Looking for a routine with Turbo Pure 24hr

sot · Post by **sot** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:07 pm

Hi, I'm staying with Gert Strands Turbo Pure 24hr for now, want to get consistant results with that before trying anything fancy.

No problems with the ferment, it takes off like a two bob rocket but getting it clear before distilling is another matter. afaik it's the type of yeast suspension that stays cloudy for a long time (flocculent?)

I've set myself the target of getting from sugar to Vodka in 6 days but I've got to find a less painful way of de-gassing. I've been following de-gassing instructions I read here (can't find it now) involves (if memory serves) pouring from one container to another 6 times and repeating every 30 mins for 5 hours. My back hurts for a few days afterwards.

Also, I've found that if the ferment isn't really finished and/or the de-gassing is incomplete, it can stay cloudy for over a week. When it's right, no problem, it's clear 24 hours after adding the clearing agent.

To finish the ferment, could I use my adjusted fish tank heater that gets used in the amazingstill? It's set to 55'C, was thinking of putting it in the fermenter and getting the wash warm enough to kill the yeast. How long at say 55'C to ensure the yeast is dead?

For the de-gassing, could I use a drill pump? Mine shifts ~50 litres per minute. I'm hoping it can replace the pouring.and just have the wash cascading back into it's original fermenter.

The de-gassing (or lack of it) makes a big difference, how can I tell it really has been de-gassed?

Thanks.

TEC · Post by **TEC** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:16 pm

I've never heard of heating a wash to clear it, I'd be afraid that the yeast would give off some nasty flavors as they slowly died.

I've always put the fermenter in a cool location. As the yeast goes dormant, they sink to the bottom.

Uncle Remus · Post by **Uncle Remus** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:31 pm

I don't try to have a turbo wash clear in 6 days it's more like 2 weeks. If you put it in the cold for a while it will clear up nicely. Turbo washes are skanky and hard to clean up. I've had turbo's I've distilled to 93% and they still had off flavours, so I carbon filtered them. I'm picky though, I want my vodka to have no taste at all. I've still got a few packs of turbo left but once their used i'm gonna start doing sugar washes with EC1118 and see how they turn out. I figure if it's less work to clean up a 12% wash than a 15-18% turbo I'm gonna go that route.

Swag · Post by **Swag** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:13 pm

De-gassing? That's a new one on me. Where did you read about that?

sot · Post by **sot** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:41 pm

The de-gassing is mentioned on the 'clearing agent' sachets that partner the Turbo Pure. It says: 'Finings A: Once degassed ...'

There are different brands of Turbos, I'm only using the Turbo Pure 24hr from Swedish Connections. (I bought heaps.) I've run the clear wash through the amazingstill and it needed no filtering at all. Very nice in fact. Might be different with a pot still, the one and only run so far the wash wasn't clear and that did need filtering, might also have been too high a temp though.

You could be right about it taking a few weeks... but... it's advertised as 24 hour. OK, I'll grant a bit of leeway there as I don't control the ferment temperature but imo 3 days should be enough to ferment and what's the point of '24hr' if it's still in the fermenting bin weeks later? Not knocking Gert Strand, rather my lack of technique with his product.

I do know that most of the ferment is complete within 2 days. I also know that it is possible to have it clear in 24 hours once the ferment is finished and de-gassed. (Using the clearing agent.) The bit between 'almost fermented out' and 'ferment finished and de-gassed' is where I'm stuck.

The only time I got it clear the next day was when I took a lot of trouble over the de-gassing. I've done 8 lots of pouring 6 times so far tonight (now morning) and it's no fun for an old arthritic.

Point taken over heating the yeast, might risk one batch to an experiment but want to get the quality right first. Any safe way of killing yeast? Years ago I once foolishly tried Sodium Metabisulphate then did a run. Hmmm... battery acid...

Thanks for the help, I know many who aren't making their own but drinking mine.

The plan is to get this down to 'easy peasy idiot proof' and then help them set up with their own equipment and when it comes to noobs, 'ready in 6 days' is way better than 'ready in 2 weeks'.

