# 6 gallon Skeeter Pee Recipe



## abefroman

I'm starting a 6 gallon SP today, I know a lot of people, especially the kit makers, are used to doing 6 gal batches, here is the scaled version of Lon's (AKA MinnesotaWineMakers) 5 gal recipe (from http://skeeterpee.com/Skeeter_Pee/Recipe.html).

For a 6 gallon batch

114oz 100% lemon juice
(e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)

19.25 cups sugar (8.4 pounds)

<1 tsp tannin

7+ tsp. yeast nutrient
2.5 tsp. yeast energizer

Approx, 5 ¾ gallons water

Yeast Slurry

Potassium metabisulfite (Kmeta)

Potassium sorbate (sorbate)

Sparkolloid


Many people have difficulty getting lemonade to ferment. This is due, I believe, to several factors. The high acidity, the lack of natural nutrients, and preservatives that are often included in the lemon juice. Therefore, I do whatever I can to assist the process.

I use reverse osmosis water (this is by choice and tap water should work fine since much of the chlorine should evaporate out during the initial steps). Make invert sugar by adding your 19.25 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 9.625 (call it 9 2/3) cups water and 16.8 (call it 1/3c+) teaspoons lemon juice. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and pour it into your primary along with 76 oz (this is 2 bottles plus 12oz from a 3rd bottle) of the lemon juice (reserve the last 38oz until later), and enough additional water to make 6.6 gallons. Add the tannin, 3.5+ tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1.25 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.

Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.07 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives. I then cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.


After 24-48 hours, give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine. It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (70-80 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.


Periodically check the gravity. When it gets down to around 1.05, add the other 3.5+ tsp of nutrient the second 1.25 tsp of energizer, and the last 38oz (1 bottle + 6oz) of lemon juice; vigorously mix it in. Don’t be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time. This late addition of yeast food and oxygen helps reduce the likelihood of your batch developing a sulfur-dioxide problem. (Because of the high acidity and low nutrition, lemon has a higher propensity to developing the sulfur-dioxide rotten egg smell.) After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.


Allow the Pee to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add .25 tsp Kmeta, 3 tsp sorbate, and sparkolliod (follow directions on the package). After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 7.2 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.


----------



## Redtrk

How has this recipe worked out so far?


----------



## ffemt128

Skeeter Pee is a wonderful drink. Everyone should try it at least once.


----------



## Redtrk

ffemt128 said:


> Skeeter Pee is a wonderful drink. Everyone should try it at least once.



Doug I would like too! Therefore I need to get some going so it could be ready by summer. From what I have read here I need to save some slurry to start it so I'll have to make something else first which is not a problem. 
Can anyone tell me what slurry works/tastes best in the pee?


----------



## ffemt128

Redtrk said:


> Doug I would like too! Therefore I need to get some going so it could be ready by summer. From what I have read here I need to save some slurry to start it so I'll have to make something else first which is not a problem.
> Can anyone tell me what slurry works/tastes best in the pee?



You could also take the alternate approach and create a starter. There should be post out there on how to do this. I take the yeast and re-hydrate in some sugar water with nutrient then add must from the pee in small quanties to acclimate the yeast. Once there is a good starter going, add that to the pee. Worked fine for my batch last year.


----------



## Redtrk

ffemt128 said:


> You could also take the alternate approach and create a starter. There should be post out there on how to do this. I take the yeast and re-hydrate in some sugar water with nutrient then add must from the pee in small quanties to acclimate the yeast. Once there is a good starter going, add that to the pee. Worked fine for my batch last year.



The only thing I would have close to using would be what is in the bottom of the white zin carboy after it's second clearing.


----------



## ffemt128

Here are the directions for the starter I used last year which were posted by IQwine.

1. Clean and sterile a quart jar 
2. 4-8 oz of warm water. use a thermometer and pitch at 90 degrees or so
3. 1 tsp sugar and add a pinch of nutrient (stir)
4. pitch yeast and cover with towel
5. let stand undisturbed for 15-30 min
6. you should see good action by now
7. stir gently -- it's a new baby yeast
8. let stand 15-30 min
9. introduce the must to the yeast starter by adding no more than 1/2 the volume you have the yeast in ( if U have 8 oz. add 4 oz now)
10. let stand 30 min
11. add 1/2 the volume again ( so now 6 oz)
12 recover with towel each time
13 after a few hours U will have at least 1 quart of a vigorous starter.
14. very important to have a warm must ( I try for 75-80 degrees, probably closer to 80) so to not have the difference of the starter temp and the must temp to be not further than 10 degrees difference to shock the yeast


----------



## Redtrk

Redtrk said:


> Doug I would like too! Therefore I need to get some going so it could be ready by summer. From what I have read here I need to save some slurry to start it so I'll have to make something else first which is not a problem.
> Can anyone tell me what slurry works/tastes best in the pee?





ffemt128 said:


> You could also take the alternate approach and create a starter. There should be post out there on how to do this. I take the yeast and re-hydrate in some sugar water with nutrient then add must from the pee in small quanties to acclimate the yeast. Once there is a good starter going, add that to the pee. Worked fine for my batch last year.





Redtrk said:


> The only thing I would have close to using would be what is in the bottom of the white zin carboy after it's second clearing.



I forgot about the chocolate Raspberry Port I had in the primary! I just transferred it to a 3 gallon carboy and saved the slurry from the bottom of the primary. Will this work for starting Skeeter Pee? I have just over a half quart of it I put in a jar and placed it in the fridge.


----------



## Tess

Im starting a new batch of this next week. You can make a starter from the batch your making. After adding all the ingredients in your first step just remove about half a jar full and use it as your starter


----------

