Strawberry Breeze Pee

[Catfish]

The wife doesn't think keeping the house at 75 degrees is a good idea so I ordered a brew belt. Should be here tomorrow.

I bought 2 packs of EC1118 yeast. I'm going to follow Lons recipe to a T until it gets to the slurry part since I don't have any.

Should I get the yeast going with some sugar and water at the same time I start making the must? Give both about 24 hours and then dump the yeast (that hopefully is active) into the must?

After it ferments dry I plan to sweeten with Welchs Strawberry Breeze Concentrate. I bought 4 cans. I'll do some taste testing to see what I like but do you experienced pee'ers also add sugar? I bought some blueberry pomegranate concentrate today also. Once I rack the strawberry breeze I will start the next batch. I'm taking your guys and gals advice and I'm going to keep a steady supply on hand to keep everyone happy.

 

[djrockinsteve]

If you are going to backsweeten with a different then only use 2 btls. of lemon juice.

You can help the yeast take off by only adding half a btl. at first then add the other half in a day or so then the other later on.

Be sure to give it plenty of oxygen.

 

[Catfish]

Thanks for the tips Steve I'll take all I can get.


I'll add the 14 tsp to the invert sugar . Then add half the bottle to the must then let it sit for 24 hours. I'll add the rest of the bottle when I see that it's taking off good after a day or two and then the other half once it gets to 1.05 Does that sound about right? I'll make sure to stir it every 8 hours or so. So it has plenty of oxygen.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I stirred mine frequently daily. One-to introduce plenty of O2 Second to dispurse excess CO2.

You may want to split the nutrients a bit. Half in the beginning and half halfway thru but not necessary.

It smells so good and being able to change flavors with concentrates makes it a wonderful drink. You'll be fine.

 

[twistedvine]

I just started my first batch last Friday. Not having a slurry to use, I let the must sit for 2 days and then yesterday, added 1 cup warm water a little energizer and a little nutrient and 1/2 cup sugar. I then added the yeast to this mixture. After about 1/2 hour, it was going nuts so I added 2 cups of the lemon must. After another hour, I added another 2 cups and again that started going nuts. I then added all of this to my primary with the must. This morning it was going crazy. Is at a nice 72 degrees courtesy of my brew belt. Will check SG tomorrow morning.

So far going good without a slurry

 

[Catfish]

Thanks guys. Hopefully my brew belt is at the p.o. in the a.m.

 

[Catfish]

twistedvine when you say a little of the energizer and nutrient do you mean just a pinch of each

 

[Catfish]

Got it all mixed up and covered with the brew belt on. Going to add the yeast tomorrow night. When I was covering it up with a towel I dropped part of the dang towel in the must. Pulled it right out. It's clean of course but I hope no leftover detergent was on it. Might mess with the must? I don't know. Probably worrying too much. Thanks for the help everyone

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Got it all mixed up and covered with the brew belt on. Going to add the yeast tomorrow night. When I was covering it up with a towel I dropped part of the dang towel in the must. Pulled it right out. It's clean of course but I hope no leftover detergent was on it. Might mess with the must? I don't know. Probably worrying too much. Thanks for the help everyone

You should be OK, but my guess is after a night of heavy drinking, you could wake up with cotton mouth.

 

[docanddeb]

I drop mine in all the time... no worries!

Debbie

 

[Catfish]

Got the yeast and some must doing it's thing. Mmmmm an ice cold bottle of strawberry lemonade I can't wait.

 

[twistedvine]

twistedvine when you say a little of the energizer and nutrient do you mean just a pinch of each

yes, pinch, not sure if this is technical or not, but I do have a measuring spoon that is a pinch and another that is a smidge

 

[Catfish]

lol



Well it is fizzing away right now. I will check the SG tonight and see what it has to say.



I've been reading peoples different experiments with the skeeter pee and some people have substituted the 3rd bottle of lemon juice with 2 cans of concentrate. Then other people have just used 2 bottles of lemon juice and after it fermented dry they killed the yeast and then backsweetened with the concentrate. Which method is better? Or does it matter? I planned on just letting it ferment dry and then back sweetening but I'm open to opinions.

 

[Catfish]

Got busy yesterday and wasn't able to check the SG until afternoon. It got down to 1.040. Dumped in 32 ounces of reallemon, yeast energizer, yeast nutrient. Mixed it up at midnight to give it some more oxygen. Mixed it again this morning. It's doing great.

 

[docanddeb]

As long as you give it the oxygen it needs to blow off the sulfites that were originally present... it's pretty forgiving!!

Have fun!

Debbie

 

[Catfish]

It's down to 1.010 this morning. Something keeps telling me to add the 3rd bottle of lemon juice and just do the original skeeter pee for the first time. But the wife is expecting strawberry lemon.

 

[Catfish]

Do you guys add the concentrate before or after you clear?

 

[djrockinsteve]

I have done both. Prob. the best would be before ferm. is complete. It's all sugar anyway so whether you add it before, lose the sugar and re-add vs. Add it later flavor and sugar too.

If you add it later it will have to clear again. Both ways turned out great.

 

[Catfish]

Thanks Steve that's why I asked because I figured if you clear and then add concentrate what's the point. Have to clear again. Can I do this....

After it ferments dry rack into carboy and degas. Add concentrate\sugar to taste. Then add sorbate,kmeta, sparkaloid. Let sit for 2 weeks. Rack. Let it settle for a few days, then bottle...?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Thanks Steve that's why I asked because I figured if you clear and then add concentrate what's the point. Have to clear again. Can I do this....

After it ferments dry rack into carboy and degas. Add concentrate\sugar to taste. Then add sorbate,kmeta, sparkaloid. Let sit for 2 weeks. Rack. Let it settle for a few days, then bottle...?

NO! If you ferment dry then add more sugar in the way of a concentrate the yeasts will begin to ferment the sugar.

Either add it in the beginning or part way thru will will increase you ABV, ferment dry. Rack, sulfite and clear along with degassing.....or

Ferment dry. Sulfite, degass and add fining agent (sparkolloid etc) to clear. Pro. 4 weeks Rack and age a bit. When you rack you could add sorbate at this time.

Then back sweeten with the concentrates and inv. sugar if needed. Let sit to clear and bottle.

I personally add it up front or midway. Ferm dry. Clear etc. and back sweeten with inverted sugar. The yeast would have eaten up the sugar and left the flavors. You are just replacing it.