# Original Skeeter Pee Recipe



## Julie

*Skeeter Pee Recipe*

The original, inexpensive, quick, easy to make, easy to drink, naturally fermented, lemon, hot-weather, thirst quencher. 
——————————-

For a 5 gallon batch
3 bottles of 32 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
7 lbs sugar (or 16 cups) to ferment
3/4 tsp tannin
6 tsp. yeast nutrient (3 now, 3 later)
2 tsp. yeast energizer (1 now, 1 later)
Approx, 4 1/2 gallons water
Yeast Slurry
Potassium metabisulfite (Kmeta)
Potassium sorbate (sorbate)
Sparkolloid
2 1/3 lbs sugar (or 6 cups) to sweeten finished Skeeter Pee. Use more or less for your tastes.
——————————-
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 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice (I keep lemon juice in the fridge for cooking, so I use that. Therefore, I actually have 1/3 more lemon juice than is stated in the ingredients above. If you don’t have the additional lemon juice, go ahead and use 1/3 cup from one of your three bottles; it won’t matter much). 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 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 1/2 gallons. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.
Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry. If your SG is a little low, you can add granular sugar to bring it to the target level. Make sure you stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar; if you have undissolved sugar at the bottom, it will throw off your readings and your Skeeter Pee won’t turn out properly. 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 (70-78 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 1.050, add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle 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 (SG between 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add 1/2 tsp Kmeta, 2 1/2 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 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.
Notes:
1. I don’t call this “hard lemonade” because too many people have tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression of what it’s going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn’t taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually 5% alcohol, lemon flavored malt beverages) they conclude that it’s a poor reproduction. This stuff isn’t a reproduction; it’s the original home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to. Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast.
2. This beverage will often take on slight flavor characteristics of the wine that donates the yeast slurry, keep this in mind when deciding which flavors will blend well with lemon.
3. You want to use a healthy yeast slurry to start your batch. If the slurry is coming from wine that is being pushed to high alcohol levels, it’s possible the slurry is suffering from the effects of alcohol poisoning. Therefore, it’s best if the slurry is used while it is still part of an active ferment.
4. You may have noticed that you start with 5 ? gallons of must and this is a recipe for 5 gallons. This is because you’ll be leaving a bit more sediment behind at your first racking. Remember that you’re adding the slurry from a previous batch and it will be left behind along with the sediment created by the Skeeter Pee.
5. If you aren’t in a hurry, Skeeter Pee will often fall clear without the Sparkolloid (as long as you’ve done a good job of degassing). My batches often clear in 30 to 45 days without fining.
6. There’s no need to age this beverage. It tastes great soon after bottling. Serve chilled.

www.skeeterpee.com


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## Droc

I have been looking for this recipe for awhile! Thanks for posting it!


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## sour_grapes

Julie, Maybe it would be best to credit Lon D with that text above? It is written in the first person, so a neophyte would get the idea that you were writing that.


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## djrockinsteve

Keep in mind that lemon juice does nothing to assist the fermentation so you could add half up front then half after fermentation is finished. Then rack to clear. 

Marilyn is pushing me to make another Cranberry Lime Skeeter Pee. May have to break down and make it again. 

Definitely thanks to Lon for the original recipe.


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## Julie

sour_grapes said:


> Julie, Maybe it would be best to credit Lon D with that text above? It is written in the first person, so a neophyte would get the idea that you were writing that.



I added the website. We do recognize Lon on the front of the thread but you can never be to cautious.


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## bkisel

The frugal in me wants to make this recipe after I've bottled and tried the DB I'm making. I would need/want to scale it to 6 gallons which is easy enough to calculate.


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## Julie

bkisel said:


> The frugal in me wants to make this recipe after I've bottled and tried the DB I'm making. I would need/want to scale it to 6 gallons which is easy enough to calculate.



this truly is a great summer drink. I tell people you can four ways, always chilled, one just chilled, two over crushed ice, three winearita, in a wine glass rimmed in salt with crushed ice, four keg it!


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## Lornahdune

Yes I've been searching for the original of this recipe. They get lost in the sea of posts - thanks Julie for re posting this for everyone. This is definitely a warm weather drink. And with any luck, there will be some warmth coming our way soon! I've got to get a batch or two started!


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## Lornahdune

djrockinsteve said:


> Keep in mind that lemon juice does nothing to assist the fermentation so you could add half up front then half after fermentation is finished. Then rack to clear.
> 
> Marilyn is pushing me to make another Cranberry Lime Skeeter Pee. May have to break down and make it again.
> 
> Definitely thanks to Lon for the original recipe.



Do you have a recipe for the cranberry-lime version you make, djrockinsteve?
I have all this lingonberry concentrate and it may be perfect for the skeeter pee. And is very similar to the flavor of cranberry. ..


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## beggarsu

Is the recipe for US gallons or Imperial gallons? My carboy is US gallons = 6 or about 23 litres?


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## Julie

U.S. gallons


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## reefman

Lornahdune said:


> Do you have a recipe for the cranberry-lime version you make, djrockinsteve?
> I have all this lingonberry concentrate and it may be perfect for the skeeter pee. And is very similar to the flavor of cranberry. ..



http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/cranberry-lime-35399/

here's the thread!


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## beggarsu

Julie said:


> U.S. gallons



It probably is, however there is no clue anywhere on Lon's website as to what is the the production in terms of 750 ml wine bottles or if it is British or American gallons.

...

What I got is bottles of lemon juice = 940 ml = approx 32 oz.
...
However formula written on side of bottle says 125 ml can make one litre of lemonade so three bottles of lemon juice = 2820 ml or can make 22.5 litres or six US gallons lemonade.

So perhaps he added more for taste so calculations should I should use 3.5 bottles for 6 US gallons if that is true.

His formula works out to 564 ml per gallon so 6 gallons us is 3384 ml total.

3 and a half bottles is 3290 ml so I'll use that 3.5 bottles for 6 us gallons so I have a clean .5 bottle left over for the next batch.


=====>

Also I'm wondering whether to use EC-1118 or K1V-1116 yeast - those are may only two choices as there is only one wine store here for 100 miles..

I'm going with K1V-1116 , I think?
??? advice anyone ???


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## Julie

beggarsu said:


> It probably is, however there is no clue anywhere on Lon's website as to what is the the production in terms of 750 ml wine bottles or if it is British or American gallons.
> 
> ...
> 
> What I got is bottles of lemon juice = 940 ml = approx 32 oz.
> ...
> However formula written on side of bottle says 125 ml can make one litre of lemonade so three bottles of lemon juice = 2820 ml or can make 22.5 litres or six US gallons lemonade.
> 
> So perhaps he added more for taste so calculations should I should use 3.5 bottles for 6 US gallons if that is true.
> 
> His formula works out to 564 ml per gallon so 6 gallons us is 3384 ml total.
> 
> 3 and a half bottles is 3290 ml so I'll use that 3.5 bottles for 6 us gallons so I have a clean .5 bottle left over for the next batch.
> 
> 
> =====>
> 
> Also I'm wondering whether to use EC-1118 or K1V-1116 yeast - those are may only two choices as there is only one wine store here for 100 miles..
> 
> I'm going with K1V-1116 , I think?
> ??? advice anyone ???


 
Since Lon lives in the United States, it would be very safe bet that it is US gallons. I have made this several times. Don't overwork the recipe


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## beggarsu

Julie said:


> Since Lon lives in the United States, it would be very safe bet that it is US gallons. I have made this several times. Don't overwork the recipe



Yeah I could see he was from the US, but I don't make any assumptions - maybe he is using a British carboy for some reason. I left a message on his website to ask him.



The "overwork" you are looking at was the calculations to determine volume for a 6 gallon batch based on 3 time 32 oz bottles for a 5 gallon batch.
...

From the details comes a simpler bottom line - 3.5 bottles juice for 6 US Gallons - standard 30 bottle wine batch.


I'm still wondering whether to use EC-1118 or K1V-1116 yeast - those are may only two choices as there is only one wine store here for 100 miles..

I'm going with K1V-1116 , I think?


I used to get EC-1118 but last time I saws some different advice on the bin at the wine store.

Not sure - I'm going up there in the next couple of hours.

I also just happen to have a wine slurry from raspberry mist box wine that just went into the carboy so I will use that as well as make a yeast starter this afternoon. In the meantime I will keep stirring my prepared must to aerate the sulfides out - this technique I have used successfully before.


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## Julie

add an additional 20 oz of lemon, add another 3/4 of a gallon of water, add enough sugar to bring your sg 1.080, I would keep the nutrient, enerigizer and tannin the same amount, k-meta would be the same, and additional 1/2 tsp of sorbate and when backsweetening, add enough sugar to bring your sg around 1.010. I would do this slowly and taste as you go along and take to the level that you like.


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## Arne

I would bet after you make this a couple of times you will start tweaking it and find that Lon's origional recipe is a good starting place. If you like it that way which I do, you can keep the recipe the same. But most of the folks I have run into that make wine have a hard time not changing things just a little. Arne. Still making Skeeter Pee but change it almost every time. Using different slurrys also changes flavor a bit. Think that is what got me started changing things up.


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## Vertumnus

Beggarsu may have addressed this question indirectly already, but can one simply use a fresh yeast starter if there is no appropriate yeast slurry laying around?


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## djrockinsteve

Yes. You may start it with a fresh yeast and create a starter for it or use the slurry from another.


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## beggarsu

djrockinsteve said:


> Yes. You may start it with a fresh yeast and create a starter for it or use the slurry from another.



I did both together - going for overkill.
After judging from the way the yeast starter took off when I added must juice to the starter after 12- 18 hours - I figured I hadn't really needed the slurry. 
..
If you use the slurry - it change the colours for sure unless you got a lemon slurry. I regretted not having the yellow for the first batch - just to see it.


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## reefman

Arne said:


> I would bet after you make this a couple of times you will start tweaking it and find that Lon's origional recipe is a good starting place. If you like it that way which I do, you can keep the recipe the same. But most of the folks I have run into that make wine have a hard time not changing things just a little. Arne. Still making Skeeter Pee but change it almost every time. Using different slurrys also changes flavor a bit. Think that is what got me started changing things up.


I'm making a batch right now using a slurry from a Sangria Zinfandel blush kit.
I'll tweak this at the end with an fpac. still not sure what I want to put in it yet.


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## Hunt

Just a quick question on the skeeter pee. I am making my very first 5 gal batch and was wondering if i should stir this daily like i would with the dragons blood.


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## Julie

Yes most definitely stir it every day.


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## Hunt

I figured. Just wanted to be sure thanks


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## djrockinsteve

You may stir it a few times a day releasing excess CO2 and mix in O2 to help the yeast. Keep it warm. It may ferment slowly, don't worry.

If you haven't started already you can add the lemon juice upon fermentation being finished. The lemon juice does nothing to help fermentation so adding after the sugar water has fully fermented is fine.


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## Hunt

I already added the first 2 bottles of lemon juice. Temp is sitting at 74 degrees. pitched the yeast today and waiting for the magic to start.


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## beggarsu

Hunt said:


> I already added the first 2 bottles of lemon juice. Temp is sitting at 74 degrees. pitched the yeast today and waiting for the magic to start.



I always make a yeast starter now. I don't stir the yeast the first 24 hours - just let it get started then I increase my stirring gradually day by day til full - also don't put in all my yeast nutrient the first day keep giving it a kick day by day.

------

I put in a slurry from my dragons blood first part 15 litres to my Dragons blood second part 15 litres. (1.4 cups slurry).

It was going in a couple of hours - almost made the yeast starter i prepared superfluous.


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## Hunt

I haven't gotten into making starters yet. not even really sure how to do it.


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## beggarsu

Hunt said:


> I haven't gotten into making starters yet. not even really sure how to do it.



