Skeeter pee help

[Elmer]

Made my skeeter per following the usual recipe. I used 5 gallons of water and 96 oz of lemon juice. My true brew fermenting bucket was filled to the 6 gallon mark, the 1 st ridge - (which is an inch or 2 above the 5 gallon mark). What I don't get is how almost 6 gallons ended up so much less in the carboy?

I went to rack and must have had a brain fart, because I racked into my 6 gallon carboy instead of the 5.

Considering I am going hit the batch with sparkalloid soon Should I :
Add sparkalloid, wait 2 weeks to rack into 5 gallon?

Immediately rack to 5 gallon then add sparkalloid?

I do plan on bottling soon if need be! But I am worried about leaving what seems to be way too much air space

 

[derunner]

I think the standard recipe is for a 5 gal batch so you do not add 5 gals of water to the lemon. You add to fill to the 5 gallon line. I have always increased the volumes to make a 6 gal batch so each ingredient is multiplied by 6/5.

If you were filled to the 6 gal ridge, i'm not sure how you did not get closer to a full 6 gal carboy if you did not leave a lot in the primary.

As for the air gap, I don't think that is a big problem if you do not leave it in the secondary too long. The wine should be full of co2 at this point helping to protect it from oxygen. Check regularly and once dry SG below 1.000 for 3 days and not dropping, follow the next steps and get it into the appropriate sized container to reduce air space, degass, and add sparkoloid etc.

 

[Elmer]

Thanks for info.
I was well beyond secondary so there was no gas.

I guess I was reading the DB recipe and not the easy preezy or original skeeter pee.

However being a 1/2 gallon over on water, would that dilute the lemon flavor?
I could back sweeten with a few ounces of lemon and sugar.


But I am still baffled on how much my 6 gallon did not get filled.
I ended up racking to my 5 gallon carboy ( the dot is the 5 gallon mark, which I painfully measured)
I added k meta, sorbate an sparkalloid.
In a few weeks I will rack to a 6 gallon, wash the 5 gallon, rack back in & sweeten and bottle!

 

[jamesngalveston]

kinda crazy but, about a week ago i added a batch of peach/pear to a 3 gallon carboy, it was filled to the neck....week later racked to my other 3 gallon carboy...and it was filled to the brim plus about 1 quart...
so i have a small 3 gallon and a large 3 gallon...go figure.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

kinda crazy but, about a week ago i added a batch of peach/pear to a 3 gallon carboy, it was filled to the neck....week later racked to my other 3 gallon carboy...and it was filled to the brim plus about 1 quart...
so i have a small 3 gallon and a large 3 gallon...go figure.

I actually wrote on every carboy exactly the gallons and oz as they all all seem to differ a bit

 

[jamesngalveston]

yea...my old 3 gallon from the 30s is dead on 3 gallons.
my newest one from mexico is just under 3

 

[Elmer]

I will have to go through and fill all my other carboys a gallon at a time, so I can mark it off.

I have all my carboys marked to a gallon for cleaning purposes.

but back to the other part of my question. I am diluted by 1/2 gallon of water.
How do I balance it out, or should it be fine?

As far as getting the correct amount of lemon, if my 3rd grade math skills are correct
4.5 gallon / 96 oz of lemon = 21 oz per gallon
1/2 of that would be 10oz
Since I am half a gallon over on water, I would balance it out with 10 oz of lemon.
Sound about right?

I have added sorbate and K-meta and Sparkalloid. Would lemon just cloud it up?
or would the proportion just mellow out the lemon flavor?

 

[Elmer]

Ended up adding 10 oz of lemon juice (after sorbate). This should balance out the water to lemon juice ratio.

Problem solved.... For now !

 

[winebuddy2012]

As for the air gap, I don't think that is a big problem if you do not leave it in the secondary too long. The wine should be full of co2 at this point helping to protect it from oxygen. Check regularly and once dry SG below 1.000 for 3 days and not dropping, follow the next steps and get it into the appropriate sized container to reduce air space, degass, and add sparkoloid etc.

Why is the air gap bad?

 

[Elmer]

I added the sparkalloid, let it sit for 2 weeks.
on monday I racked off the sparkalloid, ended up with 4 gallons.
Tuesday I racked back to a 5 gallon carboy (from a 6 gallon). I actually racked a few times in order to degass. I then added 3.5 cups of sugar and stirred, which probably added some air back in.

Last night I bottled 21 bottles. 21 and a half, but I drank the half!!!!
Now I just have to find room for it, and plan more. This stuff does not last long around me!