Did I mess up my Skeeter Pee?

[Cowboy77]

I've got my first batch of Skeeter Pee going. Been 9 days and specific gravity was down to 1.026, so I decided to go ahead and rack from bucket to carboys under airlocks. Problem is I added campden tablets, thinking I was racking after fermentation was complete. Really mad at myself for making this mistake. Do you think I killed the yeast and it won't ferment until dry now? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[sour_grapes]

It was not the right move, but you will probably be okay. That sulfite won't kill the wine yeast, although you might slow them down a mite. Just let it ride, and check the SG from time to time.

 

[Julie]

I would move it back to a bucket and stir the crap out of it! You really shouldn't add an airlock to a must that is fermenting until it is down to 1.010 or lower.

 

[winepittsburgh]

Your pee is probably going to be okay... If it completely stalls out, you can let it breath for a day with just a rag over it and re-start it with an agressive yeast like EC-1118. Just make a big yeast starter and keep doubling the size of it each half hour by adding your wine to it. Once it is about 1 gallon in size, slowly add it to your wine. Also make sure your pee is somewhere between 70 and 80°F and it should finish out a little easier.

 

[Cowboy77]

Thanks for the advice! Put the must back into the primary bucket. Then I agitated it a whole lot today with the drill and a mixing wand to try to help with the removal of the K-meta I accidentally added. Then took "winepittsburg" advice with making a yeast starter and then slowly adding the must to it to allow yeast to adapt. SG was at 1.020 and will monitor. Hopefully it'll be ok, but if not, don't have a lot of expense in it and will start a new batch. Thanks again......You all are great!

 

[winepittsburgh]

Awesome!