- empty pop bottle - 1 litre or 600 ml 
- 1-2 TBSP sugar
- 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
- tap water very warm -
- package of yeast
don't shake very vigorously at start just treat yeast gently til they get started 
- stop top of bottle with some Kleenex or napkin paper (so is not airtight)

- put in warm dark place (over 70 degrees). 

when gets going (bubbles etc) ( 3 -12 hours later_ take some of the must and add to yeast in bottle - if it and when it takes off - ie reacts well yeast is ready - can be 30 min to six hours more.


Some places I read said 1 day prep and then put must to yeast starter - 2 days total - but from making them many times and for what I've needed - it does not take near that long. Start it 4-6 hours ahead is fine. 

At any time if you want it going stronger in the bottle add more sugar , water or nutrient depending. Idea is to get a nice frothy or active mix going. 



----->
_Troublesome Musts with sulphides _

If your must of whatever is troublesome to start from too much sulphide you can splash it from pail to pail or stir exposing to air , leaving cover off to get rid of sulphide. I've done that successfully once - so I'm no longer caring if some juice from store says the label there are sulphides - I'm confident I can exorcise it. And to add to that those suphides are weak - they don't overspend money - they use just enough and no more and If I'm using more water, like to concentrates, that dilutes them as well.


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## Vertumnus

djrockinsteve said:


> You may stir it a few times a day releasing excess CO2 and mix in O2 to help the yeast. Keep it warm. It may ferment slowly, don't worry.
> 
> If you haven't started already you can add the lemon juice upon fermentation being finished. The lemon juice does nothing to help fermentation so adding after the sugar water has fully fermented is fine.




So, if the lemon isn't really doing anything, should I take this to mean that what is essentially being made here is lemon-flavored kilju, the sugar wine of Finnish origins? Or is that a different process?


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## beggarsu

Vertumnus said:


> So, if the lemon isn't really doing anything, should I take this to mean that what is essentially being made here is lemon-flavored kilju, the sugar wine of Finnish origins? Or is that a different process?



Probably close but with some small differences - there is tannin added and this stuff improves with age. Probably fermenting with the juice makes a difference to the taste or helps the aging/bonding, just that it can be added afterwards and will then age in the carboy or bottle.. 


I doubt the Finns were the only ones in history to make water wine or the origin of such though I guess they have popularized the idea of that in the modern world. 
I was actually wondering about water wine - now i see there are a lot of ideas about it - "kilju", interesting to research..


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## Hunt

Its only been 4 days granted it feels like longer and the skeeter pee has gone from an sg of 1.070 down to 1.002. Im planning on racking it tonight after work if its dry and it should be. I read through the directions and from what im understanding is as soon as its racked i should degas, add the k-meta, sorbet and Sparkolliod. Am i reading that right or should i let it sit for a few more days once in the carboy to allow it to settle.


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## Hunt

I realized just a minute ago that i made a small mistake. I used all of my Kmeta for sanitation and this recipie calls for 1/2 tsp of it. Now I do have campden tablets. I just need to know if this will work the same seeing as its the same stuff and if it will work how much do i need for 5 gal of pee. The bottle says 1 tablet per gallon equals approx 30 ppm free S02


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## beggarsu

Hunt said:


> Its only been 4 days granted it feels like longer and the skeeter pee has gone from an sg of 1.070 down to 1.002. Im planning on racking it tonight after work if its dry and it should be. I read through the directions and from what im understanding is as soon as its racked i should degas, add the k-meta, sorbet and Sparkolliod. Am i reading that right or should i let it sit for a few more days once in the carboy to allow it to settle.



No, I would wait befreo adding chemicals to make sure fermentation and SG could go lower. Mine went down to .994 You can put it in the carboy if you want but it might still need some oxygen to ferment further - I don't know how much difference it makes at that point whether to be in the primary or carboy - I usually wait minimum 6 days or one day after no apparent activity with the lid tight on the primary at that point so not too much oxygen. Check the SG again tonight probably it has gone down further. 

In the carboy is done to prevent oxidation when the major fermentation is done.
Actually I don't sulphide and sorbate until at least 10 days minimum - maybe 14. But I guess for Skeeter Pee 7-10 days is enough to keep on a one month schedule. But 7 minimum to make sure all fermenting is done.

Yes, one campden table per gallon - it is sulphide so use 5 tabs for 5 gallons. Break it up on a spoon to dissolve better.


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## Hunt

Yeah im gonna monitor it for another 3 days with a hydrometer to watch for any change.


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## beggarsu

Hunt said:


> Yeah im gonna monitor it for another 3 days with a hydrometer to watch for any change.



Could add a little yeast nutrient and /or energizer - just sprinkle on top at first - check over an hour to see if you see activity - then mix it in a while later. If after 16-24 hours of no visible activity it may be fermenting a bit but probably time for carboy.


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## the_rayway

I've been searching without any success on this:

I've got a batch of SP going - I just added the sorbate and sugar to prep for bottling. After I dissolved all the sugar, I added a 2 part fining pack to the carboy (kliesol/chitosan) and it clouded the wine up! It's been two days, and it does not appear to be clearing again. It was almost perfectly clear before I racked it - just a bit of a haze left.

Has anyone experienced this?


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## reefman

is it degassed?


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## the_rayway

You bet! It's been flat and aging in the carboy for a good three months.


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## Julie

I have heard others say that their wine would cloud up after using a clearing agent, I really can't remember but I think they left it alone and it did clear, just took a little longer than normal.


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## Elmer

Down to my last 3 bottles of SP.
I have to say out of all the wine I make I seem to drink SP most of all.

And I have yet to have a bottle on a hot day.

Will be starting another batch next week.


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## wineforfun

the_rayway said:


> I've been searching without any success on this:
> 
> I've got a batch of SP going - I just added the sorbate and sugar to prep for bottling. After I dissolved all the sugar, I added a 2 part fining pack to the carboy (kliesol/chitosan) and it clouded the wine up! It's been two days, and it does not appear to be clearing again. It was almost perfectly clear before I racked it - just a bit of a haze left.
> 
> Has anyone experienced this?



Rae,
I had the same thing happen. I think it may have been the chocolate covered cherry one, not for sure. Anyway, it was pretty clear and then I added some SuperKleer(I had some left from another batch I was clearing) and it clouded up. Not real bad, but cloudy. It took mine 3-4 weeks before it cleared up again. Only time I have had that happen.


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## the_rayway

Whew! Thanks Julie & WFF. What a weird thing to happen.


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## reefman

Julie said:


> I have heard others say that their wine would cloud up after using a clearing agent, I really can't remember but I think they left it alone and it did clear, just took a little longer than normal.


My last batch of Pee took a while to clear, but I don't remember it getting cloudy from the clearing agent. I'll check my records tonight and find out what agent I used.


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## ou8amaus

I have had that happen a couple of times on my DB... My instructions said to add them in a specific sequence, 24 hours apart. Strangely enough it cleared well on the first of the two parts, the keiselsol, but then the next day when I stirred in the second part (chitosan) the sediment refused to drop out! I hit it with another Keiselsol 2 weeks later and within 48 hours it cleared again completely. Racked it and threw away the extra chitosan.


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## Vertumnus

So I'm making my first batch of skeeter pee and I notice that in step 9, it does not specify at what SG to rack from the primary into the secondary. My initial SG a few days ago was 1.070. My current SG is 1.046. Should I rack now or wait for it to go lower still?


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## dangerdave

If you are going to rack it to a secondary carboy, wait until it gets at or below 1.010.

Good luck!


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## Ctmaro

I have been racking 2 days after the addition of lemon juice, energizer, & nutrient.

I have Dragon's Blood going right now and am thinking of letting it go dry before racking.


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## calvin

I follow Dave's recipe to a t. That seems to work out good. Let the sg stabilize for 3 days before racking


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## Ctmaro

I am following Dave's recipe to a tea making his version. But, I have made, and am making a version where I start 1 gallon triple berry wine using Jack Keller's blackberry wine recipe, then after 2 days, use that to start a Skeeter Pee.

I am making the 2 right now to see if there is much difference in taste between the versions. Dave's has a lot less work to it. The Skeeter Pee version has gotten great reviews from family and friends.


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## Hunt

checked on my pee today and it look clear as can be till i shine a light through it then i see small particles in the wine. I saw this first last night and still today with no change. Should i let it sit a few more days or do you think its safe to back sweeten


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## Elmer

Another 5 gallon batch is brewing.
I find that I drink more of this stuff than anything else I make!


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## Hunt

Bottled my first batch of skeeter pee last night. Well I guess i should say I bottled what was left of the skeeter pee. Out of 6 gallons only 3000 ml made it into bottles. We keeps stealing "samples"


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## peaches9324

I seem to run into that same problem with all the wine I make lol Keep having to downsize my carboys


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## Elmer

Elmer said:


> Another 5 gallon batch is brewing.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making



Nearly 2 weeks into my ferment and I have gone from 1.085 to 1.060
Basement is still cool, so I wrapped in a blanket. SP is tough enough I don't need to make it extra difficult.

Although I have been told that with DB and other wines a slow ferment can be good!

moving along now!


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## beggarsu

Elmer said:


> Nearly 2 weeks into my ferment and I have gone from 1.085 to 1.060
> Basement is still cool, so I wrapped in a blanket. SP is tough enough I don't need to make it extra difficult.
> 
> Although I have been told that with DB and other wines a slow ferment can be good!
> 
> moving along now!




That sounds like a stalled ferment - My two SP's were .993 in 5 days or less.
If your house is warm, it woudl probably be better to do in the main house , a closet or hallway or whatever and transfer to basement after a week.


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## Elmer

beggarsu said:


> That sounds like a stalled ferment - My two SP's were .993 in 5 days or less.
> If your house is warm, it woudl probably be better to do in the main house , a closet or hallway or whatever and transfer to basement after a week.



Could be,
but my SP has always taken at least a few weeks.
I already wrapped a blanket on it and I will try adding heat pad to it.

The main house just wont work, have family staying with me for a few days.
And SWMBO is not going to let a 18 people attending a baby shower step around a fermenting bucket!


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## beggarsu

Elmer said:


> Could be,
> but my SP has always taken at least a few weeks.
> I already wrapped a blanket on it and I will try adding heat pad to it.
> 
> The main house just wont work, have family staying with me for a few days.
> And SWMBO is not going to let a 18 people attending a baby shower step around a fermenting bucket!



Really? taking a few weeks to ferment dry? I never heard of that.

Well carry on!!

---

I don't know, you could disguise it by putting some baby pics on the lid along with a couple of gifts - Nothing is impossible to the willing mind.


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## Elmer

Well I officially have stalled.
Of course I did the reading this morning just before leaving for work, so I did not have time to resolve it.

I have the bucket wrapped in a blanket, I will add a heat patch, but I am also going to whip up another yeast starter!

Sounds like a plan!


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## beggarsu

Elmer said:


> Well I officially have stalled.
> Of course I did the reading this morning just before leaving for work, so I did not have time to resolve it.
> 
> I have the bucket wrapped in a blanket, I will add a heat patch, but I am also going to whip up another yeast starter!
> 
> Sounds like a plan!


Aha! The usual suspect.

... yeast energizer too.


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## Elmer

beggarsu said:


> Aha! The usual suspect.
> 
> ... yeast energizer too.



Really more?

I thought adding too much can cause issues?


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## beggarsu

Elmer said:


> Really more?
> 
> I thought adding too much can cause issues?




It says on the package _purpose : to restart stuck fermentations_.

Dead is dead - put on the paddles and kick the voltage. 

But I never had a batch die on me. I don't know how much you got in already,but i think any extra will just drop out in the lees unless someone knows something special about this.

At least some should go in the yeast starter.

.


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## Elmer

beggarsu said:


> It says on the package _purpose : to restart stuck fermentations_.
> 
> Dead is dead - put on the paddles and kick the voltage.
> 
> But I never had a batch die on me. I don't know how much you got in already,but i think any extra will just drop out in the lees unless someone knows something special about this.
> 
> At least some should go in the yeast starter.
> 
> .



