheCollector]

Hey guys I just thought I'd share a look at my carbed up skeeter pee. I over shot my water volumes and ended up with more than would fit in my secondary fermenter so I put it in a 1 gallon jug. Ended up being about %8.5 or so since it was a bit watered down. (doesn't taste watered down) so I continued the regular recipe for the bulk volume and I tried carbing the 1 gallon. Tried a bottle after about 8 days and nothing. No carbonation at all... So I put them to the back of the beer cabinet and forgot about them just assuming they wouldn't carb. Fast forward 2 months. Last night I said what the heck and I tried one.

BAM!!!

View attachment 1423005983241.jpg

 

[vanishingpint]

I've made a crap ton of skeeter pee,lemon mostly some lime.Never tried to carb it but that looks pretty refreshing.Good job .I probably should get started on this summers supply.That pee goes fast when it's hot out.

 

[Renegades_Brew]

I hear you there on the speed of it running out. I've also found it ages really well so I made three large batches in the fall. Something like 7.5 cases worth of skeeter pee in three flavors standing by for the summer now.

 

[Colesrt8]

Ok so made my first batch of pee....followed recipe to the letter pretty much so far. Question is...for my starter thawed some frozen blue berries, probably pound and a half or so with a cup and a half of filtered water and some sugar. Had it at a Very low Boil it for a bit. Till the blueberries started to pop. Hit it with an emersion blender and the simmered it for about 20-25 MIN to help invert the sugar. Doing this, should I still have use some pectic enzyme? Pitched the yeast last night and by morning it had a three inch head of foam and the strongest yeast smell or I airated the must and picthed. Oh and use Ec-1118

 

[Captive]

Ok so made my first batch of pee....followed recipe to the letter pretty much so far. Question is...for my starter thawed some frozen blue berries, probably pound and a half or so with a cup and a half of filtered water and some sugar. Had it at a Very low Boil it for a bit. Till the blueberries started to pop. Hit it with an emersion blender and the simmered it for about 20-25 MIN to help invert the sugar. Doing this, should I still have use some pectic enzyme? Pitched the yeast last night and by morning it had a three inch head of foam and the strongest yeast smell or I airated the must and picthed. Oh and use Ec-1118

Personally, I would use the pectic enzyme if I wanted the finished product to clear. You may have trouble getting the enzyme to work while the ferment is going. You may be better off at this point to wait until the ferment completes, and then add the PE.

 

[Colesrt8]

So when I transfer it to the carboy add it as well as the sorbate kmeta and sparkaloid?

 

[TheCollector]

I'm not honestly familiar with pectic enzyme so no help there but if you can wait an extra few weeks the sparkaloid is not necessary. I have seen it my self. Clear as could be without it. AND it makes this already cheap recipe even cheaper!

 

[TheCollector]

I've made a crap ton of skeeter pee,lemon mostly some lime.Never tried to carb it but that looks pretty refreshing.Good job .I probably should get started on this summers supply.That pee goes fast when it's hot out.

Hey vanishingpint,
How does the recipe turn out with real-lime instead of lemon? Also have you ever tried a half half of the 2?

 

[z-bob]

I really don't think you need pectic enzyme. Blueberries don't have much pectin. I've made wine with crabapple jelly (lots of cooked pectin) and it turned out crystal clear.

 

[Colesrt8]

I really don't think you need pectic enzyme. Blueberries don't have much pectin. I've made wine with crabapple jelly (lots of cooked pectin) and it turned out crystal clear.

Thanks zbob..what negatives does using the pectine enzyme bring?

 

[vanishingpint]

Collector I really am a fan of all things lime ,and lime pee is really good but I still make lemon about 2to1 .There's just something about cold lemonade on a hot day that I enjoy .If you like lime you should try it.It'll mess you up just as quick and you might like it better.

 

[z-bob]

Thanks zbob..what negatives does using the pectin enzyme bring?

I don't think there are any negatives.

 

[vanishingpint]

That should say mess you up.

 

[Colesrt8]

Anyone ever try distilling some skeeter pee? Kind of curious on that on since it is so cheap and easy to make.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

You mean like freezing and pouring off what's left as liquid, or actual distillation? One's legal (and allowed to be talked about on the forums) and the other is not.

 

[Boom]

Hey guys, I've been lurking forever on here and decided to chime in here.

I'm a total n00b, but I've recently thrown a Skeeter Pee together.
I decided to just toss everything in all at once from the recipe (all the juice, all the nutrients, tannin, energizer, and sugar) and topped off to about 5.5 gallons.

I rehydrated per the packet instructions two packets of lalvin 71b-1122 and pitched it. I put a hooded sweatshirt on my brew bucket and occasionally whipped this with a drill mounted wine whip. Kept ambient temperature at 64-65 degrees.

Nothing happened for 5-6 days, then it went crazy bubbling hard for 3-4 days. Checked yesterday when it slowed down to basically nothing, see pic for gravity. I think it tastes pretty decent tho very cloudy.

Next I'll be racking and hitting it with sorbate/kmeta and sparkaloid.

I'll update with how the final product is but I'm happy that I was able to just throw everything together at once and for fermentation to occur!

 

[vanishingpint]

Hey Boom ,welcome. I have put part of the juice in then the yeast and all the juice and the yeast and it's always taken off either way.I never understood the whole juice is acidic and yeast has a hard time getting going. My experience is that yeast will figure out a way to do it's stuff.Start another batch you won't regret it.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

It has more to do with the yeast overcoming the preservatives in the lemon juice, coupled with the acidity of the juice makes for a harsh environment for the yeast.

 

[Boom]

Thanks for the welcome!

So just to clarify something -- I read that I can start a new batch right on top of the Skeeter yeast cake. I'm confused about that - does that mean once I rack off this cloudy pee for the first time, is the remaining sediment in the primary my "yeast cake" - or is the yeast cake what precipitates out once it clears in secondary?

Or ought I just rehydrate two more packets of fresh yeast?

 

[Reaver]

Use new yeast. If you want, do a starter with the rehydrated yeast (I do) . I mix up he batch, pull some aside and dilute it by half. SP is a harsh environment for yeast, best to start fresh.

 

[vanishingpint]

I always use new yeast and rehydrate. never had a problem so I just stick with that.

 

[TheCollector]

Anyone ever try distilling some skeeter pee? Kind of curious on that on since it is so cheap and easy to make.

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!

 

[TheCollector]

Anyone ever try distilling some skeeter pee? Kind of curious on that on since it is so cheap and easy to make.

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!

 

[TheCollector]

This is it

View attachment 1425106003340.jpg