# How do you flavor ?



## Twintrades (Mar 11, 2012)

Ive seen pics of people flavoring the pee with cranberry, strawberry,lime,blackberry, ect

How do you flavor it ? I know i could dump a koolaide packet in but is there anyother way ? Or is it just with what your slurry was ??


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## Buckmaster40 (Mar 11, 2012)

I'm starting my first sp now but I've read a lot about it and it seems the majority use juice concentrates and backsweeten with them. I've seen as many as 1 to 5 cans used. Then add sugar to taste.


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## Twintrades (Mar 11, 2012)

Yea thats what i finally found after i posted this Durrr. Why didnt i find it earlyer ?


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## Buckmaster40 (Mar 11, 2012)

Well what I'm thinking about doing is splitting mine into 5 one gallon batches and backsweetening with 5 different flavors because I've read about so many different ones and they all sound so good. It would be to hard to pick just one!!!


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## MurphyTexas (Mar 13, 2012)

And you can always add more lemon juice as well.


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## barryjo (Mar 25, 2012)

Twintrades said:


> Ive seen pics of people flavoring the pee with cranberry, strawberry,lime,blackberry, ect
> 
> How do you flavor it ? I know i could dump a koolaide packet in but is there anyother way ? Or is it just with what your slurry was ??


 
My first try at flavoring was an 11 oz can of frozen cranberry blend in three gallons of SP. Took a blue ribbon at a regional fair. Blushin' Skeeter.
Next was a bottle of Key Lime juice in a 4 gallon batch. Turned out good. But a bit too strong for me. Now I am doing a 5 gallon batch and substituted 15 oz of Key Lime for the same amount of lemon juice. 
I seldom have a slurry when I need it so I just use a starter. 
Remember: always whip the must before doing anything like adding juice. Then whip it again. For this wine, oxygen is good.


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## Twintrades (Mar 25, 2012)

Mine is still chugging along. I think ill also do separate flavorings per gallon. And out of the 5 kinds whatever we like best ill flavor 3 gallons of the next batch and the other 2 ill do differnt incase we want to mix it up lol.


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## Neviawen (Mar 29, 2012)

barryjo said:


> My first try at flavoring was an 11 oz can of frozen cranberry blend in three gallons of SP. Took a blue ribbon at a regional fair. Blushin' Skeeter.
> Next was a bottle of Key Lime juice in a 4 gallon batch. Turned out good. But a bit too strong for me. Now I am doing a 5 gallon batch and substituted 15 oz of Key Lime for the same amount of lemon juice.
> I seldom have a slurry when I need it so I just use a starter.
> Remember: always whip the must before doing anything like adding juice. Then whip it again. For this wine, oxygen is good.



Did you also back sweeten w/ the sugar plus add the can of cranberry? I'm starting my first batch of SP tomorrow and am SO excited! I bought enough stuff to make (2) 5-gallon carboys and I am looking for ideas on flavoring some. Cranberry sounds like it would be a great flavor to add.


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## barryjo (Mar 30, 2012)

The only backsweetening was when you add the last of the juice. And after reading my notes, it seems I added 32 oz of lime juice to the batch in place of the 32 oz of lemon. Which is why it was a bit strong! 
The cranberry was added after fermenting stopped and the wine had cleared. And 10 gallons is a good start. 
Lon DePoppe, creator of this awesome brew, started 32 gallons this spring.
I may have to stop in sometime!


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## dangerdave (Mar 30, 2012)

I use fruit in my primary for flavor. I like the triple berry so much, I don't make any other kind. I'm clearing 15 gallons right now. I need to branch out a bit and try some Koolade versions. I also backsweeten with sugar (4 cups per 5 gallons), since my wife likes it a bit sweet.


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

so whats with adding fruit in the primary ? You add pectin also and just leavit sit for a few days ? Please elaborate more dave !


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## Deezil (Mar 30, 2012)

Hey Dave, just food for thought here:

Primary fermentation makes changes to the flavors in the fruit used, so what you taste in the end isnt always what the fruit tastes like itself. To get around this slight issue, just requires different timing.

Taking a page out of the "Mead-Making" handbook, try putting the fruit in during secondary fermentation - this will add the same sugars, and the yeast will probably still eat it up.. 

But they wont alter the flavors as much in secondary, because the fermentation isnt as furious as it is in primary - it wont blow off so many of the aromatic compounds as well, compared to primary.


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

That makes sense. But would you have to rack again and add pectin enzyme to prevent haze ? Might just take longer..... ?


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## Deezil (Mar 30, 2012)

Well its only secondary (soon as the wine is racked into a carboy) so the sediment in the wine hasnt even fallen yet at that point, & you'd have to rack off this sediment either way eventually.

Pectic enzyme might have to be added again post-fermentation depending on the fruit in question / on a wine-by-wine basis.


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

OK cool idea might have to try that next time !


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## dangerdave (Mar 30, 2012)

Twintrades said:


> so whats with adding fruit in the primary ? You add pectin also and just leavit sit for a few days ? Please elaborate more dave !


 
For you, Twintrades (wish I knew your first name). This is the recipe I use for the easiest version of Skeeter Pee I could come up with using fruit in the primary (the way I like it). I've modified it slightly since I posted this in the Skeeter Pee section back in August of last year. I cannot over-emphasize how awesome this stuff is. It's my favorate!

