Skeeter Pee

[LBussy]

Acidity is the hallmark of lemonade. You cut that with sugar. The reason I use two or even three packs of dry yeast is because I understand the yeast will not reproduce, but will still do their job.

I understand that you may not have what we have in the US, some critical review is necessary. I don’t think that raising the pH is necessary though.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

 

[Johnny2]

You can be right, but buffering the must gives insurance and faster fermentation. Must with a ph of 2.5-2.8 makes not any kind of yeast viable. I wouldn't use a slurry from a batch of beer.


I went to look for them and I found a few where the pH is either the cause or a contributing factor.
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/started-first-skeeter-pee.43086/https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/skeeter-pee-always-a-struggle-to-ferment-dry.77932/https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/3rd-attempt.74882Darn Skeeter Pee! (Used 2 bottles instead of 1. Older instructions told to use 2 bottles up front)

 

[LBussy]

This is why I developed a deterministic method for success. While the recipe that served as inspiration was good, people did have issues. For instance the Montrachet yeast made a horrible sulfur smell because the yeast are under stress.

In this thread I shared what worked for me. Post 20 is where I share what worked for me and continues to do so.

I would have shared that sooner, but I thought we were in that thread.

 

[Johnny2]

DV10, EC-1118 and QA23 would probably be the best for this (from Lalvin), I'm basing that on this chart. Wine Yeasts | Catalogue | Lallemand Wine. Also Mangrove Jack's/Vintner's Harvest CL23. I've used it a few times on a country wine and mead. It's basically their EC-1118.

 

[LBussy]

I've found EC-1118 to be "indelicate." I'm sure the process I listed can be used for other yeasts. It's the yeast volume + the air bubbler that really seemed to make the difference. I have a box just for "Skeeter Pee Stuff."

 

[Johnny2]

That's an unconventional method, but good for you for trying something different. I'm still not sure if I like this wine, the fermented citrus flavor tastes nasty to me. Maybe time takes it from awful to awesome.

My next will be a high abv ginger beer, tweaked from my last years recipe. This is only my second year in this hobby.

I have a few brews from these two years, but my favorites are my ginger beer, redcurrant wine, maybe my latest mead and my banana wine. The banana wine had a wild curve. It went from awful to awesome. I highly recommend banana wine with peels, but let it rest for 9-12 months before drinking it.

 

[Johnny2]

Mixed berry Skeeter

Used this recipe (third post), but instead of strawberry, I used raspberry and european blueberry (bilberry), and less sugar.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/quick-skeeter-pee-variant-from-wmt.417660/

Mixed berry skeeter pee 12l (3gal)

1l lemon juice
2.2kg frozen berry mix (raspberry and blueberry)
2.3kg white sugar
3.6g red wine tannin
18g potassium bicarb (1.5g per liter) to buffer must
CL23 White wine yeast

Heated frozen fruit with water, juice,sugar and tannin in a pot to 60-65c. Added volume to 12l, added more sugar (2.3 combined) to get to a target gravity. Rehydrated and pitched yeast once must hit 30c

 

[LBussy]

Mixed berry Skeeter

That sounds horrible, you must send it to me immediately for proper disposal.

 

[Johnny2]

Which is a better name for it. Bloody Pee or a Bloody Skeeter?

 

[LBussy]

“Skeeter Blood”

 

[Johnny2]

“Skeeter Blood”

Thanks, I go with that one.