Skeeter Pee Recipe
The original, inexpensive, quick, easy to make, easy to drink, naturally fermented, lemon, hot-weather, thirst quencher.
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For a 5 gallon batch
3 bottles of 32 oz 100% lemon juice (e.g ReaLemon in the green plastic bottles or equivalent)
7 lbs sugar (or 16 cups) to ferment
3/4 tsp tannin
6 tsp. yeast nutrient (3 now, 3 later)
2 tsp. yeast energizer (1 now, 1 later)
Approx, 4 1/2 gallons water
Yeast Slurry
Potassium metabisulfite (Kmeta)
Potassium sorbate (sorbate)
Sparkolloid
2 1/3 lbs sugar (or 6 cups) to sweeten finished Skeeter Pee. Use more or less for your tastes.
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Many people have difficulty getting lemonade to ferment. This is
due, I believe, to several factors. The high acidity, the lack of
natural nutrients, and preservatives that are often included in the
lemon juice. Therefore, I do whatever I can to assist the process.
I use reverse osmosis water; this is by choice and tap water should
work fine since much of the chlorine should evaporate out during the
initial steps. Make invert sugar by adding your 16 cups sugar to a large
stainless cooking pot along with 8 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice
(I keep lemon juice in the fridge for cooking, so I use that.
Therefore, I actually have 1/3 more lemon juice than is stated in the
ingredients above. If you don’t have the additional lemon juice, go
ahead and use 1/3 cup from one of your three bottles; it won’t matter
much). Stir sugar to dissolve and heat to just below boiling while
stirring. Hold at this temperature for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool
slightly and pour it into your primary along with 2 of the bottles of
the lemon juice (reserve the last bottle until later), and enough
additional water to make 5 1/2 gallons. Add the tannin, 3 tsp. of the
yeast nutrient and 1 tsp. of the yeast energizer. Stir.
Test S.G with hydrometer and record. I shoot for an SG of around
1.070 which yields a beverage of around 10% alcohol if it ferments dry.
If your SG is a little low, you can add granular sugar to bring it to
the target level. Make sure you stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar;
if you have undissolved sugar at the bottom, it will throw off your
readings and your Skeeter Pee won’t turn out properly. Vigorously beat
the mixture with a wire whip for a couple of minutes to introduce oxygen
and purge it of artificial preservatives. I then cover the bucket with
a dish towel and let the sit for 24 to 48 hours.
After 24-48 hours, give it another quick whip and then pour in yeast
slurry from the first rack of another batch of wine. It sometimes takes
a while, but you should have active fermentation within a couple of
days. It helps to keep this must warm (70-78 degrees). You may need to
occasionally whip in some additional oxygen with the whip if
fermentation seems to be progressing slowly.
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.
Allow the Pee to ferment dry and for fermentation to stop (SG between
0.998 and 0.995). Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy. 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, add 6 cups sugar, and stir to
dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and
bottle.
Notes:
1. I don’t call this “hard lemonade” because too many people have
tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression
of what it’s going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn’t
taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually 5% alcohol,
lemon flavored malt beverages) they conclude that it’s a poor
reproduction. This stuff isn’t a reproduction; it’s the original
home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be
advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to.
Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double
that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally
over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast.
2. This beverage will often take on slight flavor characteristics of
the wine that donates the yeast slurry, keep this in mind when deciding
which flavors will blend well with lemon.
3. You want to use a healthy yeast slurry to start your batch. If
the slurry is coming from wine that is being pushed to high alcohol
levels, it’s possible the slurry is suffering from the effects of
alcohol poisoning. Therefore, it’s best if the slurry is used while it
is still part of an active ferment.
4. You may have noticed that you start with 5 ? gallons of must and
this is a recipe for 5 gallons. This is because you’ll be leaving a bit
more sediment behind at your first racking. Remember that you’re
adding the slurry from a previous batch and it will be left behind along
with the sediment created by the Skeeter Pee.
5. If you aren’t in a hurry, Skeeter Pee will often fall clear
without the Sparkolloid (as long as you’ve done a good job of
degassing). My batches often clear in 30 to 45 days without fining.
6. There’s no need to age this beverage. It tastes great soon after bottling. Serve chilled. 4951