I didn't like the format that the recipee (see what I did there?) was in on the website. So I put it in a more traditional recipeee format:
Day 1 (D0)
1. Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice.
2. Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes.
3. 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 1/2 gallons.
4. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.
5. Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around 1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry.
6. If your SG is a little low, you can add granular sugar to bring it to the target level. Make sure you stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar
7. Vigorously beat the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen and purge it of artificial preservatives.
8. Cover the bucket with a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.
Day 2 (D0+1 or +2)
1. Give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine.
Every few days until "Day 3" below
1. Occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whisk.
It sometimes takes a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of days. It helps to keep this must warm (70-78 degrees). You may need to occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.
Day 3 (when sg=1.050)
1. Add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice
2. Vigorously mix it in. Dont be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time.
After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.
Allow the Pee to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop (SG between 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Give the batch a quick degas (use agitation and vacuum if you have the equipment). Add 1/2 tsp Kmeta, 2 1/2 tsp sorbate, and Sparkolliod (follow directions on the package). After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.
Questions
I'm going to start with D0 tomorrow. If I read this correctly, I will not be putting in any yeast on Day 0, but I will be putting in yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. Correct? And then I need to wait "a day or two", and then I need to put in yeast slurry. I don't have any yeast slurry, but I do have a packet of EC-1118. How can I use that?
When I am doing the periodic whisking to add oxygen, I am supposed to be checking if active fermentation is happening. How will I know when that is happening?
The instructions say three time to "rack into a clean carboy". I only have one carboy. How do I do that?
Finally, it says to add water to take it to 5.5 gallons. I think my carboy is only 5 gallons (it's just a regular carboy, so maybe it's bigger???). Should I maybe just make 5 gallons then?