Skeeter Pee

[cosmatics]

Hey guys, I'd bet that your "pee" is just degassing at this point, and is most likely finished. As always, the only way to tell is by gravity readings over the course of a few days. I think you can either check the FG, and if its about where you want it, just degas, clear, bottle, keg or whatever. Goodluck.

 

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

Hey guys, I'd bet that your "pee" is just degassing at this point, and is most likely finished. As always, the only way to tell is by gravity readings over the course of a few days. I think you can either check the FG, and if its about where you want it, just degas, clear, bottle, keg or whatever. Goodluck.

I agree. My stuff is done and in a glass within 3 weeks easy.

 

[Wineomatic]

I agree. My stuff is done and in a glass within 3 weeks easy.

This has me worried, I did the same process EdWort suggested with the Apfelwein (letting it age in the carboy rather than bottling in 4 weeks) so mine has been sitting in the carboy a little over three months:

I put my Skeeter in the carboy back at the end of October, so here are my questions:

1. Was it left for too long? Is there such a thing?

2. I haven't back sweetened the skeeter yet, can I do that pre-bottling?

3. If back sweeten pre-bottling is doable with standard table sugar, K Meta, and Potassium Sorbet (3 gallon carboy)?

 

[D_Nyholm]

I let mine sit until it clears after degassing. Sometimes it can take a while. For sweetening, I would stabilize, then back sweeter, then let it sit for a week to be certain no fermentation occurs, then bottle. I would hate for you to bottle and have them all explode on you if the stabilization didn't work!

 

[Sevenal]

Since this is essentially Lemon Wine, I prefer to ferment at 70 degrees or slightly above that. My SP was done in 4 weeks. I racked to another carboy and cold crashed. I did stabilize but the wife prefers it sweet and others like it dry. We just make a simple syrup according to taste, making it more like tart chilled wine to hard Lemonaide over ice.
I keep mine in gallon jugs untill needed then bottle up.
Enjoy!

 

[ilikerolls]

Since this is essentially Lemon Wine, I prefer to ferment at 70 degrees or slightly above that. My SP was done in 4 weeks. I racked to another carboy and cold crashed. I did stabilize but the wife prefers it sweet and others like it dry. We just make a simple syrup according to taste, making it more like tart chilled wine to hard Lemonaide over ice.
I keep mine in gallon jugs untill needed then bottle up.
Enjoy!

So is it normal for Skeeter Pee to taste like lemon wine? I was under the impression this was more like lemonade with a kick to it. I followed the directions and had to extract half a gallon before clearing. So I thought I would do a test to see how much table sugar to add, so added 1/2 cup table sugar(being recipe is almost 1 cup per gallon). It basically tasted like wine with a hint of lemon. So I added a little more sugar and got a little bit better results, but I have to admit with all the rave about it I was a little disappointed. Please tell me there is a better way to sweeten...



What type of syrup did you make(invert sugar?)?

 

[flyinpig]

after it works to about .998ish, I rack from bucket to carboy and add 1/2 tsp kmeta, 2 1/2 tsp sorbate and sometimes the sparkolloid, sometimes not. let it clear out in the carboy and then add about 6c of sugar (dissolved in a simple sugar), FG about 1.020. make sure it doesnt ferment again and bottle in about 2 wks, sometimes a week depends on how thirsty the wife is!
I have had nothing but good reviews of it.

 

[flyinpig]

And yes an invert sugar....

 

[notjustanyjoe]

Finally bottled my skeeter pee. started it on 12/26/13 and did everything as in the recipe except I just pitched a dry yeast on the top and didn't use a slurry or starter. I currently have an Apfelwein in another carboy and will try to use the slurry from that in my next batch. This is my very first batch of anything and SWMBO kept looking at me funny during this process, my apfelwein process and a beer I just brewed last weekend. Now that she tasted my pee she understands and can't wait to drink more of it. haha.

 

[BamaProud]

I don't usually get too creative with labels, just bottle date, contents and my brew-name. The wife got a little creative this time, I thought it was cute.

 

[ilikerolls]

Just an update my pee tastes much better although I added a 32 oz of cranberry juice to make pink lemonade. It already tastes good and I haven't even back sweetened yet. I will take a gravity reading tomorrow.
Btw where did you get those nice 1 gallon jugs?

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[BamaProud]

The high end grocery stores (Whole Foods) still sell Juice in glass. ...or you can buy them for about 5 bucks each http://www.midwestsupplies.com/searchspring/result/?cat=&q=jugs

 

[IvanBrew]

I have my first ever batch of pee happily bubbling away at the moment. I followed the recipe pretty straight up, with the exceptions of using the Costco lemon juice and making a starter vs. pitching on lees of a wine batch.

Is there a "total volume brewed" thread for skeeterpee like there is the apfelwein thread? That seems kinda fun to track. If not, any objection to me starting one?

