Here was my most recent batch of blueberry skeeter for the record:
1 gallon blueberry juice (technically mix of blueberry, grape and apple, Costco)- no perservatives
64 oz. Real Lemon juice from concentrate- no perservatives
4lbs brown sugar
3lbs sugar
2 gallons water
I heated in pot on stove for about 30 mins at around 190degrees to dissolve sugars and sterilize water.
Yeast starter:
1 packet ec-118 yeast, rehydrated in 2oz boiled cooled water about 100 degrees.
1 cup of cooled must mixture from stove
1 cup water to approx. gravity of about 1.040
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
Put starter on stir plate, let go overnight, about 12 hours later I add some bubbling from starter, I added 1/2c of must, let go another 4 hours, added 1/2c must. Let finish about 4 more hours, was really fizzing like crazy.
I sanitized a bucket, added room temp must, about 1 gal boiled cooled water, yeast starter, to a shade under 5 gallons. I whipped it with a whisk for a few minutes. I covered with a clean sanitized towel.
Next morning it was fizzing away, 2 days later I have a nice foam top. I have whipped it every morning for 1st 3 days. Will take a grav reading after a week.
I'm really liking this open top fermenting for the wine, its easy to degas, no volcanos and it really looks like its working well. Forgot to add my SG for this batch was about 1.088, I'm shooting for around 12%.