Skeeter Pee Question

[GTS]

I started a batch of SP on 7/25. The yeast slurry was from a 1 gal batch of apple made from organic juice. I was a little concerned by the low volume of lees left by the apple, so I added 1 1/2 cups of juice and about 2 tbs of sugar to the slurry. This was done on 7/23 and it seemed to get a good start with the added juice. As noted above, I added the apple slurry on 7/25 and had slow but steady fermentation late on 7/26. I was quite surprised on Wednesday when I opened it up to check the SG. As you can see, it had developed a "head" of foam that is about 3" thick. I had let it get to a little lower SG than the recipe suggests, 1.036, but I think that will be OK. The picture below was actually taken this morning before I left for work. So now my question; per the recipe, I am due to rack to a carboy tonight. Do I just need to push the foam to the side or remove it? I just don't want to screw up what looks like a good batch of SP.

Many Thanks,

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Looks like a good ferement, the foam isn't uncommon. My batches sometimes look like the top of a lemon merange pie. The foam should dissapate in a day or so. You might want to wait a while longer before going to the carboy. Foaming action like that doesn't usually do well in a carboy.

 

[djrockinsteve]

GTS, let it ferment. Stir it up once or twice daily very well. Mix some air into it. I'd let it ferment all the way down.

You could snap a lid/airlock on when it gets closer to the end. I fermented mine dry then over the last day when it was no longer fermenting I snapped on a lid (no airlock but had a pressure button it). The next day when I had time I racked into a carboy.

 

[NSwiner]

I have a question for you I have been so busy I forgot to add the lemon juice when it was at SG - 1.050 last i checked it was at SG - 1.030 . So would it be ok to add now or wait until I sweetening it and add some then for flavour ? I'm on vacation after today so I plan on taking a day and catching up with my wines . Guess it won't be ready for the summer season this year .

 

[GTS]

Thanks for the replies. I had transfered to a carboy prior to your comments. I was a little concerned that I had let it get down to 1.036 SG, and wanting to stick as closely as possible to the recipe, I moved it over. I just shoved the foam aside and siphoned it out. I did leave it a little low in the carboy in anticipation of vigorous fermentation and foaming. But as you can see from the pic, taken after 2 days, there is just a little. I will top up later today or tomorrow.

Thanks again.
Greg

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Don't worry about topping up as I presume that you'll be drinking this sometime soon. It will be fine. With the CO2 layer and the high levels of ascorbic acid, it shouldn't oxydize. I like to leave room at the top for fining agents, stabilization, and sweetening.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I have a question for you I have been so busy I forgot to add the lemon juice when it was at SG - 1.050 last i checked it was at SG - 1.030 . So would it be ok to add now or wait until I sweetening it and add some then for flavour ? I'm on vacation after today so I plan on taking a day and catching up with my wines . Guess it won't be ready for the summer season this year .

I think you can do either. If it were me, I'd add it now so that it ferments down and clears sooner.

 

[Julie]

I have a question for you I have been so busy I forgot to add the lemon juice when it was at SG - 1.050 last i checked it was at SG - 1.030 . So would it be ok to add now or wait until I sweetening it and add some then for flavour ? I'm on vacation after today so I plan on taking a day and catching up with my wines . Guess it won't be ready for the summer season this year .

Hi Darlene,

I had a batch that went down to 1.020 before I added the other lemon and it turned out fine.

 

[GTS]

Lon,

Thanks for that insight. I wasn't thinking far enough ahead, having a little air space at the top will make the next steps easier. I can already tell that this will be one of my regulars.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[NSwiner]

Thanks Lon & Julie i will add it tomorrow morning since we are heading to the city for the Natal Day events .

 

[GTS]

Lon,

A question concerning capping. I am collecting both Modelo and Corona bottles to use for my first batch of SP. I would prefer to buy some new clear 12 oz bottles, but I can't seem to locate a source for them. I have read that the Mexican beer bottles have a little thicker lip on them and require a little more pressure when capping. I was planning on getting a 2 lever hand capper, but if this is true, maybe a better investment would be a bench capper. Will regular crown caps work on the Mexican bottles and is a bench capper a better tool for the job?

Thanks,
Greg

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I use standard crown caps and have both a 2 lever and bench capper. I've used both cappers without any problems. I don't carbonate my SP, so an extreme tight cap isn't necessary. I've never had one leak.

 

[arcticsid]

If you werent using a crown cap, and considering they were a non threaded top, could you just go ahead and cork it?

I was thinkig if a wine maker only had a corker, this would be a way to store pee in "serving size" bottles and not have to purchase a capper.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

My caps and corker cost less than a bag of corks, so given a choice, I'd still go the way of the caps.

 

[countrygirl]

excited to add my blackberry slurry tonight! i just told my aunt about skeeter pee and she is so excited! her son makes homemade cherry wine and she said, "here is his email, send that recipe to him"...ur phenomenon just hit west ky

 

[arcticsid]

No question LON started something here. I was trying to remeber who first brought up the whole SP, idea, in WMT, I want to say Julie, does anyone remeber for sure

 

[Julie]

I'm not sure if it was me, Troy, I might have posted up the recipe but do you remember a ryankelley? I am thinking he might has posted up first asking questions about it. Winepress was down and he is a member over there and could not get answers to his questions.

I guess we could just search skeeter pee and look at the oldest thread

 

[GTS]

I have a quick follow up Skeeter Pee question. My batch started out at SG 1.072 and seems to have leveled off at SG 0.997, which will give me around a 10% abv as expected per the recipe. I will check it again tonight, but it has read the same for 3 days running. My question concerns the gas in the pee. When I check the SG, it is almost like I poured a carbonated beverage into my testing jar, i.e., lots of escaping gas bubbles. Is this a common occurance? As I said, the fermentation seems to be finished, but boy that's a lot of gas. I suppose the next steps of degassing and stabilising should fix the gas issue. Judging from what I've sen, it is going to take a lot of degassing to free the CO2.

Thanks.

 

[countrygirl]

gts, i had tons of co2 while in primary, but once i racked it over, it settled very quickly...

 

[Minnesotamaker]

It is gassy when made, but I find it releases its gas pretty easily. I vacuum degas with agitation and it's done in 15 minutes. If you degas really well, you will have a much easier time clearing it.