# First Batch



## tatud4life

First batch of SP is underway!!!!!  Specific gravity was 1.068 and I added 1/2 cup of sugar. Specific gravity after that was 1.074. I don't have a slurry so I am using a starter. Wish me luck!!!!


----------



## tatud4life

Here is the pic of it right after it was poured into the carboy.


----------



## oldwhiskers

Good luck, I've never started in a carboy on SP.


----------



## Julie

you better keep an eye on that or you will have a good chance of having a volcanco


----------



## tatud4life

There is a video on the skeeter pee Facebook page. The guy's name is Fo and he started his in a carboy. He didn't seem to have a problem. We will see though. Thanks!! I will keep the progress updated.


----------



## tatud4life

Lol. I know. I have already warned my wife that there is the chance it might get a little "active". I put a towel under it. I just hope it doesn't "project" itself past the towel. She won't be too happy.


----------



## Arne

Get a big garbage bag and set the carboy in it. just pull the sides of the bag up a few inches and if it volcanos on you it should be an easy cleanup. Arne.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks Arne. I believe I am going to transfer my SP from the carboy to a bucket right before I pitch the starter. That should keep me out of the doghouse. Lol

Here is a little pic of my starter about 1 hour after I pitched in the EC-1118 yeast. Looks like the yeast is liking it so far. 

I took a little video of it, but I can't post it here for some reason.


----------



## tatud4life

Hey Julie, how did the skeeter pee/ muscadine turn out? Was it red or black muscadines? I plan on using the slurry from my firsy batch of muscadine wine this winter. I will be making white wine.


----------



## Julie

they were red muscadine and it turned out very good, the color is light red. Do you know you can freeze your slurry?


----------



## tatud4life

No. I didn't know that! My starter doesn't look like it is doing anything right now. Should I give a shake or stir to wake it up?


----------



## Julie

when did you start it? Yes I would shake or stir it up


----------



## tatud4life

I started it yesterday at 2 pm. I gave it a stir this morning when I got home. Could it have already consumed all the sugar in the starter?


----------



## Julie

was it fermenting? if so it might have.


----------



## tatud4life

Yes. I could see on the side of the mason jar where the krausen had come up almost to the top. The starter was real cloudy. I transferred my SP to the bucket and pitched in the starter. Keeping my fingers crossed. Also, I was wrong about the lids for the primaries. They don't have the ring on the bottom. Sorry. :'( The starter smelled like raw dough though. Is that normal?


----------



## TJsBasement

tatud4life said:


> Yes. I could see on the side of the mason jar where the krausen had come up almost to the top. The starter was real cloudy. I transferred my SP to the bucket and pitched in the starter. Keeping my fingers crossed. Also, I was wrong about the lids for the primaries. They don't have the ring on the bottom. Sorry. :'( The starter smelled like raw dough though. Is that normal?



Glad to see you moved it to a bucket, see how much the starter foamed up.


----------



## tatud4life

Ok. I'll give it a couple of days and see if it takes off again. Yeah. I don't want to spend the next few weeks on the couch. Lol


----------



## tatud4life

I pitched the starter about 40 minutes ago do I'll have to wait to see if it starts back up.


----------



## oldwhiskers

The foam really takes off when you add the mid-stage nutrient and energize. Make sure you stir the gas out good before adding them when you get to that point.


----------



## tatud4life

Cool. Thanks whiskers!! Here is a pic of 40 minutes after I pitched the starter. There are a small amount of bubbles forming in the middle. I hope this is sign of things to come. I also hope you all can make out the bubbles in the pic. Lol


----------



## oldwhiskers

I think I can see some, I'm on my mobile right now. If you do the daily stirring like the original instructions say, you should see some bubbling.


----------



## tatud4life

Which is better for the daily stirring? I have the mixer that you attach to your drill. I have the hand held paddle mixer. Do I need to purchase a whisk as well?


----------



## Julie

tatud4life said:


> Which is better for the daily stirring? I have the mixer that you attach to your drill. I have the hand held paddle mixer. Do I need to purchase a whisk as well?


 
either the drill attachment or the hand held, your preference. 

