Skeeter Pee Revisited
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vvolf34
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Dave,
I know it is probably to late, but you should have tried my reverse method, no need for a starter and worries about getting your must to go. But Good luck. Well I can't really say no need for a starter. The whole 4.75 gallons is a starter.
I know it is probably to late, but you should have tried my reverse method, no need for a starter and worries about getting your must to go. But Good luck. Well I can't really say no need for a starter. The whole 4.75 gallons is a starter.
vvolf34
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EC 1118 is pretty hardy. I just like the reverse method, because you make one huge starter before adding the lemon juice, which all of the ones I found had preservatives. Once yeast get going in good conditions nothing will stop them, except cold crash. After 2 days, I added two bottles of lemon juice and my must didn't even hiccup!
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rocket man
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Not to take this too far off topic but is anyone going to bottle theirs like the original author? He put it in clear bottles with a cap instead of a cork. I'm gonna try this but being as I've never capped before just wondering if you rinse the caps with sulphite solution before you cap or if there is anything else special I should do?
DesertDance
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Bottle with Caps or Corks
Been making it for a year and it has NEVER made it past the jug!! A few friends and a jug (usually takes 2 jugs) is a good time! It is SOUR lemonade, and needs sweetening. We make a simple syrup and simmer some fresh rosemary in it. The rosemary gives it a very special kind of drama and everybody loves it. We serve ours over ice. That way you can drink more in the hot summer without too many hangovers the next day!!
I had one jug that always had an "off" taste. Not sure why, so that one is bottled, corked, and labeled "Bad SP." Whatever gives it that "off" taste won't kill ya. We tried it and nobody died. Can't serve that one to friends, but I can't deal with tossing it, so I'm waiting to see if aging will help it. Meanwhile, I'm making a new jug every few weeks in prep for summer!!
Good luck with yours!
Suzi
PS We call ours, "Ma's Fermentated Lemonade" because I can't stand the thought of drinking anybody's pee, and Mike already coined the term "Hard Lemonade."
If it's as good as people say for me it likely wont make it past gallon jugs.
Just an FYI Lon bottled it in beer bottles with the caps
Been making it for a year and it has NEVER made it past the jug!! A few friends and a jug (usually takes 2 jugs) is a good time! It is SOUR lemonade, and needs sweetening. We make a simple syrup and simmer some fresh rosemary in it. The rosemary gives it a very special kind of drama and everybody loves it. We serve ours over ice. That way you can drink more in the hot summer without too many hangovers the next day!!
I had one jug that always had an "off" taste. Not sure why, so that one is bottled, corked, and labeled "Bad SP." Whatever gives it that "off" taste won't kill ya. We tried it and nobody died. Can't serve that one to friends, but I can't deal with tossing it, so I'm waiting to see if aging will help it. Meanwhile, I'm making a new jug every few weeks in prep for summer!!
Good luck with yours!
Suzi
PS We call ours, "Ma's Fermentated Lemonade" because I can't stand the thought of drinking anybody's pee, and Mike already coined the term "Hard Lemonade."
arcticsid
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The gang talked me into breaking into the pee for the games yesterday. Remeber, this stuff is only been in the secondary for a week or so. I poured out one of the gallon jugs into 2, 1/2 gallon pitures, froze it overnight and thawed it in the fridge. This stuff was damn near clear by the time we started on it. I was absolutely amazed. There was no way you could have knew it was that young by the taste. It was great.
Pretty tart, definitely needs backsweetening. We just stired a bit of sugar into it.
I think the way I'll backsweeten in the future is use undiluted frozen concentrate(flavor of your choice), I may even consider simmering the juice down and reduce it by half.
This pee is good, about as good as a pee can get!! LOL
I'd like to see what its like if some carbonation was introduced, like maybe yous a seltzer bottle thing a ma jig.
Pee on people!!
Pretty tart, definitely needs backsweetening. We just stired a bit of sugar into it.
I think the way I'll backsweeten in the future is use undiluted frozen concentrate(flavor of your choice), I may even consider simmering the juice down and reduce it by half.
This pee is good, about as good as a pee can get!! LOL
I'd like to see what its like if some carbonation was introduced, like maybe yous a seltzer bottle thing a ma jig.
Pee on people!!
DesertDance
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1 Gal Recipe
Skeeter Pee (by Minnesotamaker)
An easy to drink, naturally fermented, lemon, hot-weather thirst quencher
, da Skeeter Pee man:
Makes a 1 gallon batch
19.2 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
3.2 cups sugar
Pinch tannin
1 1/8 tsp. yeast nutrient
Scant half tsp. yeast energizer
A cup short of 1 gallon water
Yeast Slurry
Many people have difficulty getting lemonade to ferment. This is due, I believe, to several factors. The high acidity, the lack of natural nutrients, and preservatives that are often included in the lemon juice. Therefore, I do whatever I can to assist the process.
