# What to do with sediment at bottom of carboy?



## windsorcavintner (Oct 2, 2013)

Is there anything that can be made from the sediment at the bottom of your carboy? We have what looks like almost a full gallon of it. I've read that it is full of antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties. However, it's supposed to taste bitter and hard to swallow. Do you just compost it? Or, has anyone found a good use for it?


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## Arne (Oct 3, 2013)

You can sometimes put it in a container and set it in the fridge. Leave it sit for a few days and many times you can carefully pour some extra wine off it. You can use it to start a batch of skeeter pee. Or like last night here, I put some extra water in the bottom of the primary to loosen the sediment up and poured it into the garden. Course I am not too sure it is going to add anything there, we had 5 1/2 inches of rain last night. Arne.


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## JohnT (Oct 3, 2013)

You could always make a batch of Skeeter Pee.


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## Sammyk (Oct 3, 2013)

Refrigerate it for a few days and then use a siphon to reclaim the wine on top. Sometimes we siphon it off and drink it or sometimes it is used to top off. It just depends on what stage we are at in the fermentation on how it is used.
Then the lees are poured down the sink drain where it goes into our septic tank where it can work some more on that sludge.


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## bchilders (Oct 3, 2013)

I usually pour mine down the drain but then I have never had a gallon from one batch unless it is after primary with fresh fruit and then I bury that in my compost area. I bury it so the bees and other varmints are not attracted.


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## jswordy (Oct 3, 2013)

I'll add to Arne's comment. If you grow grapes, pour it along the vine row. The yeasts in it will eventually become native to your grapes.


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## froeschli (Oct 3, 2013)

I just poured the "fluffy stuff" from the bottom of my banana wine over some mango mash - within an hour it was happily fermenting. Usually (when its fairly compact) I toss it in the garden or down the drain...


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## triebenbach07 (Oct 3, 2013)

I've heard of people making jelly from if.


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## jamesngalveston (Oct 3, 2013)

you can use it in sauces are gravys, much like you would wine, but in smaller qtys...I pour mine in my garden. I hate the stuff, but the garden likes it.


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## Julie (Oct 3, 2013)

I am really surprised that no one has come on here and said skeeter pee!


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## Arne (Oct 3, 2013)

Gotcha Julie, check out posts 2 and 3.  Arne.


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## windsorcavintner (Oct 3, 2013)

What is skeeter pee?


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## Tess (Oct 4, 2013)

I pour mine down the toilet!! As far as skeeter pee goes you can use the very mix you make to start your pee. 3 bottles of 32 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
7 lbs sugar (or 16 cups) to ferment. 
3/4 tsp tannin. 6 tsp. yeast nutrient (3 now, 3 later).
2 tsp. yeast energizer (1 now, 1 later) 
When you came to this part in the recipe. Use your wine thief of baster and take just enough out to start your yeast. This is your slurry. Works just as well


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## Tess (Oct 4, 2013)

windsorcavintner said:


> What is skeeter pee?



Put skeeter pee in your search engine!! You have to make it at least once. very nice summer wine!!


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## Tess (Oct 4, 2013)

Let me clarify!! Im sure. No, I know there are a lot of good reasons to maybe store your true slurry but Mine would go bad before I used it. 
I dont have the operation that maybe a lot of the old timers do!! There is a lot of good reason to save slurry but Im still new so its not on the top of my list right now!! You can make pee with out saving old slurry and it will be fine


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## Sammyk (Oct 4, 2013)

You can freeze the slurry to use later. Done that many times.


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## Julie (Oct 4, 2013)

Dam, Arne, never saw that, lol.


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## JohnT (Oct 4, 2013)

Julie said:


> Dam, Arne, never saw that, lol.


 
Julie, 

Just for that, I think you should give Arne and mayself a "Get out of the corner Free" card.


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## opalburn (Oct 4, 2013)

Are we talking about the sediment after the first racking at the 3 month mark? I really would love to make skeeter pee, and there wasn't very much sediment in my primary when I transferred to my carboy. If I can make skeeter pee from the sediment of my first racking that would be awesome.


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## Elmer (Oct 4, 2013)

Take all the left over sediment, dump into a pile in your back yard, drive way, parking lot, etc...
bring out any container of aging or fermenting wine which may have sediment waiting to drop, so they maybe witness!

Take a baseball bat or some blunt object and Beat the sediment, get all your aggression out! Tell the sediement that it is not welcome here!
Then tell all your wines to let this be an example!
Get out of my wine or suffer the same fate!!!!!!


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## suecasa (Oct 4, 2013)

*septic??*



Sammyk said:


> Refrigerate it for a few days and then use a siphon to reclaim the wine on top. Sometimes we siphon it off and drink it or sometimes it is used to top off. It just depends on what stage we are at in the fermentation on how it is used.
> Then the lees are poured down the sink drain where it goes into our septic tank where it can work some more on that sludge.



I wondered about that .. we are on a septic too and i wasnt sure if the lees would be a benefit or harm … so it's a good thing?? yeah!!


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## JohnT (Oct 4, 2013)

Elmer, 

Are you sure you are not from new jersey???


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## Sammyk (Oct 4, 2013)

Since the sludge may contain some active yeast it could very well be a good thing. It certainly does not cause any harm.


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## Terri (Jan 26, 2014)

How long can you keep you slurry in the fridge. We just racked two batches of wine and have one batch of skeeter pee we are just starting and will use one slurry for, but hate to waste the second batch of slurry.


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