And just go into the kitchen and steal your wife's whisk , that would work too.


----------



## tatud4life

Ok. The wife's whisk isn't big enough do I would have to get another one. She would just. And me clean it and put it back. Lol


----------



## Minnesotamaker

tatud4life said:


> Ok. The wife's whisk isn't big enough do I would have to get another one. She would just. And me clean it and put it back. Lol



Now you know what to get your wife for her birthday. A BIG whisk (so that you can borrow it). Some wives would be upset if their hubby gave a gift of a whisk, but I have experience dealing with situations like this. You wrap it up nice, and when she opens it, you tell her that you JUST HAD to get it for her because it reminded you of how she "whisked you off your feet" when you met her. Mission accomplished.


----------



## oldwhiskers

Minnesotamaker said:


> You wrap it up nice, and when she opens it, you tell her that you JUST HAD to get it for her because it reminded you of how she "whisked you off your feet" when you met her. Mission accomplished.



Definitely creative thinking.


----------



## tatud4life

Lol. That would be a good idea!! My primary is on it's second day. I see bubbles floating up, but it is not violent like I thought it would be.  Do I need to have more patience? I see now why it is hard to have patience when making wine. I want to drink it NOW!!!!


----------



## southlake333

tatud4life said:


> Lol. That would be a good idea!! My primary is on it's second day. I see bubbles floating up, but it is not violent like I thought it would be.  Do I need to have more patience? I see now why it is hard to have patience when making wine. I want to drink it NOW!!!!



Yep have more patience. Mine doesn't go nuts while fermenting. When I open the top I hear fizzling and if I shine a flashlight in, I see tons of tiny bubbles floating to the top. But it doesn't foam up or overflow like my fruit based stuff does.


----------



## tatud4life

Cool. Thanks buddy. I have lots of tiny bubbles in mine. That is the only reason I haven't spazzed yet. Lol


----------



## tatud4life

Southlake, about how many days did it take your to ferment to 1.050? I'm just curious. I checked mine today just to see how things were going and it was down to 1.070.


----------



## southlake333

tatud4life said:


> Southlake, about how many days did it take your to ferment to 1.050? I'm just curious. I checked mine today just to see how things were going and it was down to 1.070.



3 days from a starting SG of 1.070 and at a temp of 74 degrees. I was actually just checking my notes because my current 2 batches are on day 2 and I couldn't remember when it hit before. Below are the SG readings I had previously:


6/11 (Mon) - 1.070 - Starting SG

6/12 (Tues) - pitched yeast

6/14 (Thurs) - SG of 1.060

6/15 (Fri) - SG of 1.042. Added 3 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 tsp yeast energizer and last 3 15oz bottles of lemon juice.

6/17 (Sunday) - SG of 1.030 . Racked to secondary.

6/22 (Fri) - SG of 0.999. Siphoned into bucket onto campden crush and potassium sorbate (using quantities on packages), then poured in sparkolloid solution on top of that. Mixed thoroughly (degassed a little) then siphoned back into carboy. Clearing started immediately and a lot of sediment was visible on the evening of 6/22. 

By 6/24 (Sun), the top portion was a little bit see through while all of it was semi clear.

7/1 (Sun) - completely clear with an SG still 0.999. Sweetened with 4 cups of sugar dissolved in water to a final SG of 1.008.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks a bunch buddy!!! I started with a SG of 1.074. Any reason you used camden instead of kmeta and sorbate?


----------



## southlake333

tatud4life said:


> Thanks a bunch buddy!!! I started with a SG of 1.074. Any reason you used camden instead of kmeta and sorbate?



Campden is kmeta. Just in a different format (tablets instead of powder).


----------



## tatud4life

Ok. Cool. Sounds good.


----------



## tatud4life

This is what was waiting for me today when I checked in on my SP. I gave it a quick stir and checked the S. G. It was 1.060. Should be ready for the next step by tomorrow hopefully!!


----------



## oldwhiskers

Looks like it's rocking and rolling.


