Skeeter Pee

[akthor]

How much headspace does this stuff need? I plan on making it in a 5 gallon bucket with a blow off tube like I do Apfelwein.

 

[polk121]

Sorry but Im not getting a recipe with that link for the skeeter pee just a cool pic! Could somebody give me the recipe please.

 

[akthor]

At the top of the pic is links on for recipe:

http://www.skeeterpee.com/Skeeter_Pee/Recipe.html

 

[akthor]

Can you use the yeast slurry from a batch of skeeter pee to make another batch of skeeter pee?

 

[klcramer]

I would think you may be able to the main thing I would be concerned with is that the yeast may be strained from the conditions of the first batch and may give some off flavors.

 

[DeathBrewer]

You could make this like apfelwein if you wanted. Just boil the sugar in some water first, use sanitized (boiled and cooled or store bought) water, don't open the bottles until you are ready to go and dump it all in a sanitized carboy. Skip the other additions, that's all fruit wine stuff.

The alcohol mostly comes from the sugar. If you want it to be lower (this stuff is about 10%), all you have to do is reduce the sugar. I'm sure it would still be good, flavor-wise.

 

[oldmate]

This sucks, I really doubt I'm going to be able to find lemon juice here in Aus.. Does anyone have any idea on how many lemons it would take for this?

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

You could make this like apfelwein if you wanted. Just boil the sugar in some water first, use sanitized (boiled and cooled or store bought) water, don't open the bottles until you are ready to go and dump it all in a sanitized carboy. Skip the other additions, that's all fruit wine stuff.

The alcohol mostly comes from the sugar. If you want it to be lower (this stuff is about 10%), all you have to do is reduce the sugar. I'm sure it would still be good, flavor-wise.

You know I was thinking that you could probably just ferment out sugar water...stabilize it and add in the lemon juice and back sweeten. Make it a LOT easier to do but would it taste as good? I have my second batch going and third gonna be started tomorrow.

 

[Justibone]

This sucks, I really doubt I'm going to be able to find lemon juice here in Aus.. Does anyone have any idea on how many lemons it would take for this?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061012080123AAs6ndL

 

[akthor]

Doubtful, Apfelwein takes apple juice and makes a dry white wine out of it. Skeeter Pee is supposed to be sweet and taste like lemon. I am sure if we did it like Apfelwein it would be more dry white winish. Also I guess citrus is supposed to be notorious for being hard to get fermenting which is why I think some of these other steps are involved.

You could make this like apfelwein if you wanted. Just boil the sugar in some water first, use sanitized (boiled and cooled or store bought) water, don't open the bottles until you are ready to go and dump it all in a sanitized carboy. Skip the other additions, that's all fruit wine stuff.

The alcohol mostly comes from the sugar. If you want it to be lower (this stuff is about 10%), all you have to do is reduce the sugar. I'm sure it would still be good, flavor-wise.

 

[akthor]

Enough to get 3 quarts of juice which would be alot. Why wouldn't you have lemon juice in Australia? Don't you guys use lemon juice in cooking and baking? Let alone as a mixer in drinks????

 

[klcramer]

In all reality following the recipes as it is isn't hard at all and comes out pretty darn good. Kinda the way I feel about Ed's Apfelwien recipe. If it ain't broke I ain't gonna mess with it.

 

[oldmate]

Enough to get 3 quarts of juice which would be alot. Why wouldn't you have lemon juice in Australia? Don't you guys use lemon juice in cooking and baking? Let alone as a mixer in drinks????

I personally have NEVER seen it used, not even at pubs/bars. I googled it though and found some wholesalers, just that I'm going to have to buy 10kg (min) at a time if I want to try it out.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Doubtful, Apfelwein takes apple juice and makes a dry white wine out of it. Skeeter Pee is supposed to be sweet and taste like lemon. I am sure if we did it like Apfelwein it would be more dry white winish. Also I guess citrus is supposed to be notorious for being hard to get fermenting which is why I think some of these other steps are involved.

The yeast and the fermentation is what makes it dry or not. If you want it sweet you would need to stop fermentation or back-sweeten it, regardless of the method you use. You could use whatever yeast you would like, just like apfelwein.

How do you get the idea that it would be sweeter with this method than with a different form of sanitation? The only difference I see in regards to flavor is the the tannin.

