Skeeter Pee - a Question

[BernardSmith]

So, when we make SP we typically use around 3 qts of lemon juice awash in preservatives added to inhibit spoilage (AKA fermentation). My question: would there not be far less of any risk or problems if we simply fermented the sugar and added the lemon juice as if we were adding fruit to the secondary? We are not asking the yeast to ferment the lemon juice. We simply want the juice for flavor and for the acidity. Acknowledging Lon DePoppe's great recipe for an adult lemonade, why do we ferment with so much preservatives when it seems (to me) to be so much easier to treat the lemon juice like fruit added to the secondary after we have stabilized the wine. Thoughts? Thanks.

 

[winemanden]

Don't see why not, although maybe there might be a subtle difference in taste.
Vodka, water, lemon juice, sugar to taste, instant skeeter!

 

[BernardSmith]

Now, that would be subtly different in flavor. Of course, if you skipped the juice and added lemon zest (1 zested peel per 100 ml ) then you would have limoncello. But that is another story entirely. But to be serious: I don't disagree that the flavor would be a little different - I am using the alcohol (around 10%) as a solvent to extract flavors and aromas and not water (the solvent during first week or so after pitching the yeast). Me? I tend to prefer using alcohol as my solvent when I am making country wines. Which is to say, adding at least half the fruit to the secondary after all the alcohol has been produced. So, adding fruit AFTER the wine has been stabilized.

 

[Jovimaple]

Make SP 2 batches side by side - one with at least part of the lemon juice and the other with all the lemon juice added after fermentation is done. Compare the results! And let us know!

 

[BernardSmith]

Make SP 2 batches side by side - one with at least part of the lemon juice and the other with all the lemon juice added after fermentation is done. Compare the results! And let us know!

Nice scientific approach. I might just try that or compare the added lemon juice to the sugar wine to a batch I made last year using the conventional method.

 

[Jovimaple]

And yes, Bryan @winemaker81 , I WAS intentionally channeling you.