 

[Texconsinite]

Btw where did you get those nice 1 gallon jugs?

In TX area, I found that Fiesta grocery stores sell unfiltered Organic Apple in nice gallon glass jugs for $10. Cant wait to use this apple juice to make apfelwein.

Otherwise, Carlo Rossi wines.

One problem i have when buying Gallon jugs for storing finished homebrew, is they tend to get used for fermenting 1 gallon batches in and SP starters in. You've been warned!!

 

[Vox]

I too use the 1 gallon Apple juice glass jugs from Whole Foods.

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[IvanBrew]

BTW:

I was expecting a slow ferment based on all the comments about the acidity impacting yeast, etc., but my 1st batch went off like a bomb.

I made a 1 gal starter at about half gravity (cut must with water) and pitched it into the main batch at about 36 hours. I had airlock activity within an hour and within 6 hours I had krausen. 24 hours later SG has fallen from 1.070 to 1.054.

I wonder if it's not the acidity that's the problem, but rather the preservatives... I used "Italian Volcano" brand juice from Costco, which does not contain preservatives. I also oxygenated very well with O2 and a stainless air stone...

 

[Texconsinite]

My understanding is that it is the preservatives that are the problem moreso than acid, which is why you oxygenate and cover the main batch with a towel to give those preservatives 48 hours to evaporate before pitching.

Ive always used a starter for my Pee, and have had similarly active ferments. It ferments DRY in under 3 weeks every time, and airlock actively bubbles throughout the process. I have always used Lemon juice with preservatives in it, but never had a problem

 

[ilikerolls]

Yeah I used a starter as well. I don't think I ever seen that much activity.

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[htc]

I pee'd in my primary yesterday. With that out of the way, I used 5 lbs sugar, tannin, yeast nute/energizer and one bottle of juice. I'm going to delay the other 2 bottles to give the yeast a chance to get started. 12% brix (1.048 s.g.) dry pitched a single packet of Red Star Champagne Yeast at 65 degrees.

 

[Vox]

Good Morning All,

I just made my first batch of pee and hope to have it drinkable by our wedding rehearsal dinner in three weeks. I've had a half gallon starter going for a few days since I didn't have a slurry and just did the rest of the recipe for the primary last night. Wound up staying up til 12:20 AM as I didn't realize how much time it would take to heat, hold it there, and cool the inverted sugar. The sg was 1.65. The things we do for our love of brewing! Tonight I will add the half gallon starter to the main five gallon portion

My question to you all is, I would maybe like to make this blackberry pee as I love blackberry lemonade and made a good batch of blackberry cider that people raved about. Any suggestions on when and how to include the blackberry? I've read threads saying people have had success imparting many fruit flavors. I assume I would just add some blackberries to the primary? But how much and does it need to go in a bag? Thanks for your insight.

 

[Arpolis]

Wait till you get to the step of stabilizing and sweetening and add your blackberries then. Just freeze the berries in a muslin bag and thaw them in the new carboy. About 2-3 lb per gallon should work. Let the pee sit on the berries and plenty of flavor will leach out. 3 weeks is an ambitious time table but if it ferments quick and finishes in under two weeks then you can add your finnings. Rack in a day or two. Stabilize and sweeten/add berries the following day. At least 7 days on the berries would be good but I prefer a few weeks.

 

[Texconsinite]

I usually add 1-2lbs of thawed frozen fruit to primary, inside of nylon bag. Then, when backsweetening, I use 2-3 cans of 100% frozen juice concentrate, in addition to sugar, to achieve desired results. The trick will be finding a frozen blackberry 100% juice concentrate. A good one I've used is Old Orchard Berry Blend, very berrylicious.
Some recipes call for muuuuuch more fruit in primary, but that $$$$$ adds up real quick, and my nylon bag only holds so much, and loose fruit in primary will cause more floating bits which will cause it to clarify slower.

Congrats on the upcoming wedding, and great idea to incorporate homebrew. I gave my groomsmen homebrew mead sampler packs when i got married last year and told them they got better with age. One of them drank 4 12oz bottles that night.

Have done this strategy to make SP with mixed berries, pineapple, watermelon and grapefruit, with good results every time, but its very hard to predict how long it will take to clear. Some were fast, others slooow.

Since time is an issue, perhaps nixing the fruit and just adding the juice concentrate at end would be faster?
Tried that with a Cherry Lime SP with good results.
Also, if you can (with SWMBO's approval) clear enough fridgespace to cold crash the entire carboy, that could speed up clarification that much more

Either way, 3 weeks is a stretch. It will ferment dry

 

[Vox]

Clarity is only an issue for aesthetics no? It will be evening time and most people attending don't know anything about craft brews so I'm not worried about tough critics. If it isn't ready by then, I'm not worried. We will have our first pool party in early April to commission our new tiki bar I'm almost done building might just go straight pee or only try backsweetening part of the batch with frozen concentrate to avoid complications given it being my first pee and the time frame.