Made up a yeast starter, which got cooking quick.
Stirred in with tsp of energizer.

however my basement is now at 70, so hopefully this helps!


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## beggarsu

Elmer said:


> Made up a yeast starter, which got cooking quick.
> Stirred in with tsp of energizer.
> 
> however my basement is now at 70, so hopefully this helps!



good luck.


----------



## Elmer

SG in thurs 1.060
SG today is 1.050

It is still going slow , even with warming up to 70 & adding energizer/nutrient




Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## reefman

Elmer,
Did it finish yet?


----------



## Elmer

reefman said:


> Elmer,
> Did it finish yet?



SG Down to just about 1.000
I snapped the lid on and am bathing the carboy in some k-meta.

I will rack to carboy this weekend (anticipating it will be below 1.000), when I have the time.

I should be drinking a bottle within 2 weeks!


----------



## Jocelyn

I was looking over the recipe and I noticed that lawn suggest we use Yeast that is still fermenting above 1.0 no I just finished making a batch of dragons blood I'm about to finish it but it's already below 1.0 although it's still showing signs of fermentation is bubbling is that going to be a problem?


----------



## jamesjr

Do u absolutely have to have a slurry to do skeeter pee? I have the red packs of montrachet and go fermentation plus and nutrients to get it going?


----------



## calvin

No you do not need a slurry. I have done two batches. Both times I just sprinkled the yeast on top and it took off within 24 hrs


----------



## jamesjr

WhAt kind of yeast


----------



## calvin

Lalvin 1118


----------



## jamesjr

Ok because all I have at the moment is the red packs of montrachet will that work?


----------



## calvin

I would say go for it. If it doesn't work you can try the 1118 later


----------



## jamesjr

Ok kool ill try and order some. The closest brew store is 3hrs and also another question for ya. I was at the grocery store and all the lemon juice has preservatives. Is there one with out or is there a process to get rid of it


----------



## calvin

I've used the realemon brand. Italian volcano and target store brand. They all worked fine


----------



## jamesjr

Ok kool thanks for the help ill just whip up an aggressive starter


----------



## Arne

If you use the montrachet make sure you keep the nutrients in. Step feed them if you can. The lemon has a little tendency to get stinky on its own and the montrachet will try and add to it, but with nutrient it will work fine. Good luck with it, Arne.


----------



## jamesjr

I e nverted the sugar with about 1/3 lemon juice and filled carboy up to shoulder and let sit overnight till tonight with a paper towel. ( working on getting buckets) Also I started a starter with ferm k and go ferm and water with montrachet. And slowly over 24hrs added some of the must till the ratios was about 1:1 then pitched. But after about 14 hrs I checked the starter and the sg dropped something like 0.020. But no signs of fermentation except when I shook the starter a lot of fix and bubbles. Is that normal or should of there been a foam head on the starter. I got it sitting now in a dark room wrapped in sweatshirt. Its supposed to get cold tonight. 

Faithful arne whats your input my kind sir?


----------



## jamesjr

Well I woke this morning about 12 hrs pitching the starter ( not a slurry) and its bubbling away like mad. Well I'm proud of my self thanks for all the help. Its only a one gallon batch. I'm gonna do some experimenting with raspberry and strawberry so when I get bigger c arboys I can make a big batch. So now ill give it more nutrient and the rest of the lemon at 1/3 sugar consumption.


----------



## jamesjr

Well I got the sg down to 1.000 this morning and all went well but like arne said its kinda stinky and not a whole lot lemony as expected I'm going to try and back sweeten with a frozen lemon concentrate and next Bach ill backsweeten with a pink lemonade. Then next batch with raspberry. But whats a good yeast for country fruit because I think the montrachet is giving it an off flavor or could it be my well water?


----------



## Julie

I normally use lavlin 1122 for most of my fruit wines and I have not had a issue using the slurry for skeeter pee


----------



## jamesjr

Ok ill pick some of that up and 1118 I also heard is good with fruit wines


----------



## Arne

You best get a bucket for a primary and either a few gal. jugs for secondary or a 5 gal. carboy. Bet you are going to find you can't make it fast enough to keep up with 1 gal. batches. Arne.


----------



## jamesjr

Just picked up some buckets only 2 gallons 2 of them but that will get me rocking and rolling a but more. Now should I punch a whole for a airlock or just cover with a towel


----------



## wineforfun

Just cover primary with a towel or loose lid.
I use Lavlin EC-1118 for all of these skeeter pee type wines.

You can also use a mix of real lemon and real lime juice. I start with all real lemon and then around SG 1.020 add in the real lime. Gives it a different flavor. After it has fermented dry I rack it onto all kind of concentrates. I use Old Orchard 100%. Blueberry Pomegranate, Cherry, Mango Passionfruit, etc.


----------



## jamesjr

Ok kool im interested in doing a blueberry strawberry and raspberry sp. Right now tho with my original sp I can't seem to get it full degassed ive been stirring it up a good couple times a day now then tonight I jimmyed up a clothes hanger drill combo. And gave it a good go forward and reverse and im still getting a lot of bubbles in the carboy only when I shake it when it sits idle it doesn't bubble ive got the sg down below 1.000 but the only thing ive done wrong is maybe add to much nutrient and energized. I also used montrachet red star. Is it normal for degassing to take so long?


----------



## wineforfun

Can't really tell you with the 5/6 gal. batches. I read about this alot, the degassing issue. That is why I stick to 1 and 2 gal. batches. Never have any issues and it makes plenty of wine for our consumption.


----------



## Elmer

jamesjr said:


> Ok kool im interested in doing a blueberry strawberry and raspberry sp. Right now tho with my original sp I can't seem to get it full degassed ive been stirring it up a good couple times a day now then tonight I jimmyed up a clothes hanger drill combo. And gave it a good go forward and reverse and im still getting a lot of bubbles in the carboy only when I shake it when it sits idle it doesn't bubble ive got the sg down below 1.000 but the only thing ive done wrong is maybe add to much nutrient and energized. I also used montrachet red star. Is it normal for degassing to take so long?




You very well could be add bubbles to the wine if you stir it too virtuously. 
You need to stir moderately and then let it sit and calm down and then stir again.

I have stired for close to 15 minutes in an effort to degass without using long term storage.

But all this talk of SP is getting me to think about another batch....


----------



## jamesjr

Thanks I got it degassed and added a tiny bit of bentonite and not even 12 hrs later it's perfectly clear! Im going to let it sit a little longer rack, backsweeten and im in there


----------



## cintipam

Just being a nitpicker here. You listed everything except adding Kmeta and Sorbate together to stabilize. You really gotta do that at least a few days before you backsweeten or else fermentation will kick up again.

Just wanted to be sure.

Pam in cinti


----------



## jamesjr

Yea I kno I dont have any, just got into wine making recently. All that including starsan is on my next order list so for this one ill just use splenda and keep in the fridge. Its only 1 gallon batch. So im hoping the cold in the fridge and if I use splenda it wont start back up. I may not even backsweeten if I like it. Its my first time making it and only my 3rd ever made so im learning as I go but I very much do appreciate your input. In my opinion I think u have to nitpick if u want a good wine.


----------



## jamesjr

Ok so I just finished clearing my pee ha , anyway I tried a little and not to good. I left out tannin because I had none and I used bentonite instead of sparkeloid. Did I strip flavor with the bentonite or does the lack of tannin make that big of a difference? Its just kinda bland with a slight tart lemony taste

Arne where ya at on this one?


----------



## Arne

Pour a little in a glass and add some sugar to it til it gets sweet. Should help bring the lemon out. Arne.


----------



## jamesjr

Ok im going to try that tonight and im going to do an sp on top of my db slurry but do u think the lack of tannin made that big of a difference?


----------



## BernardSmith

Julie said:


> I normally use lavlin 1122 for most of my fruit wines and I have not had a issue using the slurry for skeeter pee



Hi Julie. When you say you tend to use 1122 is that the same as "71B" (71B -1122)?


----------



## Julie

BernardSmith said:


> Hi Julie. When you say you tend to use 1122 is that the same as "71B" (71B -1122)?


 
Yes it is one and the same.


----------



## ffemt128

I started another batch of this last weekend. I decided to go with 1116 yeast this time. Starting sg for 6 gallons was 1.084, when I checked yesterday it was down to 1.076. I have a nice ferment going with the temps being about 68 degrees with a brew belt.


----------



## jamesjr

Well I back sweetend my first sp and well I like it alot. I cant wait to make some more batches and I actually just scored a nice big carboy today at a yard sale so im going to try and age some till summer


----------



## Arne

jamesjr said:


> Well I back sweetend my first sp and well I like it alot. I cant wait to make some more batches and I actually just scored a nice big carboy today at a yard sale so im going to try and age some till summer


 
Want a bit of advise?? Going to get it anyway, LOL. Get out your 20 gal. brute fermenter and make a double batch. That way you mite wind up with enough left over to let it sit til summer. Stuff tends to disappear pretty fast. Everybody seems to want some. Arne.


----------



## jamesjr

Lol im thinking of making a food grade 25 gal blue drum into a primary would u think it would work?


----------



## wineforfun

james,
Also, with SP or DB it doesn't really get much better after 3-4 mos. in the bottle. Not like a red wine that gets better with 1 -2yrs. under it.
I always make it with the intention of it being drank within 6 months.


----------



## Arne

jamesjr said:


> Lol im thinking of making a food grade 25 gal blue drum into a primary would u think it would work?


 

Think it would probably work just fine. When it comes time to rack it, if you don't have a vac. pump, you will probably have to pour it over a little at a time. Good luck with it, Arne.


----------



## calvin

I have the 20 gallon brute. But wish I would have got the 32. I want to try an 18 gallon batch but I'm scared it would overflow. A 25 gallon fermenter sounds like a great size.


----------



## jamesjr

That's down the road a ways lol ive only concord a 1 gallon batches so far but hey I got big dreams but those 55 gal drums out here are used for everything


----------



## calvin

I would suggest doing a kit wine first. But skeeter pee is pretty easy. Follow the directions exactly and it will turn out good. 

Oh. A slurry is the yeast from the bottom of your primary fermenter after your first racking. So you need to do a different batch of wine first to get a slurry. 

That being said you can make skeeter pee without a slurry. Follow the directions on a packet of ec-1118 and you will be ok

Good luck


----------



## jamesjr

I actually tried the red star montrachet yeast and I got it to ferment out but I had to realy step feed it with nutrients. But it is a cheaper one to make and customize to your own liking. But I'd personally recommend apple juice or apple cider it seems like that's so easy to ferment and clear. That's what I learned on and if u can find it already in a one gallon glass jug its a bonus because u can ferment it right in that and reuse the carboy later. Either apple juice or any store baught 100 percent juice is how I learned. But like someone told me of u make skeeter pee start another batch asap because it goes quick.


----------



## QuiQuog

Has this been asked already? Why do we let is sit for 24-48 hours before adding the slurry?


----------



## barbiek

QuiQuog to help rid of the preservative in the lemon juice you also want to give it a good stirring too stir really hard Ina back and forth motion to get some oxygen in it not like you do when degassing good luck with it and take it from me...take good notes

Barbie


----------



## QuiQuog

Thanks, I think I remember reading that tidbit somewhere. I wonder if that's the reason the instruction say that some people have a hard time getting the ferment to start. 

If we use a preservative free juice then, can we just pour it in the bucket with the slurry and bypass the wait? I found this on Amazon. 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M1DUDU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Yeah, it's more expensive. Maybe I'll try both! 

On a side note, I was reading that the preservatives in Real Lemon give some people headaches. I wonder if that may play a part in the Skeeter Pee headaches thread. 

Another related topic. In the original recipe, it says that it will take on slight flavor characteristics of the wine that donates the yeast slurry. Has anyone noticed that any particular slurry imparts a better flavor than another?