----------



## tatud4life

I sure hope so!


----------



## southlake333

tatud4life said:


> This is what was waiting for me today when I checked in on my SP. I gave it a quick stir and checked the S. G. It was 1.060. Should be ready for the next step by tomorrow hopefully!!



Yep, I would assume yours will be ready tomorrow. Mine was ready today (day 3 just like the other batches) so we appear to be on the same timeline.


----------



## tatud4life

Excellent!!!! It sounds similar to a bowl of Rice Krispies with all the fizzing going on! Lol I can't wait to drink this stuff!!


----------



## tatud4life

Just out of curiousity, aside from the initial S.G. reading, how do you know for certain what your ending alcohol content is? Do you take a S.G. reading right before you bottle it?


----------



## Boatboy24

tatud4life said:


> Just out of curiousity, aside from the initial S.G. reading, how do you know for certain what your ending alcohol content is? Do you take a S.G. reading right before you bottle it?



Take your initial SG and subtract the SG taken after fermentation is complete (but BEFORE you backsweeten). Multiply the difference by 133 and there you have it.

So, for example: initial SG = 1.085, final SG = .996; difference is 0.089; 0.089*133 = 11.837. So your wine is 11.8% ABV.


----------



## tatud4life

Awesome!!! Thanks very much boatboy!!!!


----------



## tatud4life

Checked my batch this evening when I got home. S. G. Was 1.051 so I'll wait until morning to add the rest of the stuff just to play it safe since this is my first batch. I know it's working it's little butt off because this was waiting one when I opened the lid. 






It had a brown tint to it, so I am pretty sure that the yeast is doing its job. Not to mention the fizzing sound it is making.


----------



## oldwhiskers

Yeah, those little fellas really emit a lot of C02. On the ferments without a lot of foam on top, the swirling on the surface can really get busy.


----------



## tatud4life

Yeah. I checked the S. G. again this morning and it was still a little above 1.050. I went ahead and added the rest of the nutrient, energizer, and lemon juice. Getting closer to the drinking time.


----------



## tatud4life

Checked my first batch today. I added the rest of the nutrient, energizer, and lemon juice yesterday. I gave it a good degassing and checked the S. G. It was 1.040. At that rate, it should done fermenting by Monday. That would mean that it took 6 days to ferment dry. Is that normal? Or is that a little slow?


----------



## oldwhiskers

That's near what mine does, but mine do seem to slow down at the end and sneak up on dry.


----------



## tatud4life

Ok. Just wanted to make sure this was somewhat close to what others were doing. Thanks buddy!!!!


----------



## tatud4life

Check my SP last night. Specific gravity is 1.030. Right on track to finish fermenting by Monday. I had to take a tiny sip last night. Just couldn't wait any longer. This stuff is going to be absolutely wonderful!!!!!


----------



## oldwhiskers

You are about to get there, I need to bottle mine and get another batch started.


----------



## tatud4life

Yep. Checked it again today and it was 1.022. I hope it's not slowing down. After I get it oh of the primary, I'm starting a batch of triple berry pee.


----------



## tatud4life

Checked my batch today and the S. G. was 1.015. A couple of more days and I should be able to move it to a carboy and clear it.


----------



## tatud4life

Just checked my skeeter pee. S. G. is still above 1.000. It is 1.010 which is only .005 lower than yesterday. A little frustrated, but it due time I guess.


----------



## oldwhiskers

Know what you mean, mine generally always sneak up on dry.


----------



## tatud4life

I just can't wait to drink this stuff for the first time!!! My mouth is watering right now!! Lol


----------



## tatud4life

Argh!!!! Checked my pee today and it is still at 1.015!!!! The same as yesterday! Is this normal? Has this happened to anyone? I'm starting to get a little nervous that there might be an issue.


----------



## oldwhiskers

Mine would slow down near the end, but it would still make progress each day.


----------



## Boatboy24

Hmmm. I'd think you'd be dry by now. What are your temps like? Have you tried giving it a little nutrient?


