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Hope you ditched the turbo yeast.

It's day 8 of the birdwatchers fermentation. The cap has fallen and it doesn't appear to have any more activity. So before I take the FG and rack it into a carboy to settle out does this look normal?

The ones Ive made don't normally retain the chunky tomato look on the surface.

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Mon May 25, 2020 4:29 pm The ones Ive made don't normally retain the chunky tomato look on the surface.

That's the reason I figured I should ask somebody that has done one before but I guess if the gravity reading comes out okay it should be fine.

Maybe your brand of tomato paste wasn't as fine ..or didn't mix into the wash as well?
A very gentle stir to break the clumps up ..or dig them out with a fine mesh strainer maybe?
Or just don't worry, let it do its thing for a few days then run.
All could be reasons or options.

Friends- wanted to chime in that I've finished the ferment of my first birdwatchers recipe, but scaled down to 18L. OG was 1.090 @ 96F and FG is 0.991 at 70F. From what I've read here, I get the impression I'm right on target. I have a second batch going right now, started the 20th, and should be done by the 6th. My basement maintains a consistent temp of 54 to 74 degrees F throughout the year.

I won't get a chance to pull it off the lees and run it until this weekend. Its sealed now in the carboy, no discernable CO2 production anymore. Will this be ok until this weekend? How long can a wash sit on the lees without risking going bad?

Feels good getting back into the hobby. The 'rona's pretty much shut down gun parts so I've a list of guns just sitting. Might as well enjoy another option from the good ole ATF!

-Stills

This is the first stuck fermentation I’ve had in my history of fermenting things...since 2003. It’s stuck at 1.017! The only change I made is using DADY, because I have some and baker’s yeast is nearly impossible to find around here during this time. I have a fermentation chamber and held the temperature at 90F. I removed the chloramine from the filtered water with a half potassium metabisulfite tablet.

It must be the yeast, but shouldn’t DADY work fine in this recipe?

garnern2 wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 11:33 am . . . baker’s yeast is nearly impossible to find around here during this time.

I've been watching our local walmart for weeks for yeast. there were two jars right after stock day and I snatched them both!

I just finished a 10 gallon batch of birdwatchers and I used Dady yeast and it fermented complete my starting gravity was 1.070. My temps were not as high as yours, it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 72 to 80 regular room temperature although at the end of the run I did add a heating pad because I thought the Temps we're holding the wash back a bit. What was your starting gravity?

Sailman wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 2:24 pm I just finished a 10 gallon batch of birdwatchers and I used Dady yeast and it fermented complete my starting gravity was 1.070. My temps were not as high as yours, it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 72 to 80 regular room temperature although at the end of the run I did add a heating pad because I thought the Temps we're holding the wash back a bit. What was your starting gravity?

1.090 on the nose, as recommended.

It could a # of things PH, temp bad yeast etc... I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I will come along.

Sailman wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 4:32 pm It could a # of things PH, temp bad yeast etc... I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I will come along.

It's definitely not temperature, as my fermentation chamber keeps things within +/- 1 degree F. I didn't check pH, but I've always done all grain so I never really needed to after I knew the starting pH of my filtered tap water. Maybe it's bad yeast but it kicked off like a rocket after a few hours. I was leaning toward pH and threw in a couple tbs of Calcium Carbonate. We'll see what happens. I mean I've got like $8 invested in this so it's not a huge loss if I have to toss it.

Does anyone know if the SG listed is the actual SG, or is it the SG reading at the temperature listed in the recipe (~90* F)? I assume since it's listed as SG, the SG should be 1.090 at 60* F, which would be a reading of 1.094 at 90* F.

My SG reading, at 90* F, was between 1.093 and 1.094.

I did a recent wash using Birdwashers,in glass jugs. Made more than I could run in that day, so I let the last gallon sit for another 4 days. There appeared blue crystals around the edges of the glass jug, right where you’d look for the bead to form in a jar of moonshine. Any idea what it might be?

Looks like I may have stumped the board. I know I've stumped myself.