 

[akthor]

Well I think the fact it calls for a yeast slurry off another wine and not for dry yeast shaken in the juice botlle is a big difference. The slurry and the use of yeast energizer, yeast nutrient also probably show it can't be made like Apfelwein.

Why don't you try? The extra steps aren't a big deal to me but if I didn't have to do them it certainly would be better. Someday when I have enough in the pipeline I may try it.

But until someone who has made it the "traditional way" and made it like Apfelwein and says they both taste the same or damm close I will continue to make it as the recipe calls for

Like someone else said if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I don't really need to try it. I have a pretty vast knowledge of fruit wine, wine and beer making. A yeast slurry will give you more yeast and give you higher attenuation, making for a LESS sweet drink.

I was just throwing it out there. I don't see why you have a problem with that. Try it either way, either way WILL work.

For anyone that is not a regular wine maker, potassium metabisulfite is used as a sanitizer by killing off everything in the wine with sulfur dioxide gas. This is why you don't need to sanitize your equipment, just have it clean.

 

[akthor]

Sorry didn't mean to come off like I had a problem with your suggestion I am a noob especially at brewing anything but beer so I was trying to find out why or if it would work if made like Apfelwein. Didn't mean to offend.

 

[klcramer]

so my batch of skeeter pee came out looking fine and tasting quite good. The only issue I have is a slight yeasty smell. My wife and friends don't seem to mind but I know it could be better. Any ideas?

 

[Justibone]

so my batch of skeeter pee came out looking fine and tasting quite good. The only issue I have is a slight yeasty smell. My wife and friends don't seem to mind but I know it could be better. Any ideas?

Cold conditioning. Just my $.02!

 

[klcramer]

It's been in the fridge for about 2 weeks now. Is there something else I should do? maybe move it to the freezer?

 

[Justibone]

If it isn't better in the fridge for 2 weeks, then cold conditioning isn't going to fix it.

Maybe just give it time.

 

[akthor]

Did you follow the directions exactly? I think I was late in adding the 3rd bottle of lemon juice and yeast neutrient so I had a bit of the sulfur smell when I added the kmeta and sorbate and isinglass. I am going to keg it today with the 6 cups of sugar I opened the bucket and the smell has lessened a lot. Hopefully more aging will eliminate it all together.

 

[Justibone]

Anytime you use kmeta+sorb you can get a sulfur smell. Often it will go away with time, or with copper(!), or by bubbling CO2 up through it. If you are going to drink it quickly you can go ahead and aerate it to get rid of the sulfur smell -- but it will go bad pretty quick if you do that.

 

[akthor]

I had the sulfur smell before I added the kmeta and sorb.

 

[Justibone]

Well, it's possible that the sulfur is permanent then. There's a threshold when you can still get rid of it, but once it sets in long-term, it's there for good. You can either hold your nose or...

I don't know, did you email the creator of the recipe?

 

[akthor]

Well like I said you are supposed to keep checking your OG and when it get to a certain number (don't remember) you add the last bottle of lemon juice and the last of the yeast nutrient. To prevent a sulfur smell. I didn't check and think I was late adding it.

I just kegged mine with the sugar and I didn't really notice the smell so hopefully all will be good.

 

[bama2112]

Being new to wine making and haven't back-sweetened anything yet, what's the best way of adding the sugar to it in the last phase? I have 5 gallons in a glass carboy, already added the kmeta, sorbate, and sparolloid. Just waiting the two weeks before adding the 6 cups of sugar to it. So, do I waste a portion of the fermented SP to make room for the additional sugar?

 

[Justibone]

Pull some liquid out. Add the sugar. Put as much of the liquid as possible back in. If there's liquid left over, sweeten to taste and drink.

 

[akthor]

I put the 6 cups of sugar in the keg, racked on top of it, then shook the crap out of the keg. Later that night I picked it up and shook it again, then the next day before I used my "I don't need know stinking beer gun" beer gun to rack from the keg into bottles I shook it again. After the keg was empty there was no sugar left on the bottom inside so I guess it worked. Wish I could figure an easier a to do it

 

[Justibone]

Wish I could figure an easier a to do it

Boil the sugar. When it's liquid, pour it in. You still need to shake it, but not as much.