# First Skeeter Pee Attempt



## SRLFD448 (Mar 29, 2011)

Good Morning All!-

First attempt at S.P. is underway! The girlfriend is very excited about just being able to tell people she is drinking pee! 

Followed the directions as closely as I could last night making the batch, wound up with S.G. of 1.06. I am using a cabernet slurry from a CC kit. Will add that tonight or tomorrow night and keep updated.

Thanks for the recipe!


----------



## roblloyd (Mar 29, 2011)

Good luck! I followed the directions and everyone loves it. Just tell them it's more like lemon wine and not a carbonated drink. Had a couple funny faces at 1st try then they loved it!


----------



## SRLFD448 (Mar 29, 2011)

roblloyd said:


> Good luck! I followed the directions and everyone loves it. Just tell them it's more like lemon wine and not a carbonated drink. Had a couple funny faces at 1st try then they loved it!



Thats what I am trying to tell them now. Do you typically carbonate yours?


----------



## roblloyd (Mar 29, 2011)

I've only made 1 batch so far and I don't think I would want it carbonated. It was just an expectation of the people that drank it that said they were expecting something like Mike's Hard Lemonade. It's not - it's clear and more wine like.
Next batch will have something else done to it - like cranberry or some other fruity lemon concoction.


----------



## docanddeb (Mar 29, 2011)

Some do carbonation. I have none of those supplies and like it just as it is! You just can't go wrong. Aged, it takes on a whole new personality... I just love it!

Debbie


----------



## SRLFD448 (Mar 31, 2011)

Things are going well with the Skeeter and just a couple more questions came up:

1- I started with SG of 1.06..should I wait until 1.04 or 1.05 as the directions state?

2- How long does this typically take. It is not that I am impatient, I just do not want it developing the Hydrogen Sulfide problem. After 24 hours I added the slurry and it took off immediately. Monday I made it, Tuesday I added the slurry, and it has been happily bubbling ever since. It seems to me it is only Thursday so I may be jumping the gun on taking the reading tonight...suggestions?


----------



## roblloyd (Mar 31, 2011)

I let mine l it was dry then racked, cleared, stabilized and after 2 weeks sweetened. Then bottled about a week later.
Basically following the directions. They work!


----------



## docanddeb (Mar 31, 2011)

I often forget about it until it's almost dry...

as long as it's not foaming over... you're good to put it under airlock.

Debbie


----------



## SRLFD448 (Mar 31, 2011)

It is under airlock now...I followed the directions and it has been actively fermenting under airlock for about 2 days now. The next step is to wait until it gets to 1.05 SG and add additional lemon juice, nutrient, etc. That is the step I am on. 

Question is since I started at 1.06 instead of Lon's recipe of 1.07, should I add this additional stuff at 1.04 or 1.05?


----------



## docanddeb (Mar 31, 2011)

It's not that fussy... either one will be fine. I don't put an airlock on until the whole thing is around 1.020... sometimes it's lower before I notice it's ready.

Debbie


----------



## SRLFD448 (Apr 7, 2011)

I said I would post a picture...1st rack of S.P. with cabernet slurry. It is literally like a hot pink magenta color.

The picture does not do it justice but here is my first batch of S.P.


----------



## Catfish (Apr 7, 2011)

Beautiful!


----------



## chachi44089 (Apr 7, 2011)

Is that much headspace ok? I often worry about that, even though I purge with argon...


----------



## roadwarriorsvt (Apr 7, 2011)

I think as long as its producing CO2, it will protect the SP, but I too, would rather have a much smaller head space.


----------



## SRLFD448 (Apr 7, 2011)

Really? Then I will NOT be posting pictures of my cabernet after racking! It has a bunch of head space. The guy at the LHBS told me not to worry about headspace so much.


----------



## docanddeb (Apr 7, 2011)

In the early phases when there is still bubbling going on, it's ok. First racking needs to have minimal head space to decrease oxidation.

Debbie


----------



## Minnesotamaker (Apr 7, 2011)

SRLFD448 said:


> Really? Then I will NOT be posting pictures of my cabernet after racking! It has a bunch of head space. The guy at the LHBS told me not to worry about headspace so much.



