Skeeterpee primer?

[derunner]

Is there a primer for making SP and dragon's Blood? From reading a lot of these threads it appear you make SP / DB from the lees? Adding lemon or other frozen concentrate. Can this be from kit lees, or do you need to make a fruit wine first? If kits work I have a piesporter and a mezza luna red in primary right now.

Is there a good link to follow? Thanks.

 

[wineforfun]

Here is the link to Dragon Blood and the recipe.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/dragon-blood-15-days-31996/#post354243

 

[Arne]

Head over to Lon's site, skeeterpee.com and it gives you the origional recipe. You can use the lees from any of the wines you make, or in a pinch, you can just pitch yeast. The lees make the lemon must take off better than plain yeast, but both work. After you make a batch off of lees,, the first thing you think of is I won't have to buy yeast again. Don't know for sure, but folks on here have said that if you reuse them many times they start giving off flavors. Once or twice is ok, but more times and you are taking a risk. Good luck with it,Arne.

 

[derunner]

Based on the instructions and pictures at skeeterpee.com, a batch is about 5 gallons, but the carboys do not look full. Can I make this in a 6 gallon carboy and not worry about the extra headspace since you don't keep it long term?

It seems you rack several times.

Once to secondary Is this important, a lot of my kit wines go to dry in 5 or 6 days before I get them to secondary. So is it important to rack in the 1.010 to 1.020 range? then rack again once you get SG below 1.0.

And then rack again a couple weeks later when clear before adding sugar to sweeten.

 

[Arne]

You can probably get by with the extra head space as this stuff gets done pretty fast. Or you can just add some more lemon and sugar and make another gal. to fit your carboy. There is always a way around it. Arne.

 

[derunner]

Thanks Arne.