Garern2

This is the expected numbers for Taters OP recipe But it does say approx 18kg of sugar so YRMV

Yummyrum wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 6:29 pm Garern2

This is the expected numbers for Taters OP recipe
449A18F8-098D-41A0-AA47-9C4A6C7A8AAC.jpeg

But it does say approx 18kg of sugar so YRMV

Where are you getting this? The OP states, numerous times, that the SG has to be 1.090

Has it been changed somewhere? I understand that using the amount of sugar listed results in 1.086. But tomato paste also has sugars in it, and I'm not particularly keen on the SG points for tomato paste.

My starting SG for my 18L wash was 1.090 at 96F. When it finished it was 0.991 at 73F. It took just over 2 weeks to complete then i let it sit for this last week. Stripping now . . .

If an experienced distiller quotes you an SG, it's safe to assume that it is temperature corrected, garnern2.

Personally, my BWs start at 1.064 so as not to stress my yeast. If I want more alcohol, I use a bigger fermenter rather than a higher OG.

garnern2 wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 6:34 pm But tomato paste also has sugars in it, and I'm not particularly keen on the SG points for tomato paste.

Negligible .


The whole point of the Birdwatchers ( Tomato Paste Wash ) is that the recipe is pretty fail safe and will result in a relatively clean wash using common household ingredients so long as you use substantially less sugar than the Turbos do .

Tater says to use approx 18kg in 80 liters and a bit further down mentions 14kg in 60liters .... which happens to be sg 1.090 .... it is a close enough approximation to 18kg in 80liters .

Whether the SG is 1.085 , 1.090 or even 1.095 is neither here nor there as far as it working .
Just don’t add a stupid amount that starts around 1.130 and you'll be fine .

Yummyrum wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 11:56 pm

garnern2 wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 6:34 pm But tomato paste also has sugars in it, and I'm not particularly keen on the SG points for tomato paste.

Negligible .


The whole point of the Birdwatchers ( Tomato Paste Wash ) is that the recipe is pretty fail safe and will result in a relatively clean wash using common household ingredients so long as you use substantially less sugar than the Turbos do .

Tater says to use approx 18kg in 80 liters and a bit further down mentions 14kg in 60liters .... which happens to be sg 1.090 .... it is a close enough approximation to 18kg in 80liters .

Whether the SG is 1.085 , 1.090 or even 1.095 is neither here nor there as far as it working .
Just don’t add a stupid amount that starts around 1.130 and you'll be fine .

Thank you! Mine was 1.090 temperature corrected and it has been held at 90* F, but it won’t budge from 1.017. I oxygenated and added champagne yeast yesterday at noon. If it hasn’t moved today at noon I’m throwing it out.

Like I said previously, I have never had a stuck fermentation of any kind and I’m really puzzled with this one.

Don't throw it out! If it went from 1.090 to 1.017 there's about 9.5% ABV in the wash you can distill out.

zed255 wrote: ↑Sat May 30, 2020 6:50 am Don't throw it out! If it went from 1.090 to 1.017 there's about 9.5% ABV in the wash you can distill out.

I guess I’m just concerned with the flavor that the remaining sugar will add...maybe none? That’s new territory for me.

Birdwatchers is generally refluxed into neutral alcohol, so I'd not expect issues with flavour.

Hey all,

So I had some success with the all bran wash, so on to the next crack.

I’m looking at dropping this down to a 25L wash, and so I hope get the qty right.

I am just going to divide everything and follow the instructions.

Wish me luck.

Hey everyone. Thanks to those of you that helped out. In return, I've move the calculator to an easier to remember place...

https://birdwatchers.info/

That’s a great calculator mate. BUT it does not advice the amount of water at the start.

I put in that I want a total of 25L volume and get all the other data, but no starting water qty. I am thinking it’s going to be around 21L but I am guessing.

Cheers
J

Thanks for the feedback. It's more a calculator to get you started when shopping for supplies. That said, if anyone has any ideas how much water might be needed, I'm happy to add it to the calculator.

Well I am going to make it in the next day or so, I’ll let you know.

I’m going to start with 21L. Generally with all the turbo recipes it’s 21L for 6Kg of sugar, and this is close to that.

Will keep you posted.

Since no one gave me a straight up or down opinion on Distiller's Active Dry Yeast in this recipe, and since I ran it a few nights ago and wasn't happy with the results, I decided to make it again. I made a 6 Gal batch then split into two fermenters, one with baker's yeast and one with DADY. We will see how it progresses.