----------



## barbiek

Yes that is exactly why the ferment problem. And yes I think that has everything to do with the headache that and the sugar added for sweetening I haven't read the thread on the headaches as of yet. As far as it taken on the taste of the slurry used yes of course, that's why it's important to use a slurry of a like wine. And I didn't look at that link yet but I would question if no preservatives are in it because u still want it clean to start with then I woułd treat it like fresh juice and add k meta and wait 12-24 hrs before but that's just imho maybe someone with more experience will reply hope I was some help anyway

Barbie


----------



## wineinmd

Could I use the fine lees from the secondary from my Cab Sauv for this or should it be the gross lees from primary or neither?


----------



## QuiQuog

You need live yeast cells. If you take them from your secondary they should all be dead as fermentation has stopped if everything goes as planned. You should take them from the primary when fermentation is still active.


----------



## wineinmd

QuiQuog said:


> You need live yeast cells. If you take them from your secondary they should all be dead as fermentation has stopped if everything goes as planned. You should take them from the primary when fermentation is still active.


I'm coming at this from a beer brewer's perspective. The stuff that falls out first during primary is all the solids (hops, any stray grains, caramelized extract, etc.) and the majority of the yeast stay in suspension until fermentation is near finished. It seems strange to me that some of the yeast will just decide to stop eating and fall out of suspension while there are still sugars present. 

When I compare the gross lees to the fine lees I see in the bottom of the secondary, the fine lees look much more like the healthy yeast I harvest from my beer making. The gross lees looked like the "bleh" leftovers. I'm guessing the bentonite and Fermax and Fermaid and things like that. 

I guess if people are successfully harvesting yeast from primary that some of my assumptions are wrong or there are just plenty of yeast to go around. I thought worst case scenario I would just end up with the less flocculent yeast, which would only be a nuisance since it would take longer to clear.


----------



## Julie

QuiQuog, yeast do not die, they eat their fill and drop to the bottom. Fermenting lemon can be difficult, using the lees for your secondary may not have enough yeast to be successful.


----------



## QuiQuog

I should have prefaced my comment with something along the lines of, "I'm pretty much a complete noob in the dark art of wine making, but I think…" and then ended it with, "…but you better wait for someone who knows what they're talking about to come along with an actual answer."


----------



## wineinmd

Just a general question about using slurries. 

My raspberry peach sangria is just about ready to be moved and was thinking about using the slurry to start a SP batch. How much of the flavor/color shows up in the finished product? I'd like it to be distinctive from the sangria and was considering adding cranberry to half a batch, and cranberry/lime to the other, but wasn't sure what level of competition taste-wise there would be from the sangria slurry.


----------



## Ctmaro

wineinmd said:


> Just a general question about using slurries.
> 
> My raspberry peach sangria is just about ready to be moved and was thinking about using the slurry to start a SP batch. How much of the flavor/color shows up in the finished product? I'd like it to be distinctive from the sangria and was considering adding cranberry to half a batch, and cranberry/lime to the other, but wasn't sure what level of competition taste-wise there would be from the sangria slurry.



I have found that the color carries through more than the flavor. The flavor is only a back ground not a mix with the lemon.

Mark


----------



## wineinmd

Ctmaro said:


> I have found that the color carries through more than the flavor. The flavor is only a back ground not a mix with the lemon.
> 
> Mark


Thanks Mark. If I'm going with cranberry, I suppose it won't make much of a difference then since the color won't be that far off between the two. Much appreciated!


----------



## gizmo206

I have a batch that the gravity has been at 1.010 for almost week and half I have stirred it several times to intro some oxygen. What can I do to get the gravity lower? or should I just transfer it to the carboy and add the finishing products


----------



## wineforfun

gizmo206 said:


> I have a batch that the gravity has been at 1.010 for almost week and half I have stirred it several times to intro some oxygen. What can I do to get the gravity lower? or should I just transfer it to the carboy and add the finishing products



What did it start at, SG-wise?
Did you use EC-1118 yeast?

If your initial SG was around 1.090-1.100 and you used the above yeast, you may want to throw another packet of EC-1118 yeast in to see if it will eat up the rest of the sugar.
Honestly, after a week and a half, I would probably rack it into a carboy and see if it will finish dropping.


----------



## gizmo206

wineforfun said:


> What did it start at, SG-wise?
> Did you use EC-1118 yeast?
> 
> If your initial SG was around 1.090-1.100 and you used the above yeast, you may want to throw another packet of EC-1118 yeast in to see if it will eat up the rest of the sugar.
> Honestly, after a week and a half, I would probably rack it into a carboy and see if it will finish dropping.


 The starting SG was 1.070 I didn't use a yeast I used a slurry from another batch and added yeast energizer and nutrients like the recipe call for I added more energizer and nutrients after 3 days the SG is still 1.010 so im going rack it this evening and let clear


----------



## wineforfun

I gotcha.
I have never made it that way. I always start my SG at 1.090'ish and use a packet of yeast.

You may try throwing a packet of EC-1118 in there if you want to get it to use the rest of the sugar. Right now you will have a semi-sweet wine with very low alcohol.


----------



## gizmo206

wineforfun said:


> I gotcha.
> I have never made it that way. I always start my SG at 1.090'ish and use a packet of yeast.
> 
> You may try throwing a packet of EC-1118 in there if you want to get it to use the rest of the sugar. Right now you will have a semi-sweet wine with very low alcohol.


I did rack it last night! the semi-sweet will be ok because I am going to add a strawberry/kiwi flavoring at the end  the alcohol should be around 8% usually I get a 12% Thanks for your help


----------



## menerdari

My Pee all nice and bottled up, got 54 bottles all together this batch in 5 flavors


----------



## JimmyT

menerdari said:


> My Pee all nice and bottled up, got 54 bottles all together this batch in 5 flavors




Love the labels! What do you use for flavoring? Different fruits during ferm or concentrate to backsweeten or something different.


----------



## menerdari

JimmyT said:


> Love the labels! What do you use for flavoring? Different fruits during ferm or concentrate to backsweeten or something different.



I used frozen concentrate from Walmart, one can per gallon, added after I stabalized. I ended up adding 1/2 cup of sugar to each of the flavored batches to get it just right for my taste.


----------



## Alphachef

I really want to do this, the recipe says yeast slurry and I ready that you can just make a yeast starter. But can I just sprinkle the yeast on Top like I did for my other wine? FYI this is only my second batch of anything lol


----------



## cmason1957

Alphachef said:


> I really want to do this, the recipe says yeast slurry and I ready that you can just make a yeast starter. But can I just sprinkle the yeast on Top like I did for my other wine? FYI this is only my second batch of anything lol



You might be able to get it to start by just sprinkling yeast, but starting the yeast is not hard. Warn water, I use the can I just feel some warmth when I run the water over my fingers test or about as warm as you would want a baby bottle. A pinch of sugar, let it sit 15-30 minutes with the yeast in it. The yeast willpower very nice and frothy and smell like bread baking. Pour throughout the must. You want the must at about the same temp as the yeast. About idea the key word, I never measure. Well worth the time to do this.


----------



## gizmo206

Bottled it added strawberry and kiwi flavoring very good for hot summer day. Now have strawberry/kiwi cranberry/lime regular skeeter pee and i'm starting a mango/coconut may add a splash of chocolate also


----------



## Alphachef

Where are you getting the flavoring from? Like what source, natural fruits or what


----------



## wineforfun

You can flavor from either 
a. yeast slurry from a previous batch of wine or
b. a concentrate such as Old Orchard

When your wine is clear, just add 10-12oz. per gallon, of concentrate, into your carboy and rack your wine on top of it. 
Wah lah, you now have flavored SP.
With the concentrates, you have an abundance of flavor options.


----------



## gizmo206

Alphachef said:


> Where are you getting the flavoring from? Like what source, natural fruits or what


 From my wine supply store it's called Brewers Best wine flavoring. I just racked one yesterday it will be coconut/mango


----------



## stevo

question about the basic skeeter pee recipe on page one, i recently made a batch of limoncello, and having peeled 30 lemons,I put the whole lemons through my champion juicer and froze the juice,can use this juice as part of the recipe?


----------



## Arne

stevo said:


> question about the basic skeeter pee recipe on page one, i recently made a batch of limoncello, and having peeled 30 lemons,I put the whole lemons through my champion juicer and froze the juice,can use this juice as part of the recipe?



Don't see why not. Real lemon is supposed to just be lemon juice, although I am sure fresh juice tastes better. When you get the batch all mixed up you can taste it and see if the lemon is strong enough. If not just use some real lemon with it. Arne.


----------



## CheerfulHeart

*Yuzu or Lemon and Coconut?*

For less than what the Island Mist Yuzu Coconut kit and shipping will cost, I think I can make a similar flavored SP using yuzu juice and adding coconut extract for the coconut flavor.

Has anyone made a Yuzu version? How much yuzu juice do you recommend? How much coconut extract?

If I make a traditional Lemon SP and add coconut extract, how much extract would be a good starting point?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## reefman

It's that time of the year to start thinking about what flavors of SP to make for the summer.
1. That coconut versions might be a 1 gal. batch to give it a try.
2. Cranberry Lime is on my list. http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11570&page=5
3. I want to try a peach version as well.
4. Going to start a couple batches of original this week so I'll have some ready to try the different flavors.


----------



## japaisley1

Can't wait to try this original recipe.... I want to try at least the original and then a different flavor to have around for summer weather


----------



## Arne

Make 5 gal. Take one gal. and sweeten with welches cranberry, strawberry cherry, or whatever trips your trigger. Mite or might not need additional clearing, mite need a little more sweetening. Depends on your tastes. Anyway, one batch can come out a bunch of different flavors. Or make a 10 or 15 gal. batch. Around here the stuff disappears really fast when it warms up. Arne.


----------



## japaisley1

Starting my first batch as we speak!!
You should have seen the look on the guys face at the local wine store when I told him I was making "skeeter pee"!!


----------



## japaisley1

Hey guys, so I have my sugar water ready, and I am waiting until after fermentation to add the lemon juice, well I added 1/3 cup with the sugar/water, and I am just sprinkling the yeast, do I still have to wait 24hours?


----------



## japaisley1

My patience got the best of me.... 

I added a bottle of 100% from concentrate juice. The jug says passion fruit, then I read the ingredients. Kiwi/apple/pear/grape/orange/passion fruit/pineapple/lemon and kiwi with peach/ guava /apple and mango purée. Also added about 1/4 of the 32oz lemon juice. Stirred that a bit and then pitched ec111 yeast. My SG is 1.065

I am just realizing, i've added too much water to begin with, and now I don't have much room left in my fermenter for the lemon juice to add eventually.... geez..
Now the waiting begins!!


----------



## Julie

japaisley1 said:


> Hey guys, so I have my sugar water ready, and I am waiting until after fermentation to add the lemon juice, well I added 1/3 cup with the sugar/water, and I am just sprinkling the yeast, do I still have to wait 24hours?





japaisley1 said:


> My patience got the best of me....
> 
> I added a bottle of 100% from concentrate juice. The jug says passion fruit, then I read the ingredients. Kiwi/apple/pear/grape/orange/passion fruit/pineapple/lemon and kiwi with peach/ guava /apple and mango purée. Also added about 1/4 of the 32oz lemon juice. Stirred that a bit and then pitched ec111 yeast. My SG is 1.065
> 
> I am just realizing, i've added too much water to begin with, and now I don't have much room left in my fermenter for the lemon juice to add eventually.... geez..
> Now the waiting begins!!



Are you making skeeter pee or dragon's blood?


----------



## japaisley1

Skeeter Pee


----------



## japaisley1

Julie said:


> Are you making skeeter pee or dragon's blood?



Skeeter pee


----------



## ffemt128

Started 2 batches in the past week.


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> Skeeter pee



Hi. How is your SKeeter Pee doing? How much are you making?

I have a batch in secondary right now. lol


----------



## japaisley1

Tnuscan said:


> Hi. How is your SKeeter Pee doing? How much are you making?
> 
> I have a batch in secondary right now. lol



Hey 
It is going well. Still lots of foaming everyday, 4th day in primary. I have 6 gallons I am looking forward to my first skeeter pee!! How many batches have you made so far? Are you making original?


