Skeeter pee fermenting without yeast

[Cornelia]

Hi, I started my 3rd batch of skeeter pee yesterday, prepared everything for adding the yeast slurry later today...except when I checked on it this morning it looks like it is already fermenting.
1. Should I just let it do it’s own thing?
2. If I do add the yeast slurry will the end product be affected by this early ferment?

 

[meadmaker1]

I would add the slurry.
Everything causes some affect but I don't think it will be negative if noticable at all.
What yeast is in the slurry. What yeast may have been left on your equipment.

 

[Cornelia]

Slurry is from a GC Chenin Blanc kit. Probably EC 1118? But not 100% on this. Yeast I was using for the other kits I started yesterday was EC 1118

 

[cmason1957]

I have made skeeter pee several times, never add a yeast slurry. If it was EC-1118 some may have made it into this batch, you will probably be just fine. If it slows down, give it some extra nutrition, maybe add a packet of yeast if you want to.

 

[BernardSmith]

I guess I am a little confused. What exactly seems to be fermenting? Skeeter pee would seem to have a very low pH - perhaps too low for any indigenous yeast to become active so quickly. Are you measuring a change in gravity or are you observing bubbles in an airlock and if bubbles, could this point to some bacterial infection, perhaps, lacto-bacteria eating the sugars and producing lactic acid?

 

[Cornelia]

I guess I am a little confused. What exactly seems to be fermenting? Skeeter pee would seem to have a very low pH - perhaps too low for any indigenous yeast to become active so quickly. Are you measuring a change in gravity or are you observing bubbles in an airlock and if bubbles, could this point to some bacterial infection, perhaps, lacto-bacteria eating the sugars and producing lactic acid?

Hi, the skeeter pee is in a primary atm so no airlock. Looked like general signs of fermenting, starting to bubble lively. No scientific evidence. I chose to err on the safe side and added my reserved slurry.
I think next time I might use a package of yeast instead.
The first 2 batches fermented very vigorously (almost roiling lol)

 

[BernardSmith]

Right but one of the reasons for the use of the slurry is the very low pH (relatively speaking) of the must. The concern is that pitching fresh yeast into such an environment is like asking a boxer who has been out of the ring for a couple of years to climb in and act as if he has no ring rust. The slurry is acclimatized to lower pH, to all kinds of others stresses and is ready to rumble. Yeast right out of a pack won't be. Whether or not a fresh batch of yeast won't be up to the action I don't know but that is the idea behind using the slurry. At least that is what I was taught..

 

[Cornelia]

Right but one of the reasons for the use of the slurry is the very low pH (relatively speaking) of the must. The concern is that pitching fresh yeast into such an environment is like asking a boxer who has been out of the ring for a couple of years to climb in and act as if he has no ring rust. The slurry is acclimatized to lower pH, to all kinds of others stresses and is ready to rumble. Yeast right out of a pack won't be. Whether or not a fresh batch of yeast won't be up to the action I don't know but that is the idea behind using the slurry. At least that is what I was taught..

Thank you, that makes sense. Plus it’s free waste not want not ...

 

[PandemoniumWines]

I’ve never started skeeter pee with slurry. I just chuck in a packet of ec 1118, no rehydrating, even. That stuff could ferment tires.

 

[Cornelia]

I’ve never started skeeter pee with slurry. I just chuck in a packet of ec 1118, no rehydrating, even. That stuff could ferment tires.

 

[Mdrew]

I was just looking over the recipe again, and the "yeast slurry" from another batch of wine primary fermentation? That's the lees at the bottom of the first racking right? Soooo Skeeter Pee is meant to be a side project along with another batch of wine then? I saw @PandemoniumWines didn't use those lees/slurry and only threw in a packet of Lalvin ec 1118.

I do have another wine project going on, but it's been a long time in the primary fermentation (squeezed grapes) and should be at a very low SG, like .090 or something by the time I get to it next week. Perhaps I could add that slurry AND a packet of ec 1118 and let them duke it out in there?

 

[Cornelia]

I was just looking over the recipe again, and the "yeast slurry" from another batch of wine primary fermentation? That's the lees at the bottom of the first racking right? Soooo Skeeter Pee is meant to be a side project along with another batch of wine then? I saw @PandemoniumWines didn't use those lees/slurry and only threw in a packet of Lalvin ec 1118.

I do have another wine project going on, but it's been a long time in the primary fermentation (squeezed grapes) and should be at a very low SG, like .090 or something by the time I get to it next week. Perhaps I could add that slurry AND a packet of ec 1118 and let them duke it out in there?

Hi, the slurry was from a white wine which I racked into a carboy about a week or so before I made the skeeter pee. I kept the gross lees (slurry) back in a mason jar in my fridge until I was ready to start the SP. It is fermenting very well ATM.
I have only made wines from a kit so far which all used yeast packets, never did use slurry on these wines so I'm afraid I cant answer your question. Have been following your wine efforts though, very interesting

 

[meadmaker1]

I was just looking over the recipe again, and the "yeast slurry" from another batch of wine primary fermentation? That's the lees at the bottom of the first racking right? Soooo Skeeter Pee is meant to be a side project along with another batch of wine then? I saw @PandemoniumWines didn't use those lees/slurry and only threw in a packet of Lalvin ec 1118.

I do have another wine project going on, but it's been a long time in the primary fermentation (squeezed grapes) and should be at a very low SG, like .090 or something by the time I get to it next week. Perhaps I could add that slurry AND a packet of ec 1118 and let them duke it out in there?

Why would you do both. Pitch the slurry and if it doesnt take off in 24 hrs , then pitch the yeast.

 

[Mdrew]

@meadmaker1 you are exactly right. Thank you. duh on me.