Racking Skeeter Pee to Carboy, Please Clarify

[kzacherl2000]

Hello, Making first batch of Skeeter Pee and trying not to mess it up. I have cut and pasted recipe from SP Web site below. I am just not sure if I am really supposed to rack it to a carboy three times. Can someone please clarify my below questions in red? Much appreciated.

Periodically check the gravity. When it gets down to around 1.050, add the other 3 tsp of nutrient the second tsp of energizer, and the last bottle of lemon juice; vigorously mix it in. Don’t be afraid to introduce some oxygen to the mix at the same time. This late addition of yeast food and oxygen helps reduce the likelihood of your batch developing a sulfur-dioxide problem. (Because of the high acidity and low nutrition, lemon has a higher propensity to developing the sulfur-dioxide rotten egg smell.) After a couple of days, you can rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. So, I rack it to the carboy a few days after I add the above lemon juice, energizer, etc.?

Allow the Pee to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop (SG between 0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. So, I rack it to a second carboy after the fermentation stops? This is the second racking? 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, So, this is racked to a carboy a third time? add 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.

 

[tonyandkory]

yep ... you did understand correctly ... you don't have to follow the recipe exactly ... my last batch I fermented dry before I even went to secondary, I k-meta and sorbated then clarified. so when I racked to second carboy it was for filtering then bottling.

 

[kzacherl2000]

Thank you, Kim

 

[kzacherl2000]

I do have another question. I have now added the yeast slurry. The recipe does not indicate if it should still be covered by a towel at this point, or the lid and bung/air lock? I just re-covered it with 1/2 the lid in the back, and draped the towel in the front. Can anyone comment on this, please? If it is supposed to be lid with bung/air lock, I need to change it! Thanks

 

[Arne]

Here again you can do it either way. I usually just put a towel over it and set the lid on top of that. For a while I had to snap the lid on. The wife got a new kitten and the lid fastened down kept him out. He has grown a bit now and I am back to the towel with the lid placed on top. It is easier to stir the must if you do not have to unsnap the lid. Good luck with it. Arne.

 

[Boatboy24]

I do have another question. I have now added the yeast slurry. The recipe does not indicate if it should still be covered by a towel at this point, or the lid and bung/air lock? I just re-covered it with 1/2 the lid in the back, and draped the towel in the front. Can anyone comment on this, please? If it is supposed to be lid with bung/air lock, I need to change it! Thanks

You should be fine that way. Simply laying the lid on top (without locking it down) should be sufficient. If there is a hole for an airlock, just cover that with a small cloth to keep dust, etc from getting into your must. When you transfer to secondary, use the airlock.

 

[kzacherl2000]

Thank you very much!!! Arne and Boatboy!!! Kim Z.

 

[Bobp]

I use cheese cloth on my primarys... a full yard folded, and some elastic my wife picked up for me at a hobby store... works great... breaths well, and best of all never any chance of fruit flies imparting the dreaded vinegar yeasts... or dust or anything else..lol when i rack to a carboy, i use bungs and airlocks... safest way to go... and keep the airlocks with vodka, or k-meta water in them...