----------



## tatud4life

It has been 72 degrees from day 1. I put the 3 tsp of nutrient when the S. G. got 1.050. I don't know what to do.


----------



## southlake333

Just wait. You're plugging along just fine, don't try to rush it. My 2 batches are still fermenting as well.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks buddy!! How long have yours been fermenting?


----------



## southlake333

Since Thursday night 7/5. However, I added some sugar when I racked to the secondary to boost the abv a bit so mine it taking a little longer. I'm fermenting at 74 degrees.


----------



## tatud4life

That's about the same time I started mine and I didn't add any extra sugar yet. I still have mine in the primary.


----------



## tatud4life

Checked my batch today and the S.G. is at 1.005. It should be ready in a couple of days.


----------



## tatud4life

Checked the batch today and the S.G. was .999. Someone PLEASE tell me that is good to go on to the next step!!!!!!


----------



## oldwhiskers

To ensure it is completed you will need a steady reading about 3 days in a row maybe even up to a week. Remember the tree P's, you're almost there.


----------



## tatud4life

Ok. Lol. What's up with the tree Ps?


----------



## oldwhiskers

OOPS, three P's, patience, patience, patience.


----------



## tatud4life

Lol. I get it now!! Patience is usually not one of my virtues, but I'm working on it.


----------



## tatud4life

I do have a question though. I've noticed a smell coming from my pee. It doesn't smell like sulfur or eggs, but it is a distinct smell. Is that from the yeast working?


----------



## Boatboy24

Dave's recipe said to rack and stabilize once it gets below 1.000, so that's what I did with mine. I'm sure it would have fermented further, but I was following orders. Nothing bad happened - I don't know if that's science or dumb luck. 

Smell? All of my wines have had a smell during ferment. I have an especially stinky peach from fresh fruit going now.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks boatboy!! I'm hoping the smell is just from the yeast working. I'm going to check the specific gravity today and if it is still below 1.000 I'm racking it and going onto the next step. Then, a batch of triple berry will get started!!!


----------



## tatud4life

Racked my batch into the secondary and added the kmeta, sorbate, and sparklloid. Hopefully it will be clear in 2 weeks!! The packet said to dissolve 1 tbsp in hot water for 5 minutes. I didn't boil the water since my water is almost boiling when it comes out of the faucet. I hope this doesn't affect anything. Here is a pic of what it looks like now.


----------



## tatud4life

Just out of curiosity, how long should it take for the sparklloid to start working. I'm not being impatient. I know that I have at least 2 weeks to wait. Just wondering how long before I start to see any difference.


----------



## southlake333

tatud4life said:


> Just out of curiosity, how long should it take for the sparklloid to start working. I'm not being impatient. I know that I have at least 2 weeks to wait. Just wondering how long before I start to see any difference.



Measured mine this afternoon and both were .990 so I went ahead and racked with campden, sorbate and sparkolloid. 

Per my notes from last time, it took 9 days to fully clear. I assume we wil both be bottling by next Sunday (and I'll be updating my test thread with the results).


----------



## tatud4life

Cool!! Good job!!! Hopefully, we will be drinking it before too long. Mine hasn't started clearing yet, but it has only been 2 days.


----------



## Boatboy24

tatud4life said:


> Just out of curiosity, how long should it take for the sparklloid to start working. I'm not being impatient. I know that I have at least 2 weeks to wait. Just wondering how long before I start to see any difference.



My triple berry took almost a week before it really started moving. But once it started, I was clear in about another 6 days.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks boatboy!!! I'm starting my triple berry in 2 days!!!!


----------



## southlake333

I picked up the stuff to try another round of the berry pee as well (quad berry). This time I'll be cutting back on the lemon (per Dave's suggestion) as well as not using bentonite (per Dave's comparison experiment).


----------



## tatud4life

Mine will be quad berry also since the grocery store didn't have any 3 berry blends. I'm going to go by Dave's easy peesy recipe for my first attempt.


----------



## southlake333

Good choice, I like Dave's recipe much better than standard Skeeter Pee (but both are great).


