# Skeeter pee, is it over? kindly help



## cojjoc (Feb 6, 2021)

Thanks a lot for a great forum and the support. Newbie here,

Skeeter pee , is it done? please refer the SG picture, Left side is water, right side is Skeeter pee.
I can say it moved 1 point in the markings in a week, very small bubbles can be seen, i think it's very slow. 

Additional Details:

Used champagne yeast not sure whether it is ec 1118.

Temperature was highly fluctuating 63F to 80F

Didn't move it to secondary yet.

Giving a whip daily.


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## cmason1957 (Feb 6, 2021)

I don't think it is done fermenting, yet. Any way to keep the temp from fluctuating and add near to 70F as possible. Might be a good time to move it to a carboy.


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## cojjoc (Feb 6, 2021)

cmason1957 said:


> I don't think it is done fermenting, yet. Any way to keep the temp from fluctuating and add near to 70F as possible. Might be a good time to move it to a carboy.


Thanks for the reply, I started the primary in carboy itself. Don't want to miss the yeast cake so continued the fermentation in primary carboy itself.

So how do I go about finding when it's done or how many more points in the reading should i wait for. Thanks in advance

I will try to maintain the temperature.


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## BernardSmith (Feb 6, 2021)

Hi cojjoc, and welcome. Fermentation is "done" when the gravity drops to 1.000 or lower. Pure water has a density (gravity) of 1.000 and when you add sugar to water the density rises. A pound of sugar will raise the density by about 40 points (1.040). Alcohol is LESS dense than water so that technically, a gravity of 1.000 means that the solution may still have some sugar remaining. And in fact you might see many wines finish with gravities below 1.000 (say .996 or .994). BUT anything above 1.000 says that the yeast should still be able to ferment remaining sugars. 
That said, all this assumes that your starting gravity was not out in the stratosphere: wines (including skeeter pee) typically have a starting gravity of about 1.090 and any wine or beer yeast should have little trouble fermenting every molecule of sugar. If your starting gravity was say, 1.150 or thereabouts then a) few yeasts have that tolerance for alcohol and they simply quit because of the toxic environment and b) many yeast cannot even begin to ferment because the concentration of sugar is so high they are unable to transport the sugar through their cell walls


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## cojjoc (Feb 6, 2021)

BernardSmith said:


> Hi cojjoc, and welcome. Fermentation is "done" when the gravity drops to 1.000 or lower. Pure water has a density (gravity) of 1.000 and when you add sugar to water the density rises. A pound of sugar will raise the density by about 40 points (1.040). Alcohol is LESS dense than water so that technically, a gravity of 1.000 means that the solution may still have some sugar remaining. And in fact you might see many wines finish with gravities below 1.000 (say .996 or .994). BUT anything above 1.000 says that the yeast should still be able to ferment remaining sugars.
> That said, all this assumes that your starting gravity was not out in the stratosphere: wines (including skeeter pee) typically have a starting gravity of about 1.090 and any wine or beer yeast should have little trouble fermenting every molecule of sugar. If your starting gravity was say, 1.150 or thereabouts then a) few yeasts have that tolerance for alcohol and they simply quit because of the toxic environment and b) many yeast cannot even begin to ferment because the concentration of sugar is so high they are unable to transport the sugar through their cell walls


Thanks for the detailed explanation. So my SG now is at 1.000 or below 1.000, is it at 0.998?


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## hounddawg (Feb 7, 2021)

you're at a good point to airlock,,,, you can rack off your gross lees , then top off and airlock, either use time to clear or a fining agent,
Dawg


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## BernardSmith (Feb 7, 2021)

cojjoc said:


> So my SG now is at 1.000 or below 1.000, is it at 0.998?


 Is it? Only you have access to your reading of your hydrometer. If it is below 1.000 then it could be at .998 or between .998 and 1.000 or it could be below .998. Where does the meniscus (the surface of the liquid that looks like a line against your hydrometer) cut across the numbered lines of your hydrometer. That is the nominal "gravity" or density of your wine compared to pure water and with wine that gives us a good idea of the amount of sugar still remaining in solution.


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## cojjoc (Feb 8, 2021)

hounddawg said:


> you're at a good point to airlock,,,, you can rack off your gross lees , then top off and airlock, either use time to clear or a fining agent,
> Dawg


Thanks for the info.


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## cojjoc (Feb 8, 2021)

BernardSmith said:


> Is it? Only you have access to your reading of your hydrometer. If it is below 1.000 then it could be at .998 or between .998 and 1.000 or it could be below .998. Where does the meniscus (the surface of the liquid that looks like a line against your hydrometer) cut across the numbered lines of your hydrometer. That is the nominal "gravity" or density of your wine compared to pure water and with wine that gives us a good idea of the amount of sugar still remaining in solution.


Thanks for the reply, i have attached a picture of the hydrometer readings. I am newbie, this is my first ever batch. Didn't do hydrometer readings before. had referred lot of videos still confusing. If you see in my picture the SG of water is also not correct in my hydrometer the base line is not at 1.000 it's bit above, so compared to that i feel skeeter pee reading is just below 1.000, posted here to ask expert opinion.


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## sour_grapes (Feb 8, 2021)

Yeah, I tend to agree with you that your hydrometer (in water) looks a little miscalibrated. So, as you have already concluded, you are done, and can carry on!


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## cojjoc (Feb 9, 2021)

sour_grapes said:


> Yeah, I tend to agree with you that your hydrometer (in water) looks a little miscalibrated. So, as you have already concluded, you are done, and can carry on!


Thanks for the reply, I will go ahead, rack it and add fining agent.


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## glennwing (Jun 23, 2021)

Made my first batch of skeeter pee after fermentation I racked it to carboy and a week and a fining agent it is now clear. My question is skeeter pee something I age or once clear and back sweetened is it ready to bottle?


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## Bossbaby (Jun 23, 2021)

Typically you have your way with it once in a bottle, a little time wont hurt but it's ready for a summer party when you are.


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## BernardSmith (Jun 23, 2021)

It's ready to drink when you are ready to bottle but some say that it improves as it ages. The problem is that no-one who has made a batch has ever been able to hold onto even one bottle long enough to confirm that claim.


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