Skeeter Pee pH Adjustment

[cenk57]

I am planning my first batch of "Skeeter Pee". My winemaking experience makes me think that raising the pH of the must will make for a better ferment and better finished product. What is the best way to raise the pH in which I assume will be a MAJOR adjustment? Is potassium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate an option? Has anyone tried mixing in a higher pH grape concentrate to the must?

 

[dmw_chef]

I never bother. I've successfully fermented 2.5 ph musts. You've just got to really juice the nutrition, which is what pitching a yeast cake plus adding nutrients does.

If you're pitching dry yeast, go for a high pitch rate (5g/gal), rehydrate with goferm, and target 400 YAN.

 

[cenk57]

Thanks! I know this is supposed to be a cheap "easy" wine that beginners can make. I think it sounds interesting and I'd like to try to take it up a notch.

 

[dmw_chef]

k-carb can make your wine taste chalky, especially in amounts needed for large ph adjustments. It doesn't take much for me to start picking it up.

 

[dmw_chef]

The point of skeeter pee isn't necessarily to be easy - kit winemaking isn't any more difficult. The point of skeeter pee (and danger daves) is to have something ready quickly to drink while you wait for the good stuff to age

 

[cenk57]

k-carb can make your wine taste chalky, especially in amounts needed for large ph adjustments. It doesn't take much for me to start picking it up.

That is my fear. I've only used it a couple of times and you can pick it up. Maybe filtering would help?

The point of skeeter pee isn't necessarily to be easy - kit winemaking isn't any more difficult. The point of skeeter pee (and danger daves) is to have something ready quickly to drink while you wait for the good stuff to age

Yes, that's what I meant. Quick, I was typing quickly, lol! No numerous racking, SO2 additions ext, bulk aging.. I've never made it, so I'm just looking for ideas as that low pH goes against my way of thinking what a decent(?) wine should be. It sounds like an awesome summer wine to enjoy in the VA heat and humidity!

 

[cmason1957]

Another way to "raise" the PH of the skeeter pee is to only add one bottle of lemon juice at the start, add a second about 1/3 thru fermentation and then add the third about 2/3 of the way thru fermentation. You end up with the same lower level ph for the lemony taste, but none of the hassle.

 

[hounddawg]

I add 1 QT, bottle per 6 gallons of water, i use EC-1118 and step feed till 18% ABV is achieved, then i add more lemon juice till i have, 1 quart per gallon rack to let clear, then i add a fifth of 180 proof PGA (pure grain alcohol) to a 6.5 carboy then rack my now cleared ready to bottle SP into that 6.5 carboy, i run my SG to my taste, i go for FG of 1.040,,, it taste like really good lemonade,,, but kicks like a mule, great for bedtime,,, and yes i bulk age some,,,
Dawg

 

[dmw_chef]

Why stop at 18? Push that sucker to 20 or 21. Sounds delicious.

 

[hounddawg]

well i take it as far as EC-1118 will take it, some say it wont go to 20% ABV, so instead of arguing , I just step feed it till it kills my yeast, i put both yeast energizer and yeast nutrients at pitching and half way through step feeding, i start with a SG of 1.100 then i keep step feeding sugar to a SG of 1.040 then once it stays at 1.040 for 3 days,, i add the rest of my lemon and do my primary rack, once cleared then i take my 6.5 carboy add my PGA then rack my skeeter pee into the 6.5 carboy and bottle,
Dawg

 

[dmw_chef]

good nutrition + goferm can get 1118 to 21 pretty reliably

 

[hounddawg]

good nutrition + goferm can get 1118 to 21 pretty reliably

yep i just got tired of saying that, then most want to talk math and numbers, i done carpentry and custom trim and laminates, most all my life,, i only have 20-20 vision now, and the doc's say that is perfect, but till i got unhealthy i had left to right 5-10 vision, i could cut either side of a 1/64th pencel mark on either side or cut it in half,(( to get that small a mark, you take a sharp knife and a very lite touch)), with a electric miter box,,,, years ago i put my watch in a drawer,,, have not had a calendar in my home in 20 years or so, i only do slow simple mined bliss, same for the wines i drink,,
Dawg

 

[cenk57]

Another way to "raise" the PH of the skeeter pee is to only add one bottle of lemon juice at the start, add a second about 1/3 thru fermentation and then add the third about 2/3 of the way thru fermentation. You end up with the same lower level ph for the lemony taste, but none of the hassle.

How does doing this raise pH of the finished product? I can see how it would keep the yeast happier. But I do not understand how doing this would lower the pH of the final product.. I am probably thinking to much into this, but I am more of a traditional wine maker

 

[sour_grapes]

How does doing this raise pH of the finished product? I can see how it would keep the yeast happier. But I do not understand how doing this would lower the pH of the final product.. I am probably thinking to much into this, but I am more of a traditional wine maker

It doesn't. See Craig's original post with emphasis added.

Another way to "raise" the PH of the skeeter pee is to only add one bottle of lemon juice at the start, add a second about 1/3 thru fermentation and then add the third about 2/3 of the way thru fermentation. You end up with the same lower level ph for the lemony taste, but none of the hassle.

He said "raise" in quotes to indicate, I believe, that it was not really raising the pH, just temporarily raising it.

 

[cmason1957]

I may have been consuming wine while typing, yet again. It doesn't impact the final ph. But it does aloe the year to slowly be introduced to the different ph, not all at once.