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> Hey
> It is going well. Still lots of foaming everyday, 4th day in primary. I have 6 gallons I am looking forward to my first skeeter pee!! How many batches have you made so far? Are you making original?



Lots! lol. Watch this stuff especially if it's warm, first time I drank it I was sitting on my front porch, somehow I fell off the back one. It will sneak up on you. As far as flavors go add them after it ferments, after you stabilize, add them when you add sugar, to suit your taste, around the same S.G., or take the slurry from a batch you made before, you're just throwing in a little flavor, color, etc.
Have fun take notes .lol.
Sometimes I forget, or just can't remember. Lol. 
Check out Joeswine have fun. (cheaper kits) ...Do it like joe...
If in doubt just holler.


----------



## japaisley1

Tnuscan said:


> Lots! lol. Watch this stuff especially if it's warm, first time I drank it I was sitting on my front porch, somehow I fell off the back one. It will sneak up on you. As far as flavors go add them after it ferments, after you stabilize, add them when you add sugar, to suit your taste, around the same S.G., or take the slurry from a batch you made before, you're just throwing in a little flavor, color, etc.
> Have fun take notes .lol.
> Sometimes I forget, or just can't remember. Lol.
> Check out Joeswine have fun. (cheaper kits) ...Do it like joe...
> If in doubt just holler.




Oh my gosh! lol. Sorry but sounds hilarious... I will keep that in mind!

Thanks for the tips!!


----------



## japaisley1

Update:

Day 12 of fermentation- my SG is 1.020. I had added the yeast energizer and nutrient, along with a bottle of Lemon juice on day 8.
Slowly moving, but going for sure. When I checked it today, it was foaming quite a bit, nice white foam.


----------



## reefman

what yeast did you use and what is your ferment temp?
I've only had one batch of SP take that long to ferment, and it used a slurry from a kit I had just done (Coconut Fratta?SP)


----------



## japaisley1

reefman said:


> what yeast did you use and what is your ferment temp?
> I've only had one batch of SP take that long to ferment, and it used a slurry from a kit I had just done (Coconut Fratta?SP)



I used ec1118.my temp is 75f. I'm not sure why so long either but its is now.998. I want to wait it out to get a little lower before racking.


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> I used ec1118.my temp is 75f. I'm not sure why so long either but its is now.998. I want to wait it out to get a little lower before racking.



Hello. Mine is slowly finishing too. We actually started around the same time.

I'm thinking mine usually takes this long, when I do it at this time of year. In the summer it finishes a little faster. Last summer I had a couple of kits and a fruit wine starting at the same time, pitched the yeast and they finished at 0.992 5 days latter.(still in primary). My temps are 73 to 75deg now. I'm going to check sg. today.


----------



## japaisley1

Tnuscan said:


> Hello. Mine is slowly finishing too. We actually started around the same time.
> 
> I'm thinking mine usually takes this long, when I do it at this time of year. In the summer it finishes a little faster. Last summer I had a couple of kits and a fruit wine starting at the same time, pitched the yeast and they finished at 0.992 5 days latter.(still in primary). My temps are 73 to 75deg now. I'm going to check sg. today.



I can definetley see how it would go much faster with the warmer weather!

My SG last night was .994, so I racked to secondary I have degassed, and added clearing agents etc.

Now more waiting, I might have to get a batch of dragon blood going....


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> I can definetley see how it would go much faster with the warmer weather!
> 
> My SG last night was .994, so I racked to secondary I have degassed, and added clearing agents etc.
> 
> Now more waiting, I might have to get a batch of dragon blood going....



Lol. I am going to start the dragon blood too, within a couple of days. Sounds like an awesome drink, everyone seems to enjoy it.


----------



## japaisley1

Tnuscan said:


> Lol. I am going to start the dragon blood too, within a couple of days. Sounds like an awesome drink, everyone seems to enjoy it.



and it looks super yummy too!!


----------



## japaisley1

Hey guys! 
I started my skeeter pee on Feb 6. Tonight I racked again, added the rest of the lemon juice and back sweetened. 

The original recipe says the let it sit for another 2 weeks, but I tried it, and man it is GOOD!!
I only added 3cups of sugar to my batch, I don't like really sweet drinks. It is perfect. 
Now I need to make more! I can tell it won't last long. I am so happy with this recipe!!


----------



## japaisley1

Tnuscan said:


> Hello. Mine is slowly finishing too. We actually started around the same time.
> 
> I'm thinking mine usually takes this long, when I do it at this time of year. In the summer it finishes a little faster. Last summer I had a couple of kits and a fruit wine starting at the same time, pitched the yeast and they finished at 0.992 5 days latter.(still in primary). My temps are 73 to 75deg now. I'm going to check sg. today.



How did you make out with yours Dave?


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> How did you make out with yours Dave?



I stabilized mine on 2/23 and its been sitting, I am going to rack and sweeten tonight. I'm running behind on mine. lol


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> Hey guys!
> I started my skeeter pee on Feb 6. Tonight I racked again, added the rest of the lemon juice and back sweetened.
> 
> The original recipe says the let it sit for another 2 weeks, but I tried it, and man it is GOOD!!
> I only added 3cups of sugar to my batch, I don't like really sweet drinks. It is perfect.
> Now I need to make more! I can tell it won't last long. I am so happy with this recipe!!



You stated you "(*added the rest of the lemon juice*) and back sweetened."
Did you get that part of the process somewhere else or did you just do it to flavor to your own taste? This has been a thought of mine, but I have not done it this way. Did it bring on more lemon flavor without adding too much bitterness or (acidity)?? Seems like a lot to me but every ones taste is different. Thanks!


----------



## Tnuscan

I'm going to pull a half gallon and experiment with it. Thanks


----------



## reefman

If you follow "djrockinsteve" version of the recipe, he adds the lemon at the end. The fermentation doesn't like lemon much, and he adds his concentrates (cranberry) up front to get fermentation going and adds lemon at the end.


----------



## Tnuscan

japaisley1 said:


> Hey guys!
> I started my skeeter pee on Feb 6. Tonight I racked again, added the rest of the lemon juice and back sweetened.
> 
> The original recipe says the let it sit for another 2 weeks, but I tried it, and man it is GOOD!!
> I only added 3cups of sugar to my batch, I don't like really sweet drinks. It is perfect.
> Now I need to make more! I can tell it won't last long. I am so happy with this recipe!!



You and Jamie sneaking a drink of that skeeter pee:: or are ya'll waiting until the 20th


----------



## japaisley1

Tnuscan said:


> You and Jamie sneaking a drink of that skeeter pee:: or are ya'll waiting until the 20th



I ended up bottling on the 13th, so I had some to take away on my trip
I tastes wonderful!!!!

Already through 5 bottles or so!

I need to get on making some dragon blood here soon.


----------



## QuiQuog

I made a batch of this last year and it didn't have the lemon flavor I wanted. It just tasted like alcohol and had little if any lemon flavor. Someone said adding sugar will bring out the lemon flavor. I never got around to it so it's been sitting in a carboy for nearly a year. Well, I finally got around to it recently. Adding sugar made it taste like alcohol with more sugar in it, so I tried adding more lemon juice. Maybe I didn't have enough on hand because it only made it taste like sugary watered down lemonade with lots of alcohol. I got tired of messing with it and ended up pouring it all down the drain to fee up my carboy for some gewürztraminer that I needed to start.

Not sure where I went wrong and I can't find my notes. About all I can remember is that I used a champagne yeast instead of a starter because it's what I had on hand. I may try it again if I can time a batch after a white wine so I can use the slurry, and stick to the recipe as best I can. I think I'll try a Dragons Blood before I do though, because I just ordered a Hard Pink Lemonade kit to fill the lemonade gap this spring.


----------



## yanks4carolyn

Happy Friday! I put a few bottles of Skeeter Pee in the fridge a year ago. I had gotten it a little to hot but drank most of it anyway. It was like a bad tasting beer...if you can get thru the first glass, then it's not too bad. Ha! Anyway, this SP that's been in the fridge is amazing! I had one glass as is and the 2nd glass I added about 1/3 pk jolly rancher cherry single. You know the little stick pkg's. It's good too!! 
My son told me he wanted me to "drunk call" him one night. Hey...this may be the night! He's 200 miles out in the Gulf, he needs a call. Don't y'all agree?
But seriously, y'all stash some for a year.


----------



## Darleeka

How do you degass? I'm a newbie from Ireland


----------



## Darleeka

I really want to try making Skeeter Pee (why is it called that?) with real lemons and also don't understand why do you have to use dead yeast from a previous wine???


----------



## wineforfun

Darleeka said:


> I really want to try making Skeeter Pee (why is it called that?) with real lemons and also don't understand why do you have to use dead yeast from a previous wine???



You don't have to and many of us don't. The original thought was to use yeast from a previous batch of wine and that yeast will give your pee and different flavor.
A lot of us just pitch fresh yeast. 

Skeeter = mosquito(because it is typically a summer drink, when the mosquitoes are out)
Pee = because it resembles pee


----------



## reefman

_"Pee = because it resembles pee"_
Just the color, not the taste.!!!


----------



## Noobberry

First stir today of my first pee batch. Pitched yeast 2 days ago. Fermentation looks good, it's like stirring pop!


----------



## Mschooley53

Skeeter Pee is looking real good after only 3 days of clearing. Let's see how it looks in another week...


----------



## Lilocsprings

*Sg*

At what SG can I put my Skeeter Pee into the carboy?


----------



## Lilocsprings

how long did it take you from start to finish? Is yours sweet? Does it have a distinct lemon taste?


----------



## PandemoniumWines

Thanks for the recipe! I've got my yeast starter going and I'm adding it to the must tonight (too impatient to wait for slurry from other fermenting batches). Used EC-1118, hoping for a good ferment. First batch I've made that wasn't a mere gallon!


----------



## BigSell

*Got Distracted*

Got distracted, mixed up the energizer and nutrient, should I skip the second tsp of energizer at the 1/3 fermentation phase since I added 3tsp up front?


----------



## PandemoniumWines

Added sparkolloid four days ago, compared to the half gallon which I did not.


----------



## PandemoniumWines

My first batch lasted less than a week, not counting my little half gallon carboy which is still clearing itself, so I've started batch #2, hopefully a nice little labor day treat. 

I felt like the original recipe didn't have enough lemon in it, so this batch will have it upped a bit (used 20oz per gallon last time) post fermentation. I also added 6# (for 3 gallons) of triple berry mix. The last batch was good, but something a little less watery and a bit more fruity is the goal this time round. I looked at Dragon's Blood and it uses less lemon and less fruit, with a few people complaining about watery wine, so I ignored the lemon/lime suggestion and I doubled the fruit. Will pitch yeast tomorrow evening.

And now to the LHBS, stupid me broke my hydrometer!


----------



## Julie

PandemoniumWines said:


> ............
> 
> And now to the LHBS, stupid me broke my hydrometer!



1st rule in winemaking, always have three hydrometers!!!!! You will be surprised on how you won't be breaking any hydrometer when you have a supply on hand


----------



## PandemoniumWines

hehe yeah buying several!

hubs just broke his, so we were down to mine.. as I was getting stuff ready, I said, omg it would be so awful to break my hydrometer now that we only have the one... well, of course, it broke. Hah! 

RIP Trusty First Hydrometer 2017-2017


----------



## KevinL

Seeing as there is an entire forum dedicated to Lon's masterpiece, I've opted to try a batch of my own. At 50 cents a bottle, I'll be happy with anything really. This has been an enjoyable read and I'm hoping my batch turns out all right! Pitching the yeast tonight.


----------



## PandemoniumWines

My not skeeter pee but not dragon's blood wine was bottled today. 2# per gallon of triple berry mix, something like 30 oz per gallon lemon or lime (I use both). The FG was .996 and it took 4 cups of sugar (3.5 gallons) to get it to a nice sweetness. Very tasty. Not sure I'll ever make plain skeeter pee again. This one aged 2 months before it was okay to drink, I'll wait at least another month before I crack open a bottle, that's the only drawback to extra fruit as I see it. I'll keep a few until next year to taste also, but it's not weak, thin, or lacking in fruit taste.