've made it this way as well. Here is what I would recommend in order to try and save it. Try to get the batch warmed to about 80 degrees. I use a brew belt and a bunch of blankets. Just watch it carefully so that your batch doesn't overheat. Get one of those kitchen wire wisks. Two to three times each day, whip that batch up into a lather as long as your arm can take it; you need to get lots of oxygen into the must. Once it's going strong, you will only need to whip it once a day. Good luck.
I use reverse osmosis water (this is by choice and tap water should work fine since much of the chlorine should evaporate out during the initial steps). Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 14 teaspoons lemon juice. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and pour it into your primary along with 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 ½ gallons. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer.
Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.07 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives. I then cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.
After 24-48 hours, give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine. It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (75-80 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.
Periodically check the gravity. When it gets down to around 1.05, add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice; vigorously mix it in. Don’t be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time. This late addition of yeast food and oxygen helps reduce the likelihood of your batch developing a sulfur-dioxide problem. (Because of the high acidity and low nutrition, lemon has a higher propensity to developing the sulfur-dioxide rotten egg smell.) After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.
Allow to clear. This may take a month or two. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add ¼ tsp Kmeta, 2 ½ tsp sorbate, and sparkolliod. After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 5 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.
Notes: I don’t call this “hard lemonade” because too many people have tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression of what it’s going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn’t taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually flavored malt beverages with 5% alcohol) they conclude that it’s a poor reproduction. This stuff isn’t a reproduction; it’s the original home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to. Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast.
Additional notes: The finished beverage will often take on highlights of the wine which provided the yeast slurry. I've made this with the slurry of raspberry, crabapple, and peach wines. All seem to have kept a bit of the originating flavor elements into the finished beverage. I guess what I'm saying, keep this in mind when you decide which batch should donate it's yeast starter. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not sure if a batch of candy cane wine would be the best choice.
Suzi
I use the following recipe because we always need MORE!!
Makes 1 2/3 Gallon Batch
1 bottle lemon juice
5 1/3 C Sugar
¼ tsp tannin
2 tsp yeast nutrient
2/3 tsp. yeast energizer
1.58 gallons water
Yeast Slurry
Skeeter Pee (by Minnesotamaker)
An easy to drink, naturally fermented, lemon, hot-weather thirst quencher
, da Skeeter Pee man:
Makes a 1 gallon batch
19.2 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
3.2 cups sugar
Pinch tannin
1 1/8 tsp. yeast nutrient
Scant half tsp. yeast energizer
A cup short of 1 gallon water
Yeast Slurry
Many people have difficulty getting lemonade to ferment. This is due, I believe, to several factors. The high acidity, the lack of natural nutrients, and preservatives that are often included in the lemon juice. Therefore, I do whatever I can to assist the process.
've made it this way as well. Here is what I would recommend in order to try and save it. Try to get the batch warmed to about 80 degrees. I use a brew belt and a bunch of blankets. Just watch it carefully so that your batch doesn't overheat. Get one of those kitchen wire wisks. Two to three times each day, whip that batch up into a lather as long as your arm can take it; you need to get lots of oxygen into the must. Once it's going strong, you will only need to whip it once a day. Good luck.
I use reverse osmosis water (this is by choice and tap water should work fine since much of the chlorine should evaporate out during the initial steps). Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 14 teaspoons lemon juice. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and pour it into your primary along with 2 of the bottles of the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough additional water to make 5 ½ gallons. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer.
Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.07 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives. I then cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.
After 24-48 hours, give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine. It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (75-80 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.
Periodically check the gravity. When it gets down to around 1.05, add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice; vigorously mix it in. Don’t be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time. This late addition of yeast food and oxygen helps reduce the likelihood of your batch developing a sulfur-dioxide problem. (Because of the high acidity and low nutrition, lemon has a higher propensity to developing the sulfur-dioxide rotten egg smell.) After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.
Allow to clear. This may take a month or two. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add ¼ tsp Kmeta, 2 ½ tsp sorbate, and sparkolliod. After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 5 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.
Notes: I don’t call this “hard lemonade” because too many people have tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression of what it’s going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn’t taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually flavored malt beverages with 5% alcohol) they conclude that it’s a poor reproduction. This stuff isn’t a reproduction; it’s the original home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to. Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast.
Additional notes: The finished beverage will often take on highlights of the wine which provided the yeast slurry. I've made this with the slurry of raspberry, crabapple, and peach wines. All seem to have kept a bit of the originating flavor elements into the finished beverage. I guess what I'm saying, keep this in mind when you decide which batch should donate it's yeast starter. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not sure if a batch of candy cane wine would be the best choice.
Suzi
I use the following recipe because we always need MORE!!
Makes 1 2/3 Gallon Batch
1 bottle lemon juice
5 1/3 C Sugar
¼ tsp tannin
2 tsp yeast nutrient
2/3 tsp. yeast energizer
1.58 gallons water
Yeast Slurry
vvolf34
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Well it seems like my Skeeter Pee is starting to slow down. On Jan 23, 2010 I racked it to secondary, I didn't bother to take an SG. I know, I know... bad on my part. Figure I would throw a pic up, for others to see.
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