*EASY PEESY (SKEETER PEE)*

*Ingredients: For a six gallon batch:* 

Step 1: To a cleaned and sanitized seven gallon primary, add---in this order:
2 bottles (48 oz) 100% Lemon Juice (ReaLemon in the green bottle): _if you want to recude the acid level use one bottle._
Water to about five gallons
20 cups of white granulated sugar (looking for a SG btw 1.085-1.09): _use less sugar for lower final ABV. Stir sugar until _completely_ desolved._
1 tsp. tannin (stir)
4 tsp. yeast nutrient (stir)
2 tsp. yeast energizer (stir)
3 tsp. pectic enzyme (stir)
6 lbs. of Triple Berry Blend (raspberry/blackberry/blueberry--a_vailable in most grocery store freezer sections_), frozen then thawed, in a nylon fine mesh bag (tied shut), placed in primary: _Give the bag a couple of squeezes to work in pectic enzyme.__ May also toss fruit directly into primary, but this makes for a "messier" fermentation and subsequently will require more clearing time and racking._
Top water to six gallons
Cover primary
Place brew belt: _Keep temp in 70F-80F range._
Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours...

Step 2: To the primary fermenter, add:
1 packet of EC-1118 Yeast (starter, per yeast directions): _Sprinkle yeast into one cup of warm water (100F), let sit for 15 minutes (no longer), stir and add to primary. Other yeast strains may also work well._
Stir Primary Vigorously!

Step 3: Each day, do the following, in this order:
Check temp
Check specific gravity
Squeeze juices from fruit pack into fermenter---remove friut pack: _Temporarily place in sanitized bucket._
Stir primary vigorously: _To introduce oxygen into must._
Replace fruit pack
Cover primary

Step 4: When specific gravity (SG) reaches <1.000, do the following:
Squeeze juices from fruit pack into fermenter---remove friut pack: _Discard fruit._
Rack to cleaned and sanitized six gallon carboy
Degas very thoroughly: _I cannot emphasize this enough!_
Add 1 tsp. Potassium Metabisulfite (stir)
Add 3 tsp. Potassium Sorbate (stir)
Add Sparkolloid* (or other cleaing agent): *_1 tbs in one cup of water simmered for about 30 minutes. Add hot mixture to carboy._
Allow to clear undistrubed for no less than 1 week

Step 4: When wine is clear:
Carefully rack off of lees into cleaned & sanitized six gallon carboy
Add 4-5 cups of white granulated sugar (stir until sugar is completely disolved): _Add more or less sugar to taste. Remember! The sugars will blend with the berry flavors over time, and the sweetness will come forward. Do not over-sweeten!_
Allow wine to clear free of all sediment: _This may or may not require more racking over the next few weeks._

Step 5: When wine is completely clear:
Bottle in clear bottles
Note: _Never bottle cloudy wine! NEVER!_

Wine is drinkable right way, but may benefit from up to a year of aging.


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

THanks for the info Dave. 

BTW My name is Kyle !


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## dangerdave (Mar 30, 2012)

You are welocme, Kyle. I've made about ten batches of (some form of) this version, and have tweeked it to it's simplest form (and my personal liking). Lon's original recipe called for more lemon juice up front and a second dose of juice, nutrient, and energizer in mid-fermentation (@ SG=1.040), but on the last batch, I reduced the lemon juice and skipped (oops, forgot!) the extra ingredients, and it turned out just fine. Perfect, actually.


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## dangerdave (Mar 30, 2012)

Deezil said:


> Hey Dave, just food for thought here:
> 
> Primary fermentation makes changes to the flavors in the fruit used, so what you taste in the end isnt always what the fruit tastes like itself. To get around this slight issue, just requires different timing.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks, Manley. I'll have to try actually allowing for secondary fermentation sometime. In my attempt to keep it as simple as possible, I let it go dry in the primary. Maybe Kyle will try something different is his wine. Let's watch and see!


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

Yea i think i might try the scondary fruit additive..... if anyone was close by when it was done id give "tatse samples" 

Then next ill try the way dave dose it. just to see if there's a differnce.

Btw i read somewhere to give the carboy a "twist " to knock sediment off the sides.......didnt say a little twist would stir up all the crap i just watched sink....... Now i wait AGAIN....


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## Deezil (Mar 30, 2012)

Should only take a couple hours to settle back down, rather completely


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

Yea its getting better. Lol just was a shocker to see it swirl up from the bottom. I was standing there going No...No....No....Nooooooo Danmit.

Its all good. Im gonna do some Quality control tonight.


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## dangerdave (Mar 30, 2012)

That's funny, Kyle! If I see some lees sticking to the lower sides of the carboy (usually fine stuff after the first racking), I'll give the carboy a little jiggle. I used to use a rubber mallet to tap gently on the carboy (and they ring just like bells!), but that always made me _really_ nervous. Now, I just jiggle.


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

Yea i just gave it a swirl, just as soon as i did it i knew what would happen. Live-n-Learn


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## Runningwolf (Mar 30, 2012)

dangerdave said:


> That's funny, Kyle! I used to use a rubber mallet to tap gently on the carboy (and they ring just like bells!), but that always made me _really_ nervous. *Now, I just jiggle*.


 Probably be best if it was the carboy that jiggled to be effective.


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## Twintrades (Mar 30, 2012)

Well that wouldnt be as fun


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