----------



## tatud4life

Cool! I have everything except for pectic enzyme. I'll be getting it tomorrow when my local winery opens up. . Then it begins!!!


----------



## tatud4life

I believe it is starting to clear. There is a lot of sediment at the bottom and the top isn't as cloudy as it was Friday.


----------



## southlake333

So, how is your pee looking? Both my regular pee and lemon/lime pee are clear and ready for bottling as of today. Now I just have to figure out which concentrates to use for backsweetening with which batch!


----------



## tatud4life

I think I didn't get the sparkolloid hot enough before I added it. It is clearing and I have about a week left to wait. Hopefully, it will be clear by then so I can rack it and backsweeten. We will see. My quad berry batch is really rolling now. I tasted it last night and it is wonderful!!!!! It might actually catch up to my first batch.


----------



## DirtyDawg10

Awesome! I racked, stabilized and degassed mine this morning. It smells delish! I couldn't believe how much of the 6lbs of fruit had been consumed by the pectic enzyme. I'm looking forward to bottling this one.


----------



## dangerdave

Yea, the pectic enzyme really eats up the fruit. I think it is the key to making _really_ fruity pee. I'm very glad the Dragon Blood method is working well for everyone---else you'd all be cursing me!


----------



## tatud4life

Lol! I checked it today and it is already down to 1.041!!! Much stronger fermentation than the original. I took a sip yesterday and, if it tastes like that at the end, I can see many hammered evenings in my future!!!


----------



## tatud4life

Racked after 2 weeks and still not clear. Would it be ok to add more sparkolloid? Or should I just leave it alone and wait?


----------



## dangerdave

That's usually a CO2 problem. Is it clearing at all? How about a picture.


----------



## tatud4life

It had a lot of sediment in the bottom. It looks like it cleared some, but it seems to have stopped. 




Here you go buddy!! If it is a CO2 problem, what can I do to fix it?


----------



## dangerdave

Ah, that should be clearing up by now with the Sparkolloid you added. I've had three batches that refused to clear. They were as follows...

1) was from CO2 from insufficient degassing. Stick your sanitized spoon handle a short ways into the wine and see if bubbles form on it. You'll be able to tell. If it's CO2 then it needs to be degassed again, more thoroughly.

2) was from suspended yeast particles, from my poor racking technique. It smelled like fresh bread. I redosed it with Sparkolloid and it cleared within days.

3) was from pectin haze, from forgetting my pectic enzyme. There is a test for this wherein you add a tbsp of the wine to about 50ml of denatured alcohol ("rubbing alcohol" will do) and look for tiny protein strings or white fallout to indicate pectin haze. Add pectic enzyme at 1/2 tsp per gallon (you can add up to twice as much for troublesome haze). If you have the enzyme but are unable to test, toss it in anyway, it wouldn't hurt. Pectin haze is the most common cause of cloudy wine. I add one tsp to my lemon skeeter pee fermenter even if I'm not adding other fruit.

Good luck, Marc! You'll get it! Never give up on the wine. I have yet to make a batch I couldn't salvage from the brink.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks Dave!! I'll check tomorrow after I mow 8 yards. I would check tonight, by I'm too tired. Worked graveyards last night, mowed 3 yards this morning, and I haven't had a nap yet. I'm going to bed. Lol. I didn't noticed a bread smell. The recipe didn't call for any pectic enzyme so I doubt it is that. If no bubbles form, I'll go with option number 2 and add another dose of sparkolloid.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks Dave!! I don't recall a bread smell when I racked it today. I'll check tomorrow when I get home from mowing. The recipe didn't call for pectic enzyme so I don't think that is the problem. If no bubbles form, the I'll go with option number 2 and add another dose of sparkolloid.


----------



## dangerdave

tatud4life said:


> The recipe didn't call for pectic enzyme so I don't think that is the problem.


 
And yet that is the _most common problem_ with cloudy wine. It's _because_ the recipe did not call for pectic enzyme that I would lean that direction. But you check it out and let us know.

Good luck, my man! Get some rest!