During my repeated pourings, the wash froths up like beer, sort of creamy. Lots at first but then decreases. The time for the froth to subside lessens with successive pourings. Am I right in thinking that if completely de-gassed there is no 'beer froth'?

furball · Post by **furball** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:29 am

Brew shops sell a rod with wings for the wine makers, and it attaches to a drill motor. The design allows you to slip it into a carboy and once you have it in the centrifugal force spreads out the wings and degasses the ferment thru agitation. Works pretty good for me when I am doing wine. When I do a batch heading for the still I don't bother trying to clear the yeast suspension. I saw in the post that you were running it through a pot still, so your going to have to do a minimum of 2 runs, and in reality 3 runs in a pot still if your shooting for a neutral distillate. Best thing to do is to run several batches until you have the same volume of distillate saved up as you normally run with your washes. Run that through your pot still making the best cuts you can. Then run it again, making the best cuts that you can again. By thenit should be pretty neutral.

Furball

possum · Post by **possum** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:49 am

Cold temps help my yeast to settle out faster. Warmer temps make faster ferment happen, but too warm seems to give more stinkey results. I've been using distiller's yeast primarily. The use of cold to get the yeast to go dormant won't be practical soon, but the cellar temp might give it a hand. 3 days start to finnish seems like a dream. I thought 1 week was just kicking things right along. However, I can't distill every week so that is ok for me, maybe you have different constraints.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:05 am

have you tried one of the two part clearing agents? They are miracle workers if your wash is done fermenting. Are you following the recommended temperatures for that yeast? I played around with turbos a little and saw that they will do as advertised when kept at the upper limit of their temperature range. below that they take more time. Turbos are all about accuracy. Precise repepative measurement of sugar and temperature will yield a consistent product. too bad it tastes so bad...

Bakers yeast and 10% washes are sooo much easier.

possum · Post by **possum** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:38 am

Bakers yeast and 10% washes are sooo much easier.

how fast does this finnish? And at what temp range.

I have notied that the very high sugar content stuff tends to have more groody odors and flavors. But a high %abv wash gives me more output with the same amount of running the still (5+ gallon pot). trade offs, ya know.

strangebrew · Post by **strangebrew** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:55 am

I'm with Possum on the cold temp method for clearing the wash. I just used Super Start Distiller Yeast for my last wash. This took off like a rocket but sure dosen't floculate like my prefered ale yeast. That being said I have a chest freezer with a temp controler. I placed my carboy in last night and it is already crystal clear to about 1/4 of the way down. I have the temp set at just above freezing. I say the heck with fining agents & degassing ----cold air & gravity is free (except for the electricty).

sot · Post by **sot** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:59 am

2 runs? This is getting to be like work.

I have had the Turbo Pure finished and clear in not too long a time but it was first go, been racking my brains trying to remember exactly what I did to it.

strangebrew, sort of agree on the free stuff but just this once I decided not to be cheap. Had a bit of spare cash so bought 25 each of the Turbo Pure 24hr and the clearing agent. So I'm a little bit committed to figuring this out.

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:32 am

I don't like turbos. Got a collection in a refrig I will probably never use. But, if you are gonna use them, 48 hr is better than 24 in my opinion. You get crap coming over with turbos.

If you use something like distillers yeast, sugar, a little corn, maybe a little molasses, you get a good product, no need to bother with messy filtering.

Distilling twice, in a pot still at least gets rid of acids, calms the product down, ready for immediate consumption.

Addition things which can help a non turbo wash, yeast hulls or yeast energizer, epson salts, calcium sulphate, yeast neutrient. If using any molasses may ot need neutrient.

sot · Post by **sot** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:50 pm

Anyone compared Turbo Pure to the other Turbos?

14 hours now since adding the 2nd part of the clearing agent, not looking good, less than an inch clear so far.

Have just realised that my first go was in the winter, looks like the warmer weather is making a difference.