When I make mine, I don't worry much about head space. While it's still fermenting, all that space is filled with CO2. I try to leave the airlock on and not remove it unless I have to. When it's done, I add the stabilization ingredients and fining agent. I like having this head space available because the addition of sugar to sweeten it will take up this volume.

Cheers, looks like you're on your way to a tasty batch.


----------



## docanddeb (Apr 7, 2011)

I don't bottle mine and drink it as quick as you guys... so it's more vulnerable! I make "delicate" pee.

Debbie


----------



## SRLFD448 (Apr 8, 2011)

Hahah....It is funny you mention that. As I used a cabernet slurry and the batch during racking was coming through the tubing as a vivid magenta color, the girlfriend exclaimed that it should be called P.P.

I was puzzled at first, then realized she meant Pink Pee.....I like PP..


----------



## SRLFD448 (Apr 18, 2011)

*New Question*

Alright I am almost to the backsweeten steps of the recipe...very excited and it has really cleared over the last two weeks.


The final step is to add 6 cups of sugar and wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins. Have people used non-fermentable sugars to avoid this? Splenda? I would hate to see the batch begin new fermentation.


----------



## docanddeb (Apr 18, 2011)

You did the K meta and Sorbate, right?

Then you'll be fine.

Some have tried Splenda, Truvia, etc.... the results are NOT the same... some people just don't like that "diet" taste in their wine!

Debbie


----------



## Minnesotamaker (Apr 18, 2011)

SRLFD448 said:


> Alright I am almost to the backsweeten steps of the recipe...very excited and it has really cleared over the last two weeks.
> 
> 
> The final step is to add 6 cups of sugar and wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins. Have people used non-fermentable sugars to avoid this? Splenda? I would hate to see the batch begin new fermentation.



If you've stabilized with potassium-metabisulfite and potassium-sorbate, you won't get a renewed fermentation. I've been told that sorbate does have a shelf life, so if it's more than a few years old, I'd get new. There are a variety of other sweetening options out there. I don't remember the names of them all, but I do recall someone mentioning that they used an artificial sweetener and it developed an unpleasant chemical flavor.


----------



## SRLFD448 (Apr 18, 2011)

Minnesotamaker said:


> If you've stabilized with potassium-metabisulfite and potassium-sorbate, you won't get a renewed fermentation. I've been told that sorbate does have a shelf life, so if it's more than a few years old, I'd get new. There are a variety of other sweetening options out there. I don't remember the names of them all, but I do recall someone mentioning that they used an artificial sweetener and it developed an unpleasant chemical flavor.



I did indeed. I tried to follow the recipe as closely as possible. Since I am new to winemaking i had originally thought "slurry" meant the yeast slurry plus about .5 liters of the cabernet I had been making. Therefore, it did turn out pretty red. It cleared up very nicely and is clear, but still a very red color, not cloudy at all.

The concern comes from the airlock. I can see the vodka I used appear to get ready to bubble as it does during fermentation. Although I have not actually seen a bubble through it, I would assume it is probably producing 3-5 a day. If this is normal then tell me and I have no concerns about adding the sugar! 

I just will be going out of town so if I sweeten it I wont be able to test to see if any new fermentation has occured.


----------



## Minnesotamaker (Apr 18, 2011)

It could be that it's just giving off some of the dissolved CO2 that it built up while fermenting. Temperature and atmospheric changes can also cause pressure to go one way or the other through the airlock. Since it it clear, it's not likely that you have many yeast in suspension. If you treated with sorbate and sulfite, you're likely seeing excess CO2 blowing off. Did you degas this batch well? To test it, find a small bottle, fill it half way up with SP, put your thumb over the top and shake. If you get a gas release when you remove your thumb, there is still some gas in suspension.


----------



## SRLFD448 (Apr 19, 2011)

This is the current state...as you can see from one picture to the other this has cleared significantly but is still very dark. This picture was also taken at night....I will try and get a better one at the next step!


----------