----------



## oldwhiskers

I have started adding pectic enzyme to everything I make at the beginning, way easier on the front end. With the normal Skeeter Pee recipe, mine does have a gathering of some stuff on the top 12 hours after adding the pectic enzyme. I have been stirring it in and adding the yeast at that point.


----------



## tatud4life

Cool!!! Thank guys!! I will add pectic to my next batch. I would say that you're right Dave. How much pectic do I need to add? The same amount as for the Dragon's Blood?


----------



## tatud4life

I checked the batch today and it's still cloudy, so I put y spoon in and no bubbles. Since there isn't a bread smell, I assumed that it was pectic haze. I know. I know. I know what happens when you assume, but that was the only option left. I added 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme per gallon for a total of 3 tsp. I hope this works!!!


----------



## dangerdave

That sounds good, Marc. Hope that solves your problem. Keep us posted!


----------



## tatud4life

Me too!! If this doesn't work, I may throw another dose of sparkolloid in and see what that does.


----------



## tatud4life

Well, it's been 5 days since the addition of the pectic enzyme. No evidence of clearing yet. I'm giving it until Friday and then I'm adding another dose of sparkolloid. I hope I can salvage this batch.


----------



## oldwhiskers

Let us know what finally clears it, for the knowledge!


----------



## tatud4life

I sure will buddy


----------



## Boatboy24

Patience! 

I've only done one batch. After I added the sparkolloid, it did nothing for almost a week. Then it started clearing nicely and was done in about five days.


----------



## tatud4life

I know I need patience, but I put the first dose of sparkolloid in a month ago and it's still cloudy. I put a dose of pectic enzyme in almost a week ago.


----------



## Boatboy24

tatud4life said:


> I know I need patience, but I put the first dose of sparkolloid in a month ago and it's still cloudy. I put a dose of pectic enzyme in almost a week ago.



Ooops. My bad. Thought the sparkolloid addition was more recent. I'm assuming you're certain that you've degassed completely.


----------



## tatud4life

You're fine. I wasn't trying to be hateful. It's hard to convey sentiment on here. Although, I am getting aggravated with my first batch. It isn't cooperating. I'm hoping the second dose will be the magic fix.


----------



## oldwhiskers

1+ on checking to make sure it is degassed good, sometimes they are difficult to get it all out


----------



## Boatboy24

tatud4life said:


> I wasn't trying to be hateful.



I didn't think you were.


----------



## dangerdave

I'm with John on this one, Marc. Degas again before adding more sparkolloid. This one is being troublesome, though. Don't give up! At the last, you can just let it sit there until it clears on it's own...and it will...eventually. Once you get spoiled on them clearing quickly, it's so hard to wait.


----------



## tatud4life

Sounds good guys!!! I will rack it, degas again, and let it sit for another week before I add anything else. Just out of curiosity, how long will it take to clear naturally? 6 months? Racking every 2 weeks or so of course.


----------



## dangerdave

I really don't know, Marc. I haven't had a wine I couldn't (knock-knock) fix, so I've never had to let one clear on it's own. Don't fret. There's only so many things that could be giving you trouble. You'll figure it out!


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks Dave!! I just hope I know what it is that I figure out! Lol. I'm still learning the causes of wine problems.


----------



## pjd

tatud4life said:


> Sounds good guys!!! I will rack it, degas again, and let it sit for another week before I add anything else. Just out of curiosity, how long will it take to clear naturally? 6 months? Racking every 2 weeks or so of course.


 Marc, There is no need to rack it every two weeks! I usually have mine on a two month rotation. I think you need to get a few more carboys and start a few more batches so that if you feel it necessary to play with your wine you can choose the oldest one.
I understand what you are going through. When I first started wine making I kept a diary in my computer that detailed what I was doing and what my thoughts were. I kept it up for probably 6 months during that time I went from my first winemaking kit to either 10 or 12 carboys.
I no longer keep the diary and now have 35 or so carboys going. It is fun to go back and read my comments and concerns and realize that Patience is the primary ingrediant in all wines!


