Help Sugar wash is it stalled or done?

[Electrotech]

I started a 4 gallon sugar wash December 30th so it's been running for about 6 days now. I used 12lbs granulated white sugar, 6 teaspoons yeast nutrient, and 2 tablespoons DADY. I made a yeast starter and pitched into bucket at about 90°F and have the ferment bucket in a temp controlled garbage can (aquarium heater in water around bucket) holding temp at 87°F. This has been my most active ferment yet and was bubbling like crazy in the airlock for the first 3-4 days. My starting gravity measured with a refractometer was 1.111. I measured it 2 nights ago at 1.066 and last night at 1.065. According to a refractometer calculator I found online I'm only seeing 10-11% ABV. I am not seeing any activity in the airlock now. With the DADY and the potential sugar in the bucket I should be able to get 15% ABV

I am going to taste the wash tonight and see if there is sugar left in the was or if its dry. This is only my 3rd wash and the first 2 seemed to finish on their own but I used less sugar and less alcohol tolerant yeast. 1st wash was a birdwatchers wash with bakers, tap water and 8lbs sugar, It yielded about 7.5% ABV, the second was a Birdwatchers with filtered water, 8lbs sugar, and wine yeast that yielded 10% ABV.

So on this run I changed and use the pre-made nutrient instead of the tomato paste and lemon juice, distilled water, more sugar, and went to the DADY yeast.

I am just making neutral spirit, using a reflux column and getting about 182-185 proof runs.

Any other suggestions, I need to pick up some pH strips as I don't know if my pH crashed on this run

[fizzix]

3 pounds sugar per gallon is about a pound/gallon too high.
Even with a so-called tolerant yeast, I'm wondering if the yeast just plain didn't stress itself into inaction or alcohol death.
(I calculate about 17%ABV)

ABV.JPG

[Edit: I should've said it's heading towards 17%]

[zapata]

I think obviously it is stalled. Kinda by definition any wash that doesn't ferment as much sugar as you want it to is stalled. No need to taste it if you trust your refractometer, 1.065 in a sugar wash is not dry. It's as sweet as many START their washes and has about 10% potential abv left.

Edit #1: don't you need to correct refractometer readings once fermentation has started? I have only ever used one pre-ferment so am not sure.
Edit #2 yes, you do. Using 2 different calculators you're probably at 7-8.5% abv, and maybe closer to 1.035 if you didn't already correct that 2nd reading.
https://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/re ... alculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
https://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I'm not sure what if anything I'd do to save it. I gotta ask why you're shooting for such a high abv anyway? Most people find It's easier and better to just do more volume of a moderate abv to get just as much product at the end.

[Electrotech]

I think obviously it is stalled. Kinda by definition any wash that doesn't ferment as much sugar as you want it to is stalled. No need to taste it if you trust your refractometer, 1.065 in a sugar wash is not dry. It's as sweet as many START their washes and has about 10% potential abv left.
Edit: don't you need to correct refractometer readings once fermentation has started? I have only ever used one pre-ferment so am not sure.

I'm not sure what if anything I'd do to save it. I gotta ask why you're shooting for such a high abv anyway? Most people find It's easier and better to just do more volume of a moderate and to get just as much product at the end.

yes I used the calculator here http://onebeer.net/refractometer.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow to calculate the fact I have 11% ABV in my bucket currently. It says my corrected refractometer reading would be 1.03

Starting 26.2 Brix final 15 Brix

Just shooting higher to see, I'm experimenting and learning. I looked up potential ABV by sugar volume and found I should be able to get above 15% and since the DADY can handle upwards of 20% I assumed that 15% was a attainable goal.

[Pikey]

fizzix is right, way too much sugar - even in an IMperial gallon (4.55 ltres) 3 lb sugar will finish dead sweet (Dessert wine) - and since the ferment slows down as it approaches alcohol tolerance, often a sweet wine will continue fermenting for 3-6 months very slowly.

Easy enough fix though - just add water - about half as much as you already added and bring the sugar concentration down to the "2lb / gallon" which is about as high as you want to go in an American gallon.

[cede]

My 2 cents, it might be not fully stalled.
If your density was stable for over 2 days, I would say yes.
Well might be dead after all

A yeast strain that is even called alcohol tolerant has to be pitched at the right rate.
This means making a yeast starter most of the time.
2 TBS of yeast is way too low.
When I'm into barleywine, I make at least a 2 Qt starter 2 days before pitching on a stirring plate.

Please check https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pit ... alculator/
It should help you dosing yeast !

[still_stirrin]

I started a 4 gallon sugar wash December 30th so it's been running for about 6 days now. I used 12lbs granulated white sugar, 6 teaspoons yeast nutrient, and 2 tablespoons DADY.

Any other suggestions, I need to pick up some pH strips as I don't know if my pH crashed on this run

It's going to taste sour & sweet because of the acid level (around 3.2pH, I'd guess) and the remaining sugar still in the wash.

Jeesh...you'd think with the other two washes you'd have learned what is right (and works) versus what is just wrong (and fails).

But as advised, dilute it down with water and keep it warm and it may just take off again.

Also, when you get the pH papers, and you see your pH is so low, add some pickling lime to it to raise the pH. Don't bother with calcium carbonate or worse...baking soda. Go straight for the calcium hydroxide (pickling lime).

You can find pickling lime in the grocery where the canning supplies are located. It won't take much to get your pH back into the "workable" range, perhaps a tablespoon or two. Make a slurry in a little water and add that back to the fermenter.

And next time...don't stray so far from the T&T until you know what you're doing.
ss

[Oldvine Zin]

+1 to what everyone above said.

Happy yeast makes great product, stressed yeast makes shit.

There is a lot of great info about fermentation and keeping yeast happy here on this site, but, you gota read till your eyes bleed.

Good luck on your next ferment.

OVZ

[Electrotech]

Ok, I split it into 2 buckets, 2 gallons each then added a gallon of fresh water to each one, added another tbsp of yeast to each. Hopefully it will restart, if not no biggie, I’m learning.

I figured more food makes happier yeast, don’t think in the month I’ve been researching a few hours a day I ever came across to much sugar stresses yeast. I’ve read so much and yes my eyes bleed, problem is there is so much and so many different opinions and ways to do this.

If on the next one I go back to good old birdwatchers is the nutrient ok to sub for the TP cause I bought a pound of it. And also 2 pounds of DADY. Guess I just need to go back to 8 lbs of sugar in the 4gal batches and should be good.

[fizzix]

... I’ve read so much and yes my eyes bleed, problem is there is so much and so many different opinions and ways to do this.

In my short time here I've also seen differing opinions and have left utterly confused. Today, though, you have seen your success and failure exhibited, and pretty much a common thread of opinion.
Sure keep the nutrients in lieu of tomato paste. The DADY is good too. Moderation is your key.

Use this top-most calculator (*see note below) and strive for quality.
What is THAT? A cool 6~8% ABV! Avoid hyped-up methed-out ultra-sugared yeast and it will piss you a rainbow of succulent alcohol. Something to be proud of and share.
Quality busts quantity's ass any day. You'll see.

*I've found that calculator has to be manipulated so the "only requires" volume matches your actual wash. Hey. It's an old calculator and clunky. But accurate.