Yeast Lagtime....

Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
papijohn
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:21 am

Yeast Lagtime....

Post by papijohn »

Hi guys, Someone has probably covered this before but I cant find it so bear with me.. I am a new distiller and have just done my first wash... I have 5 gallons of water with 16 ilbs of normal table sugar and 2 ibs of corn sugar, added 1 litre of concentrated grape and mixed it all together... after it got to proper temp I used turbo yeast 24hr and sealed it up... after 2 hours it had a nice foam, then overnight my temp dropped ( Canada ) and it looked like the yeast went dormanent, I then brought it up to temp but the yeast didnt wake up, so I added more yeast and sealed it up again.... It started with another nice foam and then seemed to stop.. after the first time it stopped i made sure to put the heated rope on the bucket so temperature is not a problem now..... So question is how long is the lagtime before yeast starts to show signs again... :(
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by still_stirrin »

I've had yeasts lag 24 hours. And sometimes you can't see activity for 36 to 48 hours.

With as much sugar as you have, I hope your yeast was healthy, because you certainly pitched it into a high gravity must. Did you rehydrate the dry yeast before pitching? When yeast is dry, the cell walls are fragile and pitching into a high gravity must can crush the cell structure due to the high osmotic pressures.

A high alcohol tolerance yeast (like Turbos) doesn't necessarily mean they can tolerate that harsh of environment without some considerations, like properly rehydrating the yeast. Granted, Turbos contain an abundance of yeast nutrients which promotes budding and fermentation endurance. But if you abuse the yeast, they will be damaged and this can cause long lag times as only the very strongest yeast cells will survive and then repopulate.

It sounds like you really should do more research about brewing, especially the fermentation processes. Seek a homebrewer's forum and learn all you can there. And I fear you may be lacking in knowledge regarding our hobby (distilling) as well. So I urge you to read Cranky's Spoon Feed thread (and all the links) which is hotlinked in my signature.

We want you to be safe in this hobby.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
User avatar
bilgriss
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1690
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:28 pm
Location: Southeast-ish.

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by bilgriss »

+1 SS.

With that much sugar, you need a LOT of yeast, and some nutrients. A fast start will help ensure a complete finish.
sltm1
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1059
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:12 am

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by sltm1 »

S-S thanks for the info on dry yeast, I've never tossed it dry, but I damn sure won't in the future.
A Paraphrase of a Joe Walsh Album Title, "The Drinkier I get, The Smokier I Play!!"
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
Shine0n
Distiller
Posts: 2488
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 6:00 am
Location: Eastern Virginia

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by Shine0n »

My goodness that's a lot of sugar, are you making fuel?

Lower the sugar to 2lb per gallon "total" and and hydrate the yeast and you'll be good to go.

As still stirrin said, sounds like a little more reading is due. Don't take offense, we just want you to succeed and be safe in this hobby.
Quality over quantity makes for a far better outcome!

Keep at it, don't give up and keep on reading " till your eyes bleed" lol
Shine0n
papijohn
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:21 am

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by papijohn »

thanks guys lol... dumped that wash and started over lol... used 8 kg of sugar with 6 litres of water, added some milehigh yeast (turbo)... let fermet for 5 days and ran off... came out with 190 proof about 95 percent.. happy now ... :D :D :D :D :D
User avatar
Still Life
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1545
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:24 pm
Location: Great State Of Missouri

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by Still Life »

Simply a suggestion: You'll get even better results without the Turbo. Try plain Baker's yeast instead.
You'd have to add nutrients --see Birdwatcher's or Odin's Cornflake Whiskey, etc. in Tried & True Recipes.
You'll be pleasantly surprised by the difference from Turbo. I know I was.

Good stillin' to you.
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by still_stirrin »

papijohn wrote:thanks guys lol... dumped that wash and started over lol... used 8 kg of sugar with 6 litres of water, added some milehigh yeast (turbo)... let fermet for 5 days and ran off... came out with 190 proof about 95 percent.. happy now ...
Who are you kidding???? That is waaaaaay tooo much sugar!!!!!

Using the calculator on the parent site (http://homedistiller.org/calcs/sugar_sg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) it gives a "potential alcohol" of 42.8% (SG 1.274)....with 8kg sugar added to 6 liters of water making a total of 11 liters of a sticky mess. That would be a very heavy syrup....hardly a sugar wash.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
papijohn
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:21 am

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by papijohn »

lol still_stirrin only reading what the hydrometer says lol... give it a shot... could the milehi distilling yeast have made that much difference? texture is like water not syrup came out well I think....lol
papijohn
Novice
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:21 am

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by papijohn »

opps lol change 6 litres to 6 gallons lol metric system lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX5YIehJEyE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow close to this one....
User avatar
bilgriss
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1690
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:28 pm
Location: Southeast-ish.

Re: Yeast Lagtime....

Post by bilgriss »

That's a little more in line.

I'd still like to recommend you follow a tried and true recipe a few times until you feel you understand what to expect. Trial and error will eventually get to your destination, but only if you avoid a long list of pitfalls and don't get hurt in the process.
Post Reply