Carbonation

[MFC]

Let's say for example that I am very interested in skeeter pee.
If I wanted to add priming sugar (like beer brewing) when bottling the pee would the end result be carbonated delicious lemon wine? Would this even work?

 

[JohnT]

my guess is that you could...

Ferment dry,
skip the sorbate, k-meta, and sparkoloid.
give the pee a stir,
add the back sweetening sugar
immediately bottle with crown caps.
Store each bottle "straight up" to allow the yeasts to settle to the bottom,
Decant after opening into drinking glass.

But then, I have never done SP before.

 

[Julie]

Or you can just keg it

 

[JohnT]

Good point.

Simply throw the pee and sugar into a corney keg seal, and shake. Let her cook for a couple of days, then chill her down.

 

[WinoOutWest]

what about retaining "some" of the sugar for the sweetness? How could you accomplish backsweetening with carbonation? (without a keg)

 

[Julie]

You would have to do it the way JohnT explained a few posts ago,

"Ferment dry,
skip the sorbate, k-meta, and sparkoloid.
give the pee a stir,
add the back sweetening sugar
immediately bottle with crown caps.
Store each bottle "straight up" to allow the yeasts to settle to the bottom,
Decant after opening into drinking glass."

 

[WinoOutWest]

You would have to do it the way JohnT explained a few posts ago,

"Ferment dry,
skip the sorbate, k-meta, and sparkoloid.
give the pee a stir,
add the back sweetening sugar
immediately bottle with crown caps.
Store each bottle "straight up" to allow the yeasts to settle to the bottom,
Decant after opening into drinking glass."

but wouldn't that ferment to dry?

 

[mmadmikes1]

for a little carbonation I put tube off of co2 tank into carboy(To bottom) of finished product. Let it bubble away, about same rate as your air lock bubbles during fermentation.Couple days of that and $10 worth of CO2 later. I have a bubbly wine
\No need to protect top of wine it will have a layer of co2 on it the whole time

 

[WinoOutWest]

for a little carbonation I put tube off of co2 tank into carboy(To bottom) of finished product. Let it bubble away, about same rate as your air lock bubbles during fermentation.Couple days of that and $10 worth of CO2 later. I have a bubbly wine
\No need to protect top of wine it will have a layer of co2 on it the whole time

Interesting idea. So by doing this the COs will stay in there? Could you not also seal the carboy and create a little pressure in there to help absorb? An maybe also do this in a fridge or other controlled lower temperature to increase the CO2 adsorption?

 

[Minnesotamaker]

but wouldn't that ferment to dry?

You could ferment dry and then add sweetening at time of consumption.

 

[WinoOutWest]

You could ferment dry and then add sweetening at time of consumption.

So ferment dry, add the priming sugar, bottle and cap and then add a teaspoon of sugar along with my slice of lemon/lime. hmmm... I got 2 batches in the secondary. Will have to try this on some of it.

 

[MFC]

Will you please let us know how this works out?

I'm somewhat very excited to make this now.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I would not pressurizer a glass carboy. Will I have my regulator set at 11 pounds and it my be ok I would not do it. Use a keg for that

 

[clifton]

If you backsweeten and bottle you'll end up with bottle bombs. You have to pasteurize after you've reached the desired carbonation or the yeast will continue to eat sugar and poop co2, a dangerous situation. I've not done it but there is info on the web. From what I've heard it is labor intensive but the only option other then force carbonating with a keg system or similar device.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[JohnT]

Most yeast die when pressure reaches 35 to 40 PSI. If you are using a corney keg, which is safe up to 100psi, you should be OK. Otherwise, you can control the amount of carbonation by simply limiting the amount of sugar you have when you "cap off".

A rule of thumb should be around 24 grams of sugar per bottle.