Birdwatchers sugar wash stuck twice

[mrgt]

OK so I followed the recipe to a tee and the wash has been stuck for four days ( total time 8 -10 days or so) at 1.04 SG. I decided to add some turbo yeast and it bubbled and churned violently to the pont it bubbled a little bit out of the cartboy into the air lock. I added a very small amout of turbo yeast for the next few days such that it would not bubble over and for the next three days same violent reaction. I got frustrated so transferred it back to bucket and added few heaping teaspoons of turbo yeast let it do its thing and fermented to .995.

Second time followed birdwatchers recipe execpt increase sugar to get SG of 1.11 and used both 50g of nutients and tomato past with 1 5g sacket of lavlin EC1118. After few days seemed to be going slow so added second packet of Lavlin EC1118.

It has been 9 days at SG is been 1.07 for 3 days . I even put heating belt to bring up temp to 25 Celcius. ( previously around 20 celcius). what am I doing wrong. As I made these washes I made rum washes with brown sugar and fancy mollasses at same time and zero issues with rum wash.

all rwashes were for 5 gallons

[HolyBear]

The only time I have ever had trouble with BW is when I tried to use existing troub to start the wash instead of adding yeast, paste, lemons and epsome salts... I couldnt count with me boots off how many washes Ive made, lots... It always works... It the winter it jes works.slower...

So, If you followed the recipe, I would look at yer yeast... Sometimes yeast gets old.on the shelf... Fresh bakers yeast works great. I cover the top of fermenter in it, then sprinkle epsom.salt ontop a that...

Dont get discouraged with BW, once you figure it out, it makes a dandy fine neutral...

[Bushman]

+1, always works. The yeast would be one of the first things I looked at then maybe recheck to make sure if you converted from One unit of measurement to another that it was right.

[Schmicter]

I had a very similar ferment with Birdwatchers and ec-1118. Started at 1.085 and quit about 1.045. Tried using starter of the ec-1118 like you are supposed to. It would start for a day then slow to a crawl which would be fine if you are doing a wine that is gonna sit for 6 months under an airlock. I am not a fan of the ec-1118 or champagne yeasts for distill purpose , just my opinion, but they are not suited especially for neutrals that you want to finish in 10 days or less. The claimed 18% ABV is not worth it. Long story short, I ended up re-boilng to kill off those yeasts which added dead yeast nutrient, and drive off alcohol, added a 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and one can frozen grape juice concentrate to 2 gallons, checked SG and brought back to 1.08, I also checked PH and it was below 3 so added bicarbonate to get back around 5-6, pitched some hydrated bakers yeast and BAM finished in 7 days and cleared nicely. Helpful hint… If you adjust PH with bicarbonate…do it off you stove in a container with a lot of headspace and add very slowly, and check after each add, stir until quits foaming…or else you will have a volcano that you cannot stop.

[mrgt]

Maybe I need to check the ph levels. How do you do that?

[bellybuster]

you don't by chance happen to be using "brewers yeast"?

Second time followed birdwatchers recipe execpt increase sugar to get SG of 1.11

a 17% wash is not helping

PH can be checked with test strips that you can get at a brew shop or if need be a swimming pool place.

[Gaztops]

I make many sugar washes, Birdwatchers, Rad's all bran and Odin's cornflake
I would try to keep the Starting SG at around 1.070 for a 10% abv wash. This should ferment dry fully.

[rad14701]

You've gotta shake that greed factor idea you're stuck on...

Here's what works for me with virtually any wash... Per gallon I add 1/4 teaspoon each of Baking Soda, Epsom Salt, and 30-10-10... Wrap the fermenter in an old blanket, comforter, or sleeping bag... I'm consistently getting 48 - 72 hour ferments... I have a Gerber Barley wash going right now that's virtually done at the 48 hour mark... The method has also worked with Steel Cut Oats, Birdwatchers, All Bran, Rice Crispies, and Bobs Red Mill Mixed Grains Cereal... To 14%, no less... Just make sure you monitor the temperature as it will climb pretty high if you don't adjust the insulation, and it may not even be required if the fermenter is in a warm area...

[mrgt]

You've gotta shake that greed factor idea you're stuck on...

Here's what works for me with virtually any wash... Per gallon I add 1/4 teaspoon each of Baking Soda, Epsom Salt, and 30-10-10... Wrap the fermenter in an old blanket, comforter, or sleeping bag... I'm consistently getting 48 - 72 hour ferments... I have a Gerber Barley wash going right now that's virtually done at the 48 hour mark... The method has also worked with Steel Cut Oats, Birdwatchers, All Bran, Rice Crispies, and Bobs Red Mill Mixed Grains Cereal... To 14%, no less... Just make sure you monitor the temperature as it will climb pretty high if you don't adjust the insulation, and it may not even be required if the fermenter is in a warm area...

what is 30-10-10? what type of yeast? what starting SG? you say 14% so I am guessing around 1.09. I am just confused with these sugar washes, my rum wash under virtually identical situation has zero issues on both runs.

[rad14701]

You've gotta shake that greed factor idea you're stuck on...

Here's what works for me with virtually any wash... Per gallon I add 1/4 teaspoon each of Baking Soda, Epsom Salt, and 30-10-10... Wrap the fermenter in an old blanket, comforter, or sleeping bag... I'm consistently getting 48 - 72 hour ferments... I have a Gerber Barley wash going right now that's virtually done at the 48 hour mark... The method has also worked with Steel Cut Oats, Birdwatchers, All Bran, Rice Crispies, and Bobs Red Mill Mixed Grains Cereal... To 14%, no less... Just make sure you monitor the temperature as it will climb pretty high if you don't adjust the insulation, and it may not even be required if the fermenter is in a warm area...

what is 30-10-10? what type of yeast? what starting SG? you say 14% so I am guessing around 1.09. I am just confused with these sugar washes, my rum wash under virtually identical situation has zero issues on both runs.

30-10-10 is vegetable fertilizer... Yes, it's safe for making a wash just as long as you don't drink the wash - unless you enjoy having diarrhea... I only use Fleischmann's dry active bakers yeast... Yes, 14% is roughly 1.09...

Oh, and the Gerber Barley finished and cleared in ~60 hours...

[mrgt]

Thanks for all the advise. I was at the point were I was going to bail on the batch but I figured I would try throwing one more package of ec1118 seeing if I could jump start it. That brings the count up to now 3 packages of ec1118. Well it seems like the third package has done the trick as it is finally fermenting along nicely ( air lock is bubbling plus there is lots of movement in the carboy). I have no idea why it took three packages or why when I transfered it from the pail to carboy it started to ferment. The ec1118 was all bought at he same time. I noticed that when i transferred it to the carboy from the pail there was this darkish to beige almost sand like stuff on the bottom of the pail . It is hard to explain what it was but htat is the best way i could describe it. Anyway it looks like it is going along nicely. I have no idea why which is frustrating because i do not know how to duplicate it.

[bellybuster]

I noticed that when i transferred it to the carboy from the pail there was this darkish to beige almost sand like stuff on the bottom of the pail . It is hard to explain what it was but htat is the best way i could describe it. Anyway it looks like it is going along nicely.

That's just yeast ad solids from the wash, totally normal.