Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Making Skeeter Pee doesn’t require a full winery setup — just a few basic pieces of home winemaking equipment and some simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
Primary Fermenter
You’ll need a large, food-grade bucket (at least 6 gallons) with a lid and hole for an airlock. This is where the lemon juice, sugar, and water mix together to start fermentation. You can use a bucket, glass fermenter, or a a plastic variety – whatever you prefer.
Secondary Fermenter (Carboy)
After primary fermentation slows down, Skeeter Pee is transferred (“racked”) into a glass carboy to finish fermenting and clear. Since 5-gallon carboys aren’t common, divide up the batch into smaller one and three gallon carboys for clearing and aging.
Airlocks & Stoppers
Airlocks allow CO₂ to escape without letting oxygen in — essential for safe fermentation. There are two main types of airlocks, either will work. Just make sure the bung (stopper) size fits your fermenter!
Hydrometer
A hydrometer measures sugar content and lets you track fermentation progress. This is how you’ll know when to add the second half of the lemon juice and when the wine has finished fermenting.
Siphon & Tubing
To move your wine from the bucket to the carboy (and later into bottles), you’ll need a siphon setup.
- 24-inch auto siphon kit (for 6-7 gallon fermenters)
- Mini auto siphon kit (for 1-3 gallon fermenters)
Bottles & Closures
Once Skeeter Pee is finished and stabilized, you’ll need bottles. Many homebrewers recycle old wine bottles or use beer bottles if making sparkling Skeeter Pee. I prefer using screw-on caps for my wine bottles because they’re simply easier (and I don’t age my wine for very long). If you prefer corks, you can certainly go that route – just make sure you also get a bottle corker.
- 750ml wine bottles with plastic screw-on caps
- Swing-top bottles for small batches and sparkling versions
Additives & More
- Star-San for sanitizing your equipment (you can also just use soap and water if you clean everything really well)
- Wine tannin for more body
- Yeast nutrient and energizer to keep fermentation strong
- Sparkolloid for clearing (especially if you don’t want to age your Skeeter Pee for months)
👉 Ready to get started? Head back to the Original Recipe >