Greetings to all!

Hatchertiger

New Member
Trial Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2017
Messages
17
Reaction score
9
Points
3
I live in south Louisiana and have been brewing beer for just under a year so I am still learning about EVERYTHING!
Currently brew small batches usually 2 gallons at a time using the all grain method. I have two 2 gallon water coolers that have been converted to a hot liquor tank and a mash tun which allows me to fly sparge. I like trying to brew things I can't buy off of the shelf. I'm currently fermenting some hard cider and something I call Skeeter Tea which fermented brown sugar bitttered with mugwort with additions, this is my second try and I used grapefruit and ginger to see how that comes out. I used lemons in the first batch and it was a hit. Very much look forward to learning from some experienced brewers. If I don't post much it's only because I'm soaking it all in !
 
Welcome aboard. I brewed 2 gallon batches up until recently. I bumped it up to 3.
 
Welcome! Please expand on the Skeeter Tea. Intrigued by not only the brew but I have a fondness for Skeeter! I had a Skeeter bass boat that I just sold last year. Sorry for the rant, but can you share more about the Skeeter tea?
 
Welcome! Please expand on the Skeeter Tea. Intrigued by not only the brew but I have a fondness for Skeeter! I had a Skeeter bass boat that I just sold last year. Sorry for the rant, but can you share more about the Skeeter tea?

The Skeeter Tea name is a take on "Skeeter Pee" a lemon wine many people make. The color of the first batch I made was the color of tea so that's how it got the name. Here is the "base" recipe:

https://www.growforagecookferment.com/mugwort-lemon-beer/

Since its not brewed with grains I'm not sure exactly what it "is". I followed this recipe and it produced a refreshing drink that most thought was beer. What I have brewing now is that recipe minus the lemons. I substituted 1 1/2 grapefruits and 8 ounces of diced ginger. The OG is 1.055 so there is the potential for a nice ABV. Four days into the fermentation there is still a thick krausen cap and it is still bubbling nicely. Hopefully it will be ready to rack to secondary before I leave on a trip Thursday.

PS I keep going back and forth on whether I should add 8 more ounces of ginger when I rack to secondary. Don't know if that would be overkill or not. Since I've never made this b4 I probably won't and decide with the next batch if I should. Also bottled and am carbonating my first batch of hard cider yesterday. My "brewery'a" name is The Surfing Bear Brewery!
 
PS I keep going back and forth on whether I should add 8 more ounces of ginger when I rack to secondary. Don't know if that would be overkill or not. Since I've never made this b4 I probably won't and decide with the next batch if I should. Also bottled and am carbonating my first batch of hard cider yesterday. My "brewery'a" name is The Surfing Bear Brewery!

Since it is your first time trying I would hold off on additional ginger so you will have a base.
 
Racked the Skeeter Tea to secondary today. Gravity is down from 1.055 to 1.015. Hope it comes down some more. One thing I struggle with is getting the gravity down to 1.0
 
Racked the Skeeter Tea to secondary today. Gravity is down from 1.055 to 1.015. Hope it comes down some more. One thing I struggle with is getting the gravity down to 1.0
Airation healthy yeast pitch rate and ramping temp toward end of fermentation phase has helped me achieve 1.010 FGs even down to 1.008s. You gotta remember there is an attenuating limit to your yeasties too:). Around 80% and im happy with an ale yeasts performance Chico strain that is...
 
UPDATE: Cracked open a bottle just now and it is VERY peppery and bitter. Might need much more time in the bottle to mellow hopefully. Might need to tone down the ginger and maybe use a more mellow hops as opposed to mugwort.

Have three different 1 gallon jugs of ciders going, used 2 beer yeasts and one wine yeast. Will dry hop each with different hops after three days. Trying to bridge the gap between hard sparkling cider and beer.
 

Back
Top