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[Texconsinite]

My first batch of pee was straight. I have experimented with every subsequent batch, but it was nice to try the regular pee first just to get a better idea what it tastes like and what flavor favors I would want to give to next batch.

The regular pee is quite good, and my next batch, after current Dragons Blood (mixed berry pee) is done will be pretty basic Lemon-Lime, to see how that goes

 

[Arpolis]

I think tart cherry goes very well with SP. Admittedly I have changed to doing a mead version of SP and that is what I mix the tart cherry juice with but man I think it is amazing. I no longer experiment with the recipe. That is now my go to with any SP variant.

 

[Vox]

My first batch of pee was straight. I have experimented with every subsequent batch, but it was nice to try the regular pee first just to get a better idea what it tastes like and what flavor favors I would want to give to next batch.

The regular pee is quite good, and my next batch, after current Dragons Blood (mixed berry pee) is done will be pretty basic Lemon-Lime, to see how that goes

What's your recipe for dragon's blood? Sounds right up my alley.

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[pauldliny]

Vox, when the gravity hits 1.05 I degas, add the remainder of lemon juice, nutrient and energizer. With that done I add 3lbs of thawed frozen blackberries( cherry, blueberries, raspberries etc...) in a stocking to the primary bucket(squish it good to get the juices flowing). Let it finish to fg of around .998. Hope this helps

 

[Vox]

Vox, when the gravity hits 1.05 I degas, add the remainder of lemon juice, nutrient and energizer. With that done I add 3lbs of thawed frozen blackberries( cherry, blueberries, raspberries etc...) in a stocking to the primary bucket(squish it good to get the juices flowing). Let it finish to fg of around .998. Hope this helps

Sounds amazing. How many times have you done the recipe?

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[pauldliny]

Vox, made 13 5 gal batches, all flavors(trying a tropical fruit blend today) putting the fruit in at this point gives great flavor and backsweetening after stabilizing with about 5.5 cups of sugar makes it sweet enough for the ladies and tart enough for me not to be embarresed to drink with the guys. Seriously though, Love this stuff!

 

[Vox]

Vox, made 13 5 gal batches, all flavors(trying a tropical fruit blend today) putting the fruit in at this point gives great flavor and backsweetening after stabilizing with about 5.5 cups of sugar makes it sweet enough for the ladies and tart enough for me not to be embarresed to drink with the guys. Seriously though, Love this stuff!

How long does it usually take to get to 1.05 so I know when to start testing the gravity? I have it at 70 degrees.

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[IvanBrew]

How long does it usually take to get to 1.05 so I know when to start testing the gravity? I have it at 70 degrees.

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From what I'd read, I expected a slow ferment, but...

Mine hit 1.050 (from 1.070) in something like 36 hours...

That was a 1 gallon starter of EC1118, oxygenated with O2 and fermented at 70 F ambient.

 

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

How long does it usually take to get to 1.05 so I know when to start testing the gravity? I have it at 70 degrees.

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Mine averages about 3 days.

 

[Vox]

Thanks

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[Vox]

Just checked my gravity after 5 days starting at 1.065 and I was already @ 1.02 and still bubbling nicely so I went ahead and added the nutrient, energizer, and remaining lemon juice and gave it a good whip. Dropped faster than I thought. Hopefully no harm done in adding the stuff a couple days late. Will rack it in a couple days to a carboy.

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[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

Just checked my gravity after 5 days starting at 1.065 and I was already @ 1.02 and still bubbling nicely so I went ahead and added the nutrient, energizer, and remaining lemon juice and gave it a good whip. Dropped faster than I thought. Hopefully no harm done in adding the stuff a couple days late. Will rack it in a couple days to a carboy.

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Nah its happened to me also. It will be just as tasty!

 

[Arpolis]

Agreed! It should be just fine.

 

[Vox]

Sweet. Didn't expect the gravity to drop that fast. Maybe because I did a starter with two packs of ec-1118 lol Now I just hope it and the hefe we made are done in two weeks for our rehearsal dinner. Need to decide how I want to bottle it. How long will this keep if I bottle it and not all is consumed right away?

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[D_Nyholm]

I've had some after a year in bottles and it still tastes great. High alcohol and acidity seem to help it keep well.

 

[Sevenal]

I think tart cherry goes very well with SP. Admittedly I have changed to doing a mead version of SP and that is what I mix the tart cherry juice with but man I think it is amazing. I no longer experiment with the recipe. That is now my go to with any SP variant.

I really like cranberry and tart cherry. What form? concentrate or juice?
What volume do you use to 5 gal of SP?
I know it is a trial and error thing.
And when do you add it? During the ferment or after it is finished and stablized.

Thanks for any consideration.

 

[trainman66]

Does this have to be racked to a sec Carboy or can it stay in one Carboy the whole time?


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