Here We Go (Skeeter Pee)

[Mcamnl]

This afternoon I am going to give Pee a try. I have everything I need except a couple cans of some flavor juice concentrate. (Haven't decided yet.) I don't have a slurry available at the moment but from what I have read it is not really necessary. I am going to put together a good starter and run with it.
Running to pick up a 5 gallon carboy and a couple of other things in a little while then will get things rolling.
I'll post more as things get going.

 

[Mcamnl]

Oops. Forgot to grab yeast energizer when I was at my local shop picking up a 5 gallon carboy. So I guess the pee will have to wait a day or two. My wife spotted an Island Mist Exotic Fruits White Zin while we were there and asked if I would make that for her. So maybe I will be starting that tonight.

 

[Julie]

You need more carboys and you need to start both of them tonight. And don't forget to save the slurry from the mist kit for another skeeter pee

 

[Mcamnl]

I do need more carboys. lol
Slowly but surely I will get there.
Can I start pee without the energizer?
My only concern with starting the mist kit is the only bucket I have right now for a primary is the bucket my syrah juice came in. I think that is only a 6.5 or 7 gallon bucket. What are the odds the mist kit will bubble over?
I have an order put together at Midwest Supplies that includes a 7.9 gallon bucket (and another kit ). Maybe I should wait a couple of days for that?
Maybe not. lol

 

[arcticsid]

Calm down MC!! LOL.

I am not going to comment on the kit except to say, save the slurry as Julie said.

Pee needs both energizer and nutrient! Have to have it!

Mix up the pee in the bucket, it wants air lots of it! Whip, not stir each day,

Fresh ginger is a nice touch to the pee and I like a little tannin in there.

 

[Mcamnl]

I went out and bought a 7.9 gallon bucket and some energizer at my local shop.
With the help of my 11 year old, I put together stage one of the mist kit. After an hour I already have some action in the airlock.
I also put together my very first batch of pee.
The directions now have me waiting 24 hours before adding a starter.
I have some directions for a starter that I am going to use. Hopefully things will be working well tomorrow evening.
Question about the mist slurry...... Do I just scoop it out with a spatula and save it in a butter dish or something? Keep it in the freezer?

 

[xanxer82]

just have your skeeter ready to dump into the bucket right after your rack the mist out... that's what I did for my mulberry.

 

[arcticsid]

Excellent!!!!!
Whe you transfer you kit, all that sludge in the bottom is your slurry.

Pour it int a freezer bag and toss it in the freezer.

When you want to use it, thaw it out at room temp, even place it in a bow ofwater at about 100F, thaw it out slow, but before you add it to your must be sure it is around 75F(the slurry(.

I tried once with slurry, and it was froze, I did the above and to my amazement, it fired up after only like 2 rs.

But no!, a slurry isnt necessary to get a batch of pee going, your startere will work just fine.

 

[Wade E]

Keep the temps a little lower then 100* Thats a little too close to killing the yeast.

 

[Mcamnl]

Well cool. I was informed today at work that I will be spending next week in Orrtanna, PA. Not a bad trip.
I am wondering though.....
If the pee and mist are not ready to be transferred to carboys yet, can they spend another week in primary or would I be better off transferring them a little early?

 

[winemaker_3352]

Hmm - IMO - I would transfer them early - but i don't know that much about Pee - so see what some of the others have to say.

 

[UglyBhamGuy]

I would check the SG.
My Pee fermented fast, but it was HOT this Summer in HellaBama (part of the reason i made the Pee. )

 

[Mcamnl]

Worked on a starter today. Started it this morning before work. I had a pretty active ferment working still after dinner so I stirred up the pee, hit it with a wire wisk, and poured in my starter. Hit it a little more with the wisk and set the lid on the bucket. I will check it in the morning and hit it with the wisk before heading off to work.

 

[Mcamnl]

Nothing this morning yet so I whipped it up a little and headed off to work.
Home for lunch and lifted the lid and we have some action going on here.
Bubbling like mad. Sounds like I poured a glass of fizzy pop. Whipped it a little with my whisk and it foamed up pretty good. I'll whip it again when I get home and take an sg reading to see what it is doing.
Pretty warm in my basement today. Right around 80.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Well cool. I was informed today at work that I will be spending next week in Orrtanna, PA. Not a bad trip.
I am wondering though.....
If the pee and mist are not ready to be transferred to carboys yet, can they spend another week in primary or would I be better off transferring them a little early?

Here is what I would do with the Skeeter Pee. I'd get it fermenting as strong as you can before leaving, and then add the last bottle of juice, nutrient, and energizer just before you head out. Whip it good with a whisk and then snap a lid on the primary with an airlock. This way, even if it ferments dry, it'll be protected by a layer of CO2 in the primary. Hopefully it'll be done when you get back and will be ready to go into the carboy to begin degassing, stabilizing, and clearing.

 

[Mcamnl]

I got home from work late last night. Wandered down to the basement and took a reading on my pee. It was already just a hair below 1.05. So my youngest and I added the final ingredients. After adding the energizer and nutrient it foamed up and almost spilled over. lol My sons eyes got really big and a "Holy Cow" was uttered.
I stirred it up well and replaced the lid.
Then I logged on and read what Minne posted.
At the rate its going I'll be able to transfer it to a carboy by the weekend.
Cool.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

You are now a "mad scientist" in the eyes of your son...

 

[Mcamnl]

The Mist is on the left and Pee on the right. I only have one 6.5 gallon carboy at the moment (my finance department gave me approval for a second ) so the pee went into my 5 with extra to a 1 gallon. Lots of CO2 in the pee. Took a sip of both during transfer. The mist was ok. I think the F-pack will help a lot. The pee was different. A little on the tart side. I didn't get much of the lemon out of it. Maybe when I sweeten it that will come out? I added 2 cans of Apple/Raspberry concentrate in place of some of the water when I first put it together. That's where the little color is coming from.
So there they sit.

 

[Mcamnl]

Alright, back from my business trip.
Both of my wines look to be done. I will be checking them for the next couple of days to make sure.
My plan is to transfer the pee back to my primary bucket and clean out the glass. Can I add the kmeta, sorbate, and sparkoloid in the primary then transfer it back to the 5 gallon and one gallon carboys? Will the one gallon be ok only being half full or should I just fill up the 5 gallon and dump the half gallon?

 

[Arne]

Don't dump the 1/2 gal, put some sugar water in it and drink it. Use 2 pts sugar and `1 part water. Add a little and ck it with your hydrometer. When you get it where you like it you can sweeten up your big batch to the same sg. and it should be the same.