----------



## hounddawg

I feel that there should be a warning label before making skeeter pee. THAT STUFF IS VERY ADDICTING,, LOL,,
Dawg


----------



## danr

Just finished reading the last ten pages.My question-reciepe calls for 7 lb.to start,or 16 cups.Seven lb.s is 14 cups.Am I missing something?


----------



## Julie

two cups of sugar does not come to exactly 1 lb. it is more like 13 oz. Actually you should just add enough sugar to bring your sg around 1.080


----------



## danr

Oh,I took a 4# bag and it came to 8 cups.I'm thinking measureing is best cause I never come near Sg. dumping it in by the bag weight and end up adding more(pain)
Thanks,Julie.


----------



## Arne

My 2 cents. When I make it I just dump in 10 lbs. Easy one bag. Then usually a bit more water than the recipe calls for and the s.p. is on the way. Arne.


----------



## kevinlfifer

Recipe twist on SP - All Dollar Tree ingredients:

4 - Jumex 32 oz Strawberry/Banana drink
3 - Frutessa 17.6 oz Strawberry preserves (only citric acid as preservative)
8 - lb sugar inverted (had a little left)
2 - Reconstituted lemon juice 32 oz
2 - TBS Nutrient (one at start, one at SG 1.03 or so)
1 - TBS Peptic enzyme
1 - TBS Bentonite
1 - pack E-1118 yeast

SG to 1.095 - I know, keep the quest room ready.

Started it last week, So far So good

I'll take it dry or maybe to 1.00 SG. Stabilize, back-sweeten and clear.


----------



## M38A1

Stupid question time...... Having just read the entire 10 pages of posts, I have to make this! With the volumes everyone is making, how are you bottling this? 1.5L bottles? 750's? Something else?


----------



## Heap64

I'm still using wine bottles but I'm thinking something else may be in order?


----------



## Johnd

M38A1 said:


> Stupid question time...... Having just read the entire 10 pages of posts, I have to make this! With the volumes everyone is making, how are you bottling this? 1.5L bottles? 750's? Something else?



I think you’ll find that most use 750’s, with the occasional 375.


----------



## reefman

Lon used old Modelo bottles, makes for a single serving drink. I use both 1.5l and 750ml bottles. I have a couple hundred beer bottles that I may use. I haven’t made beer in almost a year, but I make skeeter pee often, so next batch may go to beer bottles.


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## M38A1

ok, so I'm ready to try my hand at making a batch of this stuff! 

Regarding using beer bottles, are you corking them or pressing a cap on?


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## Julie

I would cap the beer bottles, not sure how strong the neck would be to take a cork plus I am not sure if there are corks that slim to fit into a beer bottle.


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## M38A1

Julie said:


> I would cap the beer bottles, not sure how strong the neck would be to take a cork plus I am not sure if there are corks that slim to fit into a beer bottle.



Sheesh, "another" set of equipment/gear to acquire!


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## cmason1957

M38A1 said:


> Sheesh, "another" set of equipment/gear to acquire!



Not another set of equipment at all. The only thing required is a beer bottle capper, they are generally under $20 for a low end one that works just fine. Plus, then you might think about making beer, you have almost all the equipment now, except for a brew pot.


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## RodBone

1/2 tsp Kmeta how much is that in campden tablets?


----------



## M38A1

cmason1957 said:


> Not another set of equipment at all. The only thing required is a beer bottle capper, they are generally under $20 for a low end one that works just fine. Plus, then you might think about making beer, you have almost all the equipment now, except for a brew pot.



...well, i bought that capper, caps and a couple cases of bottles the other day. Sheesh.


----------



## Arne

And it just keeps on going and going and going. Good luck with it. Arne


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## M38A1

Pitched my yeast on my first (double) batch a couple days ago! This should be exciting and I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

That Speidel 60l primary is getting me in trouble!


----------



## Ryan S

Finished my first batch and bottled! 53 bottles, after giving most of it away / being drank by coworkers, I've got 10 left that I put labels on, I like how they turned out! =)


----------



## francois_du_nord

I racked a batch of Sauv Blanc from primary tonight, looked at the bottom of the fermentation bucket and said: "It would be a shame to let that good yeast go to waste." 

I've always wanted to do a Skeeter Pee, so I'm in the process as we speak. 

Best, Fran


----------



## Greg Teegarden

I’m going to chime in on this thread about how to up the lemony taste. Forgive me is this has been covered already, I haven’t read all 11 pages. 

My wife and I went to Italy last Fall and visited the Limoncello factory. They have a great walk around of the entire process starting with the introduction of the lemons.

Basically they take grain alcohol and soak in lemon peels for some period of time before adding sweeteners and clearing it. This made me wonder if adding lemon zest or peels either during primary or after first racking and letting it sit for a while to absorb the lemon flavor would add the desired amount of extra lemony goodness. 

Thoughts?


----------



## hounddawg

I've for several years now have been using 1 concentrated quart per gallon, one pound of whole lemons per gallon running up my SG to max for EC1113 THEN after it maxes out and kills the yeast i pour 1 fifth of pure grain alcohol into 6 gallons after that i bulk age and rack a few times, lemon or pine apple kills the alcohol taste, i warn all whom tastes if you drink don't drive,


----------



## hounddawg

hounddawg said:


> I've for several years now have been using 1 concentrated quart per gallon, one pound of whole lemons per gallon running up my SG to max for EC1113 THEN after it maxes out and kills the yeast i pour 1 fifth of pure grain alcohol into 6 gallons after that i bulk age and rack a few times, lemon or pine apple kills the alcohol taste, i warn all whom tastes if you drink don't drive,


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## hounddawg

oop's thats one whole lemon per gallon


----------



## hounddawg

OOPS AGAIN YUP I'VE BEEN DRINKING, yeast EC1118


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## reefman

Yes, sounds like you were tasting that grain alcohol!!!!


----------



## M38A1

hounddawg-
I'm not following 'how' you're making this fortified version. Can you please explain it a bit more?

One whole lemon or a pound of lemons per gallon? When are you doing this?
What are you running your initial SG up to? I see EC1118.
I see the fifth of grain going in - what proof are you using as there's some different ones?
Are you depending on the yeast colony dying due to fermented ABV or by the addition of the grain alcohol?
Any k-sorbate/k-meta?


----------



## motherofgallons

First batch of skeeter pee, I decided to make a lime-only mojito version ready in time for my beloved's birthday (he loves mojitos). Only day 4 but it seems very promising!

I made a starter 2 days ahead:

252g white wine concentrate from a cheap kit
700ml water
6.25g Go-Ferm
1 pack 1118

I pitched 600ml of this and used the rest for something else.

Must:

Cooked for 30 mins:

3175g sugar
3l water
250ml bottle of lime juice

Added to:
5× 250ml bottles lime juice
1.5l fresh pressed lime juice including pulp, treated with
.5g Campden (24hrs) and
20ml pectic enzyme (12 hrs)
1.3l mint tea made with
20g dried mint, steeped for 30 mins while cooking the sugar
water to 19l/1.075
24g Fermaid K (divided in 2, 2nd to be added at 1/3 break)
8g DAP (divided in 2, 2nd to be added at 1/3 break)
3g powdered tannin

I pitched on the 31st, so it took a few days to get going, but it is suddenly down to 1.049 today (from 1.072 yesterday), so I added the second additions of DAP and Ferm K. It smells really nice and tastes great too, the lime is stronger than the mint but both are there (next time I will do twice as much mint tea in place of some of the water). I'm going to add a white rum essence and maybe a creme de menthe essence as well in secondary. Undecided whether to bottle carb, maybe I'll do half and half and compare.

I messed up a bit and added all the lime juice at once, but the fermentation is very vigorous now, I've been whipping it every day, so I think it's going to be fine. No off smells or flavors at all.


----------



## crabjoe

This is my very 1st try at making anything fermented, so I hope it's s good as everyone keeps saying.

As for the recipe, since this is my 1st go around, I tried to follow the instructions to the T.... and I ran into a problem

Using 7lbs of sugar to make 5.5 gal of must didn't yield me a SG of 1.070. I had to take it to 8.5lbs of sugar to get there. Has anyone else noticed this, or is everyone using a measuring cup (16 cups) instead of weight?

Thanks!


----------



## sour_grapes

Well, one obvious concern was whether you were able to get all of the sugar to dissolve before taking the SG reading?


----------



## crabjoe

sour_grapes said:


> Well, one obvious concern was whether you were able to get all of the sugar to dissolve before taking the SG reading?



The initial 7 pounds were inverted, so that was dissolved. I then found a PA chart on homebrewit and saw that it takes 1.81 lbs per gallon of water to get 1.070 on the hydrometer. When I did the math, that came out to 9 cups of sugar. Not knowing how much sugar was in the lemon juice and not wanting to figure it out, I added another pound to my sugar syrup to make sure it was dissolved. After mixing everything into my fermenter bucket, I took a hydrometer reading.. It was a Pain to read because of bubbles, but it looked like I was a hair under 1.070, so I added a 1/2 lb, which took me to 8.5 lbs, of granular sugar and stirred I took a another reading and it looked a hair higher now.. but still couldn't really tell because bubbles from whipping up the must to get it oxygenated.

This morning, I took a hydrometer reading and it's 1.071.. I remembered I had a refractormeter, so I checked with it.. and 1.071.

So it seems, at 8.5 lbs of sugar, it's hair over 1.070.. I don't know how much sugar is in the lemon juice, nor do I know how much I lost to the pot it was boiled in (I do think I got most of it since I did rinse it with some water to try get most). Still, going by weight, I feel 7 lbs isn't enough unless you don't take it to 5.5 gallons as in the recipe.


----------



## sour_grapes

Yes, I agree. Fermcalc (which I trust) indicates that it should take 7.6 lbs for a 5 gallon batch, or 8.4 lbs for a 5.5 gallon batch for 1.070.


----------



## M38A1

Kicked off a double SkeeterPee batch of lemon-peach using the gross lees of a recently racked peach Dragons Blood double batch. I've been doing mine a bit differently by racking off my previous batch then adding the water, lemon juice and invert sugar directly on top of the gross lees. i.e.: I've never let it sit a day or two before doing that. Just rack prior contents out, dump new contents in taking care to not put super hot invert on top of the yeast. Man is this batch boiling/rolling after just one day!


----------



## francois_du_nord

<<Racking on top of lees>>Yes, I did the same with a batch of beer the other day, and am just heating some invert to do the same on top of my previous batch of skeeter that went to secondary this evening.


----------



## DizzyIzzy

djrockinsteve said:


> Keep in mind that lemon juice does nothing to assist the fermentation so you could add half up front then half after fermentation is finished. Then rack to clear.
> 
> Marilyn is pushing me to make another Cranberry Lime Skeeter Pee. May have to break down and make it again.
> 
> Definitely thanks to Lon for the original recipe.


I would love to have that recipe if you would be willing to share? Thankyou.


