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Brewlog - Strawberry Skeeter Pee

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The Cote de Blance is supposed to be temperature sensitive, and this is meant to be done at room temperature. I just got some 71B for my newest batch, a straight lemonade, since it states: "Contributes tropical-fruit esters, softens acidity perception". I also got some pure white grapefruit juice, might try another batch with that (got the sugar for it), just for gits and shiggles.

My only issue right now is with the batch I have going. Two weeks ago I added some Sparkalloid, following the recpie. It's suppose to be clear now, but it's not. A lot of lees have dropped out, but it's still very murky - as in I can't see anything through it - and orange. It nowhere near as clear as the pictures of other batches. I figure I have three options:

A. Add another dose of Sparkalloid to see if it gets it more clear (was it not enough? I did it exactly by the instructions - 1 tsp in one cup water, boiled then added.) It was my first time using it, did I do something wrong?

B. Is it the strawberries and pectin haze? I did add pectinase before fermentation, but maybe it needs more.

Or C. Does it need another fining agent?

I can at least start on the other batches while deciding what to do with this one. It can sit for a bit longer, but I am hoping to have something for my first ever bottle exchange in mid April.

Oh, forgot option D: Sweeten and go with it? I'm having a serious lack of patience right now, especially since I can't get any honey.
 
I just pitched the yeast for the regular Skeeter Pee and the grapefruit SP is bubbling happily away. That makes 15+ gallons, and half of the first batch is already promised away. Hmmm, might have to make some more.

I added some Sparkalloid to my cyser tonight, and am thinking that I used the wrong amount the first time with the strawberry Skeeter Pee (tsp instead of tbsp). I'm going to see how the cyser clears; if it goes well, I'll redo the Sparkalloid.
 
I redid the Sparkalloid last week, and it cleared up beautifully. Added 6 cups of sugar to it tonight, and am (very heavily) sampling it now.

Wow this is tasty, and I'm almost on my butt (you have no idea how many times I've had to go back and correct the spelling in this post.)

The grapefruit smells absolutely amazing, kind of a banana/grapefruit, light champagne smell. Really looking forward to that one finishing up.
 
Bottling day!

So this was my very first bottling day! It went great, despite the fact that help from my partner was not forth coming as promised. Stopped using the bottling wand a little into it, just used the sanitized spigot on the bucket. Capping went smoothly, and it's the first time I used StarSan (boy is it hard to not fear the foam), but I liked how it worked.

I've already give a few bottles out to a friend - this stuff is going to go fast. Glad I have more in the works, although the lemon one is being difficult and producing a lot of sulfur; gotta degas some more and try another copper treatment.
 
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Thanks! I kind of figured I'd lose some, but I'm telling everyone if they return the bottles, I'll refill them with the next batch - it's the only way they get more! I'd take some new empty ones in exchange.

And I'm not lending any books out without a contract, signed in blood.
 
xopher425 said:
My only issue right now is with the batch I have going. Two weeks ago I added some Sparkalloid, following the recpie. It's suppose to be clear now, but it's not. A lot of lees have dropped out, but it's still very murky - as in I can't see anything through it - and orange. It nowhere near as clear as the pictures of other batches. I figure I have three options:

A. Add another dose of Sparkalloid to see if it gets it more clear (was it not enough? I did it exactly by the instructions - 1 tsp in one cup water, boiled then added.) It was my first time using it, did I do something wrong?

B. Is it the strawberries and pectin haze? I did add pectinase before fermentation, but maybe it needs more.

Or C. Does it need another fining agent?

I can at least start on the other batches while deciding what to do with this one. It can sit for a bit longer, but I am hoping to have something for my first ever bottle exchange in mid April.

Oh, forgot option D: Sweeten and go with it? I'm having a serious lack of patience right now, especially since I can't get any honey.
Click to expand...

How well did you de-gas it? That may be why it didn't clear the first time. After it sat a while your second attempt probably worked because it outgassed itself over time.

Great idea using grapefruit!
 
The lemon is still cloudy. I did get some gelatin to help clear it, but might just rack it onto sugar as it is. I did degas it (a lot of agitation) after the first racking. I was quite surprised when I checked the grapefruit: it had totally cleared!

The grapefruit, however, was not the best choice. I had the highest hopes for this one; it smelled heavenly fermenting, a kind of banana/pineapple/grapefruit/champagne mix. in reality: It was awful! I know others have said that grapefruit is difficult to work with. It has a lot of mercaptans, the advanced form of the sulfur compounds, and you could clearly taste and smell them. I even added two extra cups of sugar to help with the taste. It improved it a tiny bit. I then added 64 ozs of a peach/mango juice, and that helped some more. I got a 48 oz tin of pineapple juice, and that helped even more. I'm now calling it Tropical Skeeter Pee (my mosquito on the label has a Carmen-like fruit hat, it's just too stupid). I'm not a big fan of it, but I'm sure I'll find someone who likes it.

We learn from everything, even our mistakes. I'm starting another strawberry variant this weekend, with more strawberries and more lemon; I'm almost out of my first batch!
 
I used a lees stirrer to vigorously degas my first batch and it foamed right up out of the carboy, repeatedly. I was surprised how much CO2 it contained.

Maybe I won't try grapefruit. ;D
 
I really did degas the lemon, trying to get rid of the sulfur smell. I really splash racked it, shook the tar out of it, stirred, stirred, and stirred. The better half got me some pure copper scrub pads, and, after sitting overnight, the smell finally dissipated, but the CO2 must have gotten out (did less for the grapefruit, it finally cleared).

You could try the grapefruit; if I were to do it again, I'd use lemon juice just as the recipe says, then maybe, as I sweetened it, add a bottle of grapefruit juice and/or some zest. Pink grapefruit would be a taste I'd like to get in there, maybe make it a touch stronger ABV so it's not too diluted. I have a feeling that grapefruit should not go through fermentation, though, or, at least, not in any of my fermenters! I'd rather take the space for more strawberry skeeter pee.
 
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