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks pj. I beginning to think I know where I screwed up. When I added the sparkolloid, I didn't heat it for the recommended amount of time. It only to dissolve in hot water and, since we have hell water at my house, I just used that. I believe all the sparkolloid just sank when I added it and stirred.


----------



## tatud4life

Still cloudy!!! :'( Guess ill try another dose of sparkolloid tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll let it clear on its own.


----------



## oldwhiskers

This one is definitly being stubborn, keep the faith.


----------



## nate0001

tatud4life said:


> Still cloudy!!! :'( Guess ill try another dose of sparkolloid tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll let it clear on its own.


It might need more pectic enzyme. I had the same problem and had to add a second dose after racking.

You can easily test for this by mixing 4 parts rubbing alcohol 1 part wine sample. Let it sit for a while and then see if there's any stringy clumps.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks Nate!! If this doesn't work, I'll try that. I just added a second dose of sparkolloid. I'm going to give that at least a week before I try something else.


----------



## tatud4life

Well, I think I know why my first batch didn't clear. I didn't heat the sparkolloid up correctly. I added another dose yesterday following the directions properly. This is what I wake up to today. 






In a week, I'll back sweeten!!! Then another week later, it will be bottled!!!


----------



## oldwhiskers

Looks like it finally turned the corner for you, it won't be long now!


----------



## southlake333

Very nice looking. Congrats! Now its time to start some experimental batches...


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks guys!! I believe one more batch of pee is I order before my grapes are ready to harvest and then go into the primary!!!


----------



## southlake333

tatud4life said:


> Thanks guys!! I believe one more batch of pee is I order before my grapes are ready to harvest and then go into the primary!!!



I got 13 pounds of a concord/mustang grape hybrid the other day from a friend of mine. I de-stemmed them and placed in the freezer in 1 gallons bags. Now I'm all nervous since I've never made wine from grapes before. Make a post of your steps when you do yours!


----------



## oldwhiskers

Three months aging on the regular Skeeter Pee makes the acid fade a lot to me, enjoyed a glass last night.


----------



## tatud4life

Southlake, I will make a thread and post the progress! I saw where Todd fermented his grapes before he topped off with water. Is that necessary or can I go ahead and top off at the beginning? He also has a S. G. of 1.10 I believe. Is that a good number to start off with? I'll have a lot more questions as the time gets closer.


----------



## tatud4life

Finally was able to rack and back sweeten yesterday!!  Hopefully, I'll bottling in a week or 2.


----------



## southlake333

Congrats! From my understanding, you should use as little water as possible with grapes. As for sugar, just add till you hit whatever SG you normally shoot for in your wines. I've been too busy to start my batch. I spent too much time cleaning bottles I found In a wine store recycle bin (with too little progress to show for it too!). Oh well, hopefully I can get to it this week.


----------



## tatud4life

Thanks Southlake!! It looks like my grapes are going to be ready a little earlier this year.


----------



## tatud4life

Another question to make sure that I'm ready to start my first batch of muscadine wine. What ingredients, additives do I need? I have tannin, pectic, kmeta, sorbate, and sparkolloid. Do I need tartaric or acid blend? Thanks in advance!!


----------



## southlake333

Depending on the acid level of your grapes, you will either need to add acid or calcium carbonate. I was told by FVW that tartaric acid is better for grapes (vs acid blend) if you need to raise the acid so that's what I have. I'm hoping to get my batch started this weekend...super nervous!


----------



## tatud4life

Awesome! Thanks Southlake!! Looks like I'm headed to my local winery to pick up a couple more supplies!! It should be soon!!


----------



## tatud4life

Finally bottled!!!!


----------



## dangerdave

That's lovely, Marc! Good job!


----------



## tatud4life

Why thank you!!! I sampled after after it had bulk aged for about 2 weeks after back sweetening. All I can say is I will be drinking mass quantities of this stuff. I already have another batch planned after my strawberry batch gets out of the primary. This stuff can be dangerous!! Lol. It's as smooth as water!


----------