----------



## DizzyIzzy

Julie said:


> *Skeeter Pee Recipe*
> 
> The original, inexpensive, quick, easy to make, easy to drink, naturally fermented, lemon, hot-weather, thirst quencher.
> ——————————-
> 
> For a 5 gallon batch
> 3 bottles of 32 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
> 7 lbs sugar (or 16 cups) to ferment
> 3/4 tsp tannin
> 6 tsp. yeast nutrient (3 now, 3 later)
> 2 tsp. yeast energizer (1 now, 1 later)
> Approx, 4 1/2 gallons water
> Yeast Slurry
> Potassium metabisulfite (Kmeta)
> Potassium sorbate (sorbate)
> Sparkolloid
> 2 1/3 lbs sugar (or 6 cups) to sweeten finished Skeeter Pee. Use more or less for your tastes.
> ——————————-
> 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 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice (I keep lemon juice in the fridge for cooking, so I use that. Therefore, I actually have 1/3 more lemon juice than is stated in the ingredients above. If you don’t have the additional lemon juice, go ahead and use 1/3 cup from one of your three bottles; it won’t matter much). 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 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 1/2 gallons. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.
> Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry. If your SG is a little low, you can add granular sugar to bring it to the target level. Make sure you stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar; if you have undissolved sugar at the bottom, it will throw off your readings and your Skeeter Pee won’t turn out properly. 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 (70-78 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 1.050, add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle 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 (SG between 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add 1/2 tsp Kmeta, 2 1/2 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 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.
> Notes:
> 1. I don’t call this “hard lemonade” because too many people have tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression of what it’s going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn’t taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually 5% alcohol, lemon flavored malt beverages) they conclude that it’s a poor reproduction. This stuff isn’t a reproduction; it’s the original home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to. Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast.
> 2. This beverage will often take on slight flavor characteristics of the wine that donates the yeast slurry, keep this in mind when deciding which flavors will blend well with lemon.
> 3. You want to use a healthy yeast slurry to start your batch. If the slurry is coming from wine that is being pushed to high alcohol levels, it’s possible the slurry is suffering from the effects of alcohol poisoning. Therefore, it’s best if the slurry is used while it is still part of an active ferment.
> 4. You may have noticed that you start with 5 ? gallons of must and this is a recipe for 5 gallons. This is because you’ll be leaving a bit more sediment behind at your first racking. Remember that you’re adding the slurry from a previous batch and it will be left behind along with the sediment created by the Skeeter Pee.
> 5. If you aren’t in a hurry, Skeeter Pee will often fall clear without the Sparkolloid (as long as you’ve done a good job of degassing). My batches often clear in 30 to 45 days without fining.
> 6. There’s no need to age this beverage. It tastes great soon after bottling. Serve chilled.
> 
> www.skeeterpee.com


Thankyou so much! What is the "amount" of yeast slurry to be used?


----------



## Julie

I just use the amount from one batch of wine


----------



## cmason1957

DizzyIzzy said:


> Thankyou so much! What is the "amount" of yeast slurry to be used?



I never use a yeast slurry. I always get my ec1118 going really well outside of the fermentation bucket and add that. Never had a problem.


----------



## Ty520

I have been very eager to try this, but with honey, but I have heard skeeter pee is finicky and can turn out not so great. Some have attributed this to adding the juice in primary making the ph too low for optimal healthy fermentation, and suggest adding it in secondary instead, which can offer a"fresher"citrus taste?

Thoughts, suggestions, tips?


----------



## hounddawg

Ty520 said:


> I have been very eager to try this, but with honey, but I have heard skeeter pee is finicky and can turn out not so great. Some have attributed this to adding the juice in primary making the ph too low for optimal healthy fermentation, and suggest adding it in secondary instead, which can offer a"fresher"citrus taste?
> 
> Thoughts, suggestions, tips?


start with every thing but use only 1 bottle yeast, when winding down use the rest of you lemon, i've never had trouble, and i have never used a slurry nor yeast starter, i just add both my dry sugar and dry yeast and stir with drill
Dawg


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## CheerfulHeart

I haven't made Skeeter Pee in quite a while but I thought I'd try a batch and substitute Ruby Red grapefruit juice for lemon since I have it in the pantry. I'm hoping this will turn out nicely.


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## Fencepost

CheerfulHeart said:


> I haven't made Skeeter Pee in quite a while but I thought I'd try a batch and substitute Ruby Red grapefruit juice for lemon since I have it in the pantry. I'm hoping this will turn out nicely.


@CheerfulHeart - I was thinking about trying the same thing with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Please keep us posted. I was also either going to add some grapefruit zest or grapefruit extract (I did an extract on the zest using grain alcohol) to give it a little more grapefruit flavor. Not sure why it would not work. I did try a straight grapefruit wine and it has not worked out as well as I would have like at this point... it is still aging and improving with time.


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## CheerfulHeart

@Fencepost : Will do.  I'm not sure how this will go. I have to use a brew belt to keep the temperature steady this time of year and we just had a 48 hour power outage due to high winds. We shall see how it does.


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## Fencepost

@CheerfulHeart sound good. I have juiced 7 quarts of ruby red grapefruits... so if this turns out I will be following your lead... but I may have to cool it rather than heat it! I heard one member say he did a grapefruit wine and it came out very close to a chardonnay... as you say... we shall see... and that's what makes this hobby enjoyable (in a number of ways!) Just be ready because the ruby red grapefruit juice I did turned a beautiful golden color upon fermenting and clarifying... no red or pink left!


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## CheerfulHeart

@Fencepost : Thanks for the heads up about the color change. I don't mind as long as it tastes good  It's good to though. Thanks!


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## CheerfulHeart

A Ruby Red update: The bottled juice worked like a charm. Very pleasanly surprised how nicely this turned out in terms of color and taste Gravity down to .099. Wonderful sweet grapefruit fragrance and taste. Pretty pink color. It's very nice even dry. Definitely going to sweeten just a bit though. I think I would do this again.


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## Robert R

I just discovered this thread and have a question about yeast slurry. I have a Gewurztraminer fermenting currently, which would probably add a nice flavor profile, but don't have anything else needed for the skeeter pee. Is it possible to freeze the slurry for later use? The yeast is QA23.


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## Old Corker

I’ve only made SP twice but one was with slurry from a Pinot Noir batch. I also was still gathering ingredients when the slurry came available. I put it in a bottle in the fridge for I think 2 days. It actually worked very well, letting it come to room temp before adding to the must. The SP came out with a very nice pink color.


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## cmason1957

Robert R said:


> I just discovered this thread and have a question about yeast slurry. I have a Gewurztraminer fermenting currently, which would probably add a nice flavor profile, but don't have anything else needed for the skeeter pee. Is it possible to freeze the slurry for later use? The yeast is QA23.



That need for a yeast slurry is greatly exaggerated. I have made skeeter pee probably 8-10 times, never used a slurry. Always add two bottles of lemon at the start, make a nice starter of ec1118, works like a champ, the family loves it. I don't drink it.


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## Rembee

I agree with @cmason1957, I am presently on my 5th batch of SP and I have never used a slurry either. I use 3 - 32oz bottles of lemon juice per 6 gals and adjust my SG to 1.100. 
I also adjust my ph from somewhere around 2.8 in the beginning to 3.2 - 3.4 using potassium bicarbonate. Then I pitch EC-1118. I add half the amount of nutrients up front then the rest of the nutrients once I reach 1.050. I have never had a problem doing it this way.


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## Ivywoods

My first two batches of wine are to the "aging" stage, so I am eager to start another batch of wine. I've decided to try to make Skeeter Pee. My only hesitation is the slurry. I don't have any. I want my batch to turn out great. I'm trying to weigh my options. Should I just make slurry with sugar water and yeast nutrient? If so, how much water, how much yeast and sugar? I have a few quarts of peach syrup left over from canning peaches this fall. Should I use that? If so, how much? Once I make this decision I should be ready to start. I have the EC-1118 yeast packets.


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## BernardSmith

I suspect the idea of using a slurry is because you know you have a very large and viable colony of yeast that has acclimated to a fairly acidic environment and an environment that contained a great deal (relatively speaking) of ethanol - so the yeast is robust, but if you pitch an active starter then you are more than half way home. On the other hand a slurry might contain a weakened colony of very stressed yeast if the wine it came from was not made using good practice. I strongly agree that a good starter is a good way to make SP.


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## cmason1957

I make SP probably yearly, sometimes more often, it depends how often I see the family that loves the stuff. I've probably made 10 or more batches of it. never have used a yeast slurry. I always mix up a double or triple batch of yeast, let it get really started fermenting some sugared water. I've never had a stuck batch or an issue with it starting. I think the first time, I may have even just pitched the yeast right into the must. If you add the two bottles of lemon (or just one) and wait until about half way through fermentation to add the rest of the lemon juice, I don't think you will have any issues.


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## Fencepost

I followed @cmason1957 and @Johnd guidance of just using EC-1118 (no "donor" yeast) and adding the lemon juice step wise, one initially with the sugar, one a few days later when it is fermenting good and the last a day or two later. After experience a stuck fermentation because of too much acid, I have done it like this twice and it works - no problem. Also keep the temp up a little between 75 and 80F... when starting.


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## Ivywoods

The skeeter pee I posted about last March was a failure. It didn't ferment and I ended up dividing it and adding it to some other batches. One turned out ok, one was terrible and one was darn good! I started my second batch of skeeter pee this week. I think I have learned a few things during my first year of winemaking. This batch is going like crazy! I am making 5 gallon batch with a slurry from some blueberry wine I just made. It will be ready to rack into a carboy tomorrow. I started with a SG of 1.070 as was suggested in the first post on this thread. I'm wondering if I should have run it a little higher, 1.090. I'm planning to share this batch this summer.


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## hounddawg

Ivywoods said:


> The skeeter pee I posted about last March was a failure. It didn't ferment and I ended up dividing it and adding it to some other batches. One turned out ok, one was terrible and one was darn good! I started my second batch of skeeter pee this week. I think I have learned a few things during my first year of winemaking. This batch is going like crazy! I am making 5 gallon batch with a slurry from some blueberry wine I just made. It will be ready to rack into a carboy tomorrow. I started with a SG of 1.070 as was suggested in the first post on this thread. I'm wondering if I should have run it a little higher, 1.090. I'm planning to share this batch this summer.


if it is still fermenting , you can still , just add sugar, but you can go as you please, most everybody knows my row boat only has one oar, hehe, 
i learnt back a ways to take 6 gallon water and 1 QT lemon, my starting SSG of 1.040, then adding yeast nutrients and yeast energizer, and as my SG would fall,, I add more sugar back up to my OSG, now my numbers is my preference, you know what taste you like so use the SG that suits you, 
that is step feeding till she stalls at you taste FSG, each time you add sugar, you add more yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. lemon and pineapple 
both hide the taste of alcohol very very well, when you get what you want i then add 5 more bottles of lemon, then rack to new carboy, keeping the extra for topping off, all my extra jars have 38-400 threads pint, quart, half gallon, so all can be airlocked using a drilled 6.5 bung, as well a small universal bung turned upside down to airlock a wine bottle, as for me after i reach enough alcohol to kill EC-1118 yeast, then when ready to bottle i have a 6.5 carboy that i put K-meta and sorbate, the i pour a fifth of 180 proof pure grain alcohol also known as ever clear, then i rack my cleared
and degassed skeeter pee into my 6.5 carboy, as for me every thing i bottle goes thru that 6.5 carboy, both for racking and bottling, that means each rack,, is racked twice, i rack out of my 6 carboy, then clean that carboy and then rack back into it, .. that system works for me, and i have a all in one vacuum pump, so it is not hard on me, lol,,, i could put mine in a pitcher, and you'd think it was a kids drink, till you stand up and find yourself eating my floor, and yup I've seen it, the scariest time, this row crop farmer that has 8000 rice ground and five business's to boot, i don't bring people into my lab, but i did once and only once, we drank a couple glasses each, the next second he was laying on 7 or 8 full carboys that was aging, i just knew a carboy would break and he would die in there, god was i scared, but all i had to do was pull bungs that were flush , and replace with more bungs and more airlocks, 
LESSON LEARNT
Dawg


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## Ivywoods

LOL Hounddog! Yes, I'm wondering what my final ABV will be. I read it should turn out somewhere around 10%. I've always had wine that was somewhere around 12% so it sounds a little weak to me. Not having had any Skeeter Pee before I'm not sure what taste I will want to end up with. I don't particularly like it very sweet but lemon is lemon and if it's too tart I'm not against back sweetening it. I'm unsure about adding Everclear to boost the alcohol. How much does that affect the taste? I thought I read somewhere that being distilled from grain it can adversely affect the flavor. If I decided to go ahead and use it how much would I use without having wine that would knock me on my A$$ when I tried to stand up. I don't think I would want it over 14 or 15%.


