over done with the sugar

[stillvodka]

Hello Distillers,

Any chance a of Bit of advice, with regards Sugar wash.
I make 20 ltr batches of wash in 25 ltr Buckets with Alcotec Turbo 48 hour, which require 8KG of sugar, I've done this several times now, the temperature when fermenting is at optimum/spot on, i know this may sound simple, but just like to confirm it with people on here, the 8KG of sugar is for 25ltr washes so if i put 8KG in bucket and i only fill bucket up for 20ltr that would mean i will not get down to what is required for yeast to turn all sugar to alcohol, I've got to much sugar in the wash,

But can it still turn most of it to alcohol? will there still be lots of alcohol in the wash when finished fermenting.

Thanks

[AfricaUnite]

Hello Distillers,

Any chance a of Bit of advice, with regards Sugar wash.
I make 20 ltr batches of wash in 25 ltr Buckets with Alcotec Turbo 48 hour, which require 8KG of sugar, I've done this several times now, the temperature when fermenting is at optimum/spot on, i know this may sound simple, but just like to confirm it with people on here, the 8KG of sugar is for 25ltr washes so if i put 8KG in bucket and i only fill bucket up for 20ltr that would mean i will not get down to what is required for yeast to turn all sugar to alcohol, I've got to much sugar in the wash,

But can it still turn most of it to alcohol? will there still be lots of alcohol in the wash when finished fermenting.

Thanks

Using 20L of water and 8kg of sugar would mean you have enough sugar for 23.5% potential alcohol.

That yeast is very good, ive used it before up to 18-19%, but I seriouslly doubt its ability to hit 23.5%.

Your best bet is to #1, buy a hydrometer so you can tell what the potential alcohol is very easily.

#2- Remove about 5-6L of your sugar/water mixture and replace with 5-6L of pure water. This will bring the concentration of sugar down to a level that the yeast can work with. Use the 5-6L of sugar solution you took out in your next wash.

If you have a hydrometer you can get your potential alcohol to extacly 18%. Its a tool you are going to have to buy if your planning to do this hobby with any degree of regularity.


-AU

[AllanD]

The more sugar per volume of water the longer any fermentation is going to take and the more potential for a "stuck" fermentation with residual sugar.

8kilos of sugar in 20liters is 400gms/liter
8kilos of sugar in 25liters is 320gms/liter

Or (if I've converted from metric to english (US measure) correctly?)
3.31lbs (3lb 5oz) of sugar per US gallon of water.
This is considerably more than what you can reasonably expect to ferment out, let alone ferment out in any reasonable time period....
(months)

I'd suggesting keeping it down to preferably 200gm/liter or an upper maximum of 250gm/liter. done that way it'll ferment with little danger of "sticking", but I'd really recommend even less sugar/liter....

Yes, turbo yeasts are more alcohol tolerant, but I think people get too wrapped up in high alcohol washes, especially since more alcohol can actually be created in a given period of time by several faster fermenting "lighter" washes than one S-L-O-W-L-Y fermenting "heavy" wash...

May I suggest that instead of doing one 200gm/liter wash (half as much sugar as you are trying to use) that takes 10-14days to finish you could probably do three complete fermentations, in series, in the same container, one after the other, if you used only half as much sugar, 100gms/liter (one QUARTER as much as in your original question) and actually see a 50% increase in your total production as these "lighter" fermentations would be complete in only 3 or 4 days.

thinