4 Berry pee started - photo

[Sammyk]

6 lbs of 4 different berries (strawberry, blackberry, blueberry and raspberry)

1 pound bags were $3.23 at Walmart.

In the pail I added the mesh bag with slightly frozen fruit. I poured the slightly cooled inverted sugar over the bag of berries and that thawed the rest of the berries. 7lbs of sugar, 8 cups of water, and 1/3 cup of lemon juice, inverted.

I squished up the fruit in the bag with my sterilized hands.

Added 2 32-oz bottles of real lemon

3 tsp of yeast nutrient
1 tsp of yeast energizer
3/4 teaspoon of tanin

Filled pail to 6 gallon mark with water. I had to add about a quart of inverted sugar to get the SG to 1.070.

It smells WONDERFUL, like a bowl of jello!

The photo is of just the berries and the inverted sugar in the pail.

 

[Runningwolf]

Dang I'd like some vanilla ice cream, 2 scoops of your berries and some whip cream. In other words that sure does look good!

 

[Sammyk]

LOL! Dan, hubby said the same thing. I think if we had any ice cream in the freezer, he would have won out.

It truly is the most incredible smell, can't even smell the lemon.

 

[dangerdave]

Thanks for the pic, Sam. I like pics. I call my triple berry 3Pee-Oh! It's like yours minus the strawberries. My lovely wife likes her strawberry pee straight! What will you name the quad-berry? I've made several batches of it, and it always comes out a dark rosey red.

The smell will change after it starts fermenting!

 

[Sammyk]

Yours looks good Dave! I hope this one looks as good and tastes as wonderful as it smells.

I am sorry, I just can not call it "pee" to those who do not know what it is. I am thinking 4-Berry Blush (for family and friends) but I will have to see what it looks like when it is done.

One thing I did notice is the blueberries did not crush, I saw that in the photo. So I will take a potato masher to the bag before I remove it.

I too love photos and wish more were posted.

 

[banannabiker]

Inverted sugar

Would you be so kind as to explain 'inverted sugar' to a beginner? I assume that is mixed with water and heated....but would like to know for sure.

 

[rob]

yes you are correct, sugar is added to water and heated untill it is desolved. when this happens the water turns clear and almost like a syrup, about 7 to 10 minutes

 

[Wade E]

Inverting sugar like this in primary makes it much easier for the yeast to eat. It breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose hich if not inverted the yeast has to do this which expends lots of the yeasts energy which could have been used for much etter purposes like making alc or creating a stronger colony!

 

[Sammyk]

Darn, I forgot to mention, I had one quart and one pint jar of slurry from the first batch of SP.

 

[dangerdave]

Yours looks good Dave! I hope this one looks as good and tastes as wonderful as it smells.

I think you will be pleased. The berry flavor should be what you're looking for. It's one of the favorates at our house. In my current batch of 3Pee-Oh, I added double the berries (6 pounds). It is very very dark, and clearing nicely. Got about a week until bottling. I'll get some pics then.

I am sorry, I just can not call it "pee" to those who do not know what it is.

"Skeeter Pee" is the new phrase in my family. They all love it, and it reminds them not to take this wine too seriously. It's just plain fun!

I am thinking 4-Berry Blush (for family and friends) but I will have to see what it looks like when it is done.

I like it!

One thing I did notice is the blueberries did not crush, I saw that in the photo. So I will take a potato masher to the bag before I remove it.

Squeeze the bag real good to get all them nice juices out!

 

[Sammyk]

Dave,

Did you do a f-pack? Approximately how much sugar did you add once the pee was stabilized?

My first pee, the original recipe, was racked yesterday for the first time and I know the recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar once it has been stabilized.

It is "perking" along and I will post another photo in the morning. It started fermenting a lot faster then the original recipe.

 

[dangerdave]

I used to just dump the fruit in the primary with the lemon juice and water. Very messy at racking time, so now I use my mesh bag to hold the fruit. Mades it a much easier process.

The original recipe was made to Lon's liking. I have found that six cups makes the wine very sweet. A little to much for me. Now, after six batches, I've found that starting with 4 cups works for me. Then I taste and add more if I wish. We like our pee a bit tart at my house. But that just the thing to do. "Sweeten to taste." Make it however you like it.

I also discovered that the batches made with fruit really get to fermenting quickly. The yeasties love fruit! Make sure you give it all a good virgorous stir several times a day while it's in the primary. You'll be a skeeter peein' expert in no time!

 

[Sammyk]

I just realized I added the quart and pint of slurry too soon. I added it yesterday. In 12 hours the SG dropped from 1.070 to 1.060. I am thinking I will not have to add the other yeast at all now.

How bad did I mess up?

 

[banannabiker]

Thanks everyone for the info...good like always.

 

[LJPelletier]

I just realized I added the quart and pint of slurry too soon. I added it yesterday. In 12 hours the SG dropped from 1.070 to 1.060. I am thinking I will not have to add the other yeast at all now.

How bad did I mess up?

What did you mess up? Sounds like you are saving money on yeast

 

[Sammyk]

Definitely not going to need yeast. Because she is a foaming a way. I will have to let it ferment dry in the primary, way too much activity in the pail to rack to carboys.

I should have waited 24 to 48 hours to add the slurry...instead of adding it when I added everything else.

 

[Sammyk]

New photo

Now 3 days later and the 4 berry is still in the primary. Very active fermentation. I did not add any yeast (other then the quart and pint of slurry) or any more yeast energizer or yeast nutrient. Nor did I add the 3rd bottle of Real Lemon. I don't plan to add those either unless it is necessary.

SG is 1.010 now. (photo was taken this morning when the SG was 1.020) Do you think it is OK to go ahead and rack to carboys? Should I go ahead and add the sorbate, campden tablets and sparkolloid to the primary before racking to carboys?

Lots of foam on the top and the fruit is still in the bag in the pail.

 

[dangerdave]

Just follow the recipe, Sammy. I think you are here...

(DAY 7-14)Periodically check the SG and record. When SG gets to around 1.050, add the last 3 tsp of nutrient, last 1 tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice. Vigorously mix. Wait 48 hour and rack into a clean, sanitized carboy.

Don't Panic! It's up to you at this point. <Which is the really cool thing about making wine> If you follow the porceedure above, give it the prescribed 48 hours, and then rack to glass under airlock. If not, you can go ahead and rack it as is---today if you like---then let it finish fermenting in the carboy(s). Adding the rest of the lemon juice will make it more tart in the end. Leaving it alone for now (not adding the last of the lemon juice), I think, would make it more fruity. Again, it's up to you!

Don't add the rest of the ingredients (below) until the fermentation stops---confirmed by two consectutive day's reading of SG below 1.000.

(DAY 15-28)Allow to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop (SG btw 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. Degas. Add 1/2 tsp potassium metabisulfite, 2 1/2 tsp of potassium sorbate, and the Sparkolloid (follow package directions). Allow to clear for two weeks. Rack to a clean, sanitized carboy, add last 6 cups of sugar and stir to disolve. Wait two weeks to finish clearing and bottle.

Once you get a couple of batches under your belt, you will know what you can change (or not) during the process. Keep up the good work! This should be a winner!

 

[Sammyk]

First racking 3 days later

Three days from start SG is 1.000 (original SP was 1.070) so we racked for the first time this morning.

6 gallons
1 1/2 gallon
1 quart, 1 pint

It is actively fermenting in the carboys. I did not add the other bottle of lemon or the yeast nutrient or energizer. Will rack back to a pail when the fermenting stops. Add the Campden tabs, sorbate and sparkolloid once it is back in the pail.

I hope I made the right decisions........

 

[dangerdave]

I think it will be fine, Sammy. Your own variation on Skeeter Pee! Looks good. too! Believe it or not, it will be clear some day.