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## hounddawg

Ivywoods said:


> LOL Hounddog! Yes, I'm wondering what my final ABV will be. I read it should turn out somewhere around 10%. I've always had wine that was somewhere around 12% so it sounds a little weak to me. Not having had any Skeeter Pee before I'm not sure what taste I will want to end up with. I don't particularly like it very sweet but lemon is lemon and if it's too tart I'm not against back sweetening it. I'm unsure about adding Everclear to boost the alcohol. How much does that affect the taste? I thought I read somewhere that being distilled from grain it can adversely affect the flavor. If I decided to go ahead and use it how much would I use without having wine that would knock me on my A$$ when I tried to stand up. I don't think I would want it over 14 or 15%.


no. that is what i like, kinda a base line to look at, i love old fashioned lemonade, i have told some and they ended up using half the lemon that i do, you figure the taste you want, then, you on the next batch keep step feeding you SG to get that taste, if done with either K1V-1116 or EZ-1118 your batch will end up from 18% to 21% if you work it right, once you find the taste you like, that is your base line, the yeast will convert your sugar to alcohol that's why once you find your taste level , then you keep step feeding to that FSG, so when it stalls out you are at the taste you want, and you'll have zero alcohol taste, my numbers are for me, it is a visual for you, you find the taste you like, my skeeter pee port will knock you on the dirt, lol and do so while tasting good ,,, i have several people that hate the taste of alcohol, that all but wait on my door steps waiting for more skeeter pee, i make 12# to 14# cases at a time of skeeter pee, I' m waiting on more corks to come so i came get started, i have 5#-6's of skeeter pee, 3#-6's elderberry/blackberry,,, 2#-6's strawberry,, 1#-6 of banana,,, 2#-6's of blueberry/black raspberry/tart cherry,,,, 4#-6's of apple,,, 4#-6's of pear,, and 2#-6's of dragon blood
2#-6's of peach and a few more i can't think of right now, all from 18 months to some close to 36 months and several in-between that, in the freezer i got 4 gallon pear concentrate and 2 gallon peach concentrate, i half to bottle all my bulk aging so i can start new musts, i got me 2#-55 gallon open top drums, my brutes are to small anymore,, so at hand i got 2#-55 gallon, 1#-32 gallon and 2#-14 gallon ferment vessels. it is as easy to ferment 50 gallon batches as it is small batches, now a second thought would be to use a yeast with a lower tolerance to alcohol, most of my other wines i like a ABV of 6 to 7, some i run higher but i use less fluids in my concentrates to balance of taste and ABV, my wines are no where as sweet as they sound,,, beings of extra flavor and extra alcohol. which does balance my wines, my wines are hotter than most others, but you can't tell it when you sip it. my wines fit right in with sweet tea and kool-aide , or a soda, in other words something to enjoy under a shade tree while relaxing, i have never used simple syrup, i always use dry sugar, and stir using a cordless drill, I've never heated nothing,, 
Dawg


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## Arne

Ivywoods said:


> The skeeter pee I posted about last March was a failure. It didn't ferment and I ended up dividing it and adding it to some other batches. One turned out ok, one was terrible and one was darn good! I started my second batch of skeeter pee this week. I think I have learned a few things during my first year of winemaking. This batch is going like crazy! I am making 5 gallon batch with a slurry from some blueberry wine I just made. It will be ready to rack into a carboy tomorrow. I started with a SG of 1.070 as was suggested in the first post on this thread. I'm wondering if I should have run it a little higher, 1.090. I'm planning to share this batch this summer.


Wouldn't worry at all about having the low s.g. Start drinkin it when it is hot out, goes down smoothe and before too long it will kick you the wrong way. Keep the alcohol taste out and it will drink really somooth. Just kinda keep an eye on who is drinkin how much. It is all good. Used to bottle this stuff in 10 oz. pop bottles. Old retunables from way back when, anyway start sucking on them and after a few it will cause lights out. Remember at 10 percent if you drink 10 oz of the stuff you have just consumed an ounce of pure ethenol. little addition my ol buddy @hounddawg makes it his way and I make it mine. Have to tell ya both ways are good. Think both of us will tell ya try it your way. Arne.


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## hounddawg

[QUOTE="Arne, post: 816492, member: 178
Wouldn't worry at all about having the low s.g. Start drinkin it when it is hot out, goes down smoothe and before too long it will kick you the wrong way. Keep the alcohol taste out and it will drink really somooth. Just kinda keep an eye on who is drinkin how much. It is all good. Used to bottle this stuff in 10 oz. pop bottles. Old retunables from way back when, anyway start sucking on them and after a few it will cause lights out. Remember at 10 percent if you drink 10 oz of the stuff you have just consumed an ounce of pure ethenol. little addition my ol buddy @hounddawg makes it his way and I make it mine. Have to tell ya both ways are good. Thinkf both of us will tell ya try it your way. Arne.
[/QUOTE]
kind of funny, been feeling ruff, just got on here just for something to do, got a bottle of spp,, out of the fridge, and most defiantly , find out how you like it and stay with the way you like @Ivywoods ,, my main point is pineapple or lemon both hide the alcohol taste, growing up at our party's we'd have a cupule half barrels/kegs of Budweiser, a gallon or two of sprits and a 48-qt cooler flull of purple passion, that's , a quart of PURE GRAIN ALCOHOL, ,, A QUART OF VODKA, A QUART OF TAKElUAL AND 2 CANS GRAPE JUICE, A CAN OF PUNCH AND 2 CANS OF PINEAPPLE JUICE AL OF WHICH ALL CANS WERE QUARTS, THEN CUT WEDGES OF APPLES, PEARS, ORGANES, LEMONS, CHIP SLICE BANANA, 2 LITTLE SOLO PLASTIC CUPS AND YOU WAS DOWN, this was for people who hated the taste of alcohol, around here back then ever spirt was quarts, Boones farm and TJ swan an mad dog wines were fifths i think, where i live winter or summer back then 95% of our parties were out side miles from the highways, and had giant bomb fires, so big you could stay warm at 20 feet, but you had to turn every few minutes or cook,,, no joke,,,, lol
Dawg


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## Ivywoods

This batch fermented down to .998 so I transferred it to a carboy my son gave me. He said it was a 6 gallon carboy. It is 7 gallons so way too much headspace. I added 1:1 sugar/water and another bottle of lemon. Holy smokes I didn't expect it to do this! It's been going nuts! I don't think I need to worry about the ABV being too low!

Dang! I took a video but it won't upload. Anyway it bubbled right up through the bubbler and out the top. That was several days ago and it is still bubbling like crazy.


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## hounddawg

Ivywoods said:


> This batch fermented down to .998 so I transferred it to a carboy my son gave me. He said it was a 6 gallon carboy. It is 7 gallons so way too much headspace. I added 1:1 sugar/water and another bottle of lemon. Holy smokes I didn't expect it to do this! It's been going nuts! I don't think I need to worry about the ABV being too low!
> 
> Dang! I took a video but it won't upload. Anyway it bubbled right up through the bubbler and out the top. That was several days ago and it is still bubbling like crazy.


is the glass clear or maybe a light green, years ago i had one of my grandpa's still in it's crate, a cousin of mine was mad at me and broke it, i got 3 of his fingers broke before they peeled me off him, i was 11 and he was 12,,, just kid stuff, now i'd went for his neck,,, lol mine was light green 7 gallon, also we get along now, like i said kid stuff,,,,
Dawg


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## Ivywoods

Hounddog-It's clear. My son gave it to me. I have no idea where he bought it.


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## hounddawg

then you raised him right,,,, and i mean that, i never used grandpas, i used it in my bedroom as a keep sake, come to think of it that was the last time Rodney ever slept over..
Dawg


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## Ivywoods

Well yes, I'm VERY proud of my boys! One is a radiation oncologist, one is a mechanical engineer that does design controls engineering and one is a officer in the army, currently serving in Kuwait.


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## Newbie Mel

What makes Skeeter Pee and Dragon Blood ready to consume so quickly? The lemon juice?

I made some that is too acidic and don’t want to waste it. If I combine it with another fruit wine (I have some persimmons in freezer), will it be suitable to consume within a couple weeks of bottling?


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## hounddawg

Newbie Mel said:


> What makes Skeeter Pee and Dragon Blood ready to consume so quickly? The lemon juice?
> 
> I made some that is too acidic and don’t want to waste it. If I combine it with another fruit wine (I have some persimmons in freezer), will it be suitable to consume within a couple weeks of bottling?


try back sweetening
Dawg


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## Jovimaple

Newbie Mel said:


> What makes Skeeter Pee and Dragon Blood ready to consume so quickly? The lemon juice?
> 
> I made some that is too acidic and don’t want to waste it. If I combine it with another fruit wine (I have some persimmons in freezer), will it be suitable to consume within a couple weeks of bottling?


As @hounddawg says, backsweeten! Most (non-grape) fruit wines benefit from at least a little sugar.

My Skeeter Pee tastes like tart lemonade at first. I recently opened a bottle from last summer and it has smoothed a little, so time should help if you have it backsweetened to your taste already.

Search for "dragonette" to see how people tweaked the recipe to use less lemon juice.


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## winemaker81

Newbie Mel said:


> What makes Skeeter Pee and Dragon Blood ready to consume so quickly?


Light body / low tannin. There's not as much structure that requires aging to soften.


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## Newbie Mel

winemaker81 said:


> Light body / low tannin. There's not as much structure that requires aging to soften.


Aren’t most fruit wines light body/low tannin?


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## winemaker81

Newbie Mel said:


> Aren’t most fruit wines light body/low tannin?


Not necessarily. Elderberry is the poster child for "heavy body", and some varieties of apple (e.g., crabapple) are highly tannic.

I add powdered tannin to fruit wines, and would consider adding fermentation oak.


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## Vlabruz

Isn't the 1/2 tsp of k meta alot? Thought it was 1/4 tsp for 6 gallons?


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## Jovimaple

Vlabruz said:


> Isn't the 1/2 tsp of k meta alot? Thought it was 1/4 tsp for 6 gallons?


Huh, you're right. I went to Lon D's website and the recipe at the beginning of this thread is cut and pasted from there.

You'd have to ask Lon, I suppose. Personally, I stick with the normal 1/4 tsp for 5 or 6 gallons, or 1/8 for 3 gallons (since I normally make a 6 gallon batch and split into two 3 gallon carboys.


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## QuiQuog

Bottled this today. Turned out pretty good. And I love the color. It’s from the slurry of a merlot.


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## Vlabruz

I gotta say. I dont prefer sweet wines but this stuff is good. I did use less sugar. It really kinda taste white grape wine. I also carbonated some and its "champagne " like.


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## reefman

I’ve been off line for a while, but I’m getting ready To make another batch of Skeeter P.
I’m going to read through this thread to see if anything has changed or improved since my last batch. I’ll post my results


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## David Violante

QuiQuog said:


> Bottled this today. Turned out pretty good. And I love the color. It’s from the slurry of a merlot.


What was your recipe for this if you don't mind me asking? It looks really good...


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## reefman

I followed the original recipe from Lon, and used slurry from a wild berry white Zinfandel kit.
My wife loves this stuff.


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## reefman

I followed Lon’s original recipe and used a slurry from a while Barry White Zinfandel kit


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## QuiQuog

David Violante said:


> What was your recipe for this if you don't mind me asking? It looks really good...


Yeah, I used the original recipe also, from start to finish. I used a merlot slurry which gave it the peachy pinkish blush color. I tried a batch several years ago that, if I recall correctly, just tasted like sweetened alcohol and I dumped the whole carboy. I don't know what I may have done wrong, but I tried to do everything correct according to the recipe. The only thing I could think of is that I pitched an EC1118 packet instead of slurry the first time, although the merlot slurry was EC1118 also. This time it turned out lemony and really delicious.


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