Best Yeast for Skeeter Pee

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One of the questions that comes up a lot when people first start making Skeeter Pee is what yeast they should use. Since Skeeter Pee is made from lemon juice instead of grapes, the fermentation environment is much harsher than a typical wine must.

Over time I’ve experimented with a few different options, and while several yeasts will work, some definitely perform better than others.

Why Skeeter Pee Is Tough on Yeast

Lemon juice creates a very acidic environment for fermentation. Yeast generally prefers conditions that are closer to neutral, which means Skeeter Pee can be stressful for weaker strains.

That’s one reason the original recipe uses a clever workaround: it starts fermentation using yeast slurry from a previous batch of wine instead of pitching new dry yeast. Because the yeast has already gone through fermentation once, it’s active, strong, and ready to keep working.

The Original Method: Yeast Slurry

The Skeeter Pee recipe was created by Lon DePoppe, who shared it on the Winemaking Talk forum years ago. His method calls for using the leftover yeast slurry from a finished wine batch. This slurry is essentially a concentrated colony of yeast that has already proven it can ferment successfully.

When I follow the original method and pitch slurry, fermentation usually takes off very quickly. It’s one of the reasons Skeeter Pee can be so reliable despite the acidity. Plus, it’s fun to incorporate slurries from different types of wines to create unique batches. My first Skeeter Pee used a slurry from a blueberry wine, which gave it a nice purplish final hue, despite the name!

Best Dry Yeast Options

If you don’t have slurry available, several dry wine yeasts work very well.

EC-1118

EC-1118 is probably the most commonly recommended yeast for Skeeter Pee. It’s extremely hardy, ferments aggressively, and tolerates challenging conditions. If someone is making their first batch and wants something dependable, this is usually the yeast I suggest.

I always keep EC-1118 on hand because I prefer dry wines and I live in the desert, where summer temps can get really high in my garage (where I have my winemaking setup). It’s great for white wines and when you don’t necessarily want to retain a lot of the original fruit flavor.

K1-V1116

Another good option is K1-V1116. This yeast performs very well in acidic environments and can sometimes bring out subtle fruit character in the finished wine. Many home winemakers prefer it for fruit wines for exactly that reason.

If you want to retain more of the lemon flavor in your Skeeter Pee, or bring out the character from your original slurry, this is a good choice.

Lalvin D47

D47 can produce smoother wines with a slightly richer mouthfeel, but it’s a bit more temperature sensitive. If your fermentation environment tends to run warm, it may not be the best choice.

I made the mistake of trying D47 yeast with a summer batch and it stalled quickly. The 100 degree temps were just too much for it. But if you’re in a more moderate climate (or making a batch in cooler months), D47 can result in a more elevated final product.

Yeast Slurry vs Dry Yeast

Both approaches can work well, and can even be combined.

Using yeast slurry is closer to the traditional Skeeter Pee process and often produces very vigorous fermentation. It also creates one of the fun aspects of Skeeter Pee: every batch can turn out a little different depending on the yeast that came from the previous wine.

Dry yeast, on the other hand, offers consistency and convenience. If you’re starting from scratch without another wine batch, it’s the easiest way to begin. Dry yeast can also be used if your Skeeter Pee batch stalls. Just sprinkle in a small amount to restart fermentation.

How Starting Gravity Affects Yeast Choice

Skeeter Pee usually begins with an original gravity around 1.060–1.070. Because the must is both acidic and moderately high in sugar, using a strong yeast strain helps ensure fermentation finishes cleanly.

In my experience, weaker yeasts can sometimes struggle in the early stages, especially if the lemon juice is added too aggressively or the must lacks nutrients. This is another reason many winemakers prefer hardy strains like EC-1118 or K1-V1116.

My Personal Approach

When I have a good slurry available from another batch of wine, that’s usually my first choice. It tends to ferment quickly and gives the wine a bit of character that can vary from batch to batch. I’ll typically try to time my Skeeter Pee batches around the completion of another fermentation just so I have the slurry available.

On the rare occasion where I don’t have a slurry available, I usually reach for EC-1118 because it’s so dependable.

Final Thoughts

Skeeter Pee is surprisingly forgiving, and several yeasts can produce good results. The most important thing is using a healthy yeast culture that can handle the acidic environment.

If you want to follow the original tradition (recommended), yeast slurry works great. If you prefer the simplicity of dry yeast, EC-1118 or K1-V1116 are excellent options.

And once fermentation is underway, the real fun begins.

If you haven’t tried making a batch yet, you can follow the full instructions in the Original Skeeter Pee Recipe here.