Easy Peesy

[dangerdave]

Good luck, Cindy! Keep us posted on how it works for you.

I'm looking at my first batch of original Skeeter Pee lemon---I call it littlemonkey. I may bottle this one tomorrow. I used joe's "outside the box" motivation, and added lemon zest to it. I placed the zest from a dozen lemons into 10 oz of Everclear and let it sit for about a month. The zest liqueur smelled awesome! I added it to the wine at clearing. The littlemoney---after backsweetening with some sugar---tastes just like lemonade.

 

[cindy]

yum that looks good too! is this what the berry pee should look like?

 

[dangerdave]

Looks great! Are you waiting to pitch the yeast? Do you have some EC-1118? I'm excited, too! It's going to be awesome!

 

[dangerdave]

Follow my study of bentonite & sparkolloid (using the Dragon Blood recipe) here: CLEARING THINGS UP: by dangerdave

 

[cindy]

yes I am planning on adding the yeast tomorrow around 3:00 the only yeast I have is what came with my wine making kit
its called red star premier cuvee so do I need the EC-1118?

 

[BernardSmith]

Going back to the first post on this thread

Dangerdave talks of using Real Lemon juice. Here, in NY, Real Lemon s contains meta bisulphite and other preservatives: sodium benzoate, and sodium sulphite. Did you have to do something to neutralize those stabilizers or is this lemon juice preserved differently in different parts of the country?

 

[dangerdave]

yes I am planning on adding the yeast tomorrow around 3:00 the only yeast I have is what came with my wine making kit
its called red star premier cuvee so do I need the EC-1118?

I have used other yeast before and it worked just fine. Don't panic. I like the EC-1118 because it starts fast and ends strong.

According to Homebrew Heaven, the primier cuvee yeast "is recommended for reds, whites and especially champagne. This yeast is reported to perform well restarting stuck fermentations. Winemakers have remarked that Premier Cuvée is the fastest, cleanest, and most neutral fermenter offered by Red Star. Ferments best between 7°-35°C (45°-95°F). Certified kosher."

It sounds a lot like the EC-1118. And it's kosher!!!

 

[dangerdave]

Dangerdave talks of using Real Lemon juice. Here, in NY, Real Lemon s contains meta bisulphite and other preservatives: sodium benzoate, and sodium sulphite. Did you have to do something to neutralize those stabilizers or is this lemon juice preserved differently in different parts of the country?

Yea, it's got stuff in it. That's one of the reasons to let the must sit quietly for 24 hours before pitching the yeast. Most of the time, I mix up the must in the evening and pitch the yeast the next morning. This has not been a problem.

Making wine is a far more forgiving hobby than you would think. I've got people thinking I work like a slave in the Lab to make wine for them. Patience is really the biggest ingredient. I figure that I spend a total of maybe 3-4 hours of actual work for a batch of Dragon Blood. And it gets easier with each batch I make. Soon I'll be making it with my eyes closed!

 

[BernardSmith]

Going back to the first post on this thread

Dangerdave talks of using Real Lemon juice. Here, in NY, Real Lemon s contains meta bisulphite and other preservatives: sodium benzoate, and sodium sulphite. Did you have to do something to neutralize those stabilizers or is this lemon juice preserved differently in different parts of the country?

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Dangerdave talks of using Real Lemon juice. Here, in NY, Real Lemon s contains meta bisulphite and other preservatives: sodium benzoate, and sodium sulphite. Did you have to do something to neutralize those stabilizers or is this lemon juice preserved differently in different parts of the country?

Easy Peesy is just a variation of the Skeeter Pee recipe. If you go to the Skeeter Pee F.A.Q. page, you'll see that the issue of sulphite and benzoate is discussed. Following the recipe will allow you to make it in spite of the preservatives.

You'll find the link in my signature.

 

[dangerdave]

Thanks, Lon! You da man!

 

[southlake333]

Favorite

Ok Dave I have to ask. Which of all of your batches has been your favorite? I've seen the following in this thread:

Triple Berry, Strawberry, Apple/Cherry, and Blueberry

Blueberry with Watkin's Raspberry Flavoring

Strawberry with McCormick artificial strawberry flavoring

I think you sweetened them all with sugar (no concentrates) but I may have missed something. If you had to pick one version and call it the best, which would it be and what would you add to sweeten/flavor at bottling?

Great job btw!

 

[cindy]

I think my pee is coming along. day one it was 1.080 2 days later it is 1.065 today it is 1.040 and looks like this:
before squeezing the bag and testing: does this seem about right?

and after:

 

[Boatboy24]

Looking good, Cindy! I think I'm gonna start another batch of this soon.

 

[cindy]

Looking good, Cindy! I think I'm gonna start another batch of this soon.

Thanks I hope it will be good I'm having a great time! I just contacted a winery near my house and they sell grapes,pyo raspberries and pyo blueberries in bulk so I think I will stock up and freeze them for more batches later on lol I can seem to get enough wine making equipment either I keep seeing recipes I want to make but I only have two equipment kits. I'm going to a friends house Saturday and watch him brew some beer he makes really good beer

 

[cindy]

btw I waited 24 hrs to add the yeast to my pee but when I did it only took 3 hours to start bubbling
is that normal?

 

[Boatboy24]

My first (and only) batch started pretty quickly too.

What kind of grapes does that winery sell? Which winery?

 

[dangerdave]

You are doing fine, cindy. It looks perfect! It's good that it started right up. Just keep to the recipe. Watch the SG.

@ southlake333: Dragon Blood (triple berry lemon) is definately my favorate. Keep reading! It gets better...

 

[cindy]

Thanks Dave, I check the sg every morning and I am sticking to the recipe. the temp has stayed a steady 75 degrees.
I think its progressing nicely.

 

[dangerdave]

Perfect temp! I'm excited!

Giving a good sqeeze on that fruit bag each day really brings out the fruitiness, don't it! I was looking at your pictures <above>. Your batch looks kinda thin at the start (post #62), then it gets dark and fruity looking (post #73).

Looks like you're right on track!