Original Skeeter Pee Recipe

[reefman]

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.

 

[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.

 

[Julie]

Yes most definitely stir it every day.

 

[Hunt]

I figured. Just wanted to be sure thanks

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[beggarsu]

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.

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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.

 

[Hunt]

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

 

[beggarsu]

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.



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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.

 

[Vertumnus]

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?

 

[beggarsu]

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..

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[beggarsu]

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.

 

[Hunt]

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

 

[beggarsu]

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.

 

[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?

 

[reefman]

is it degassed?

 

[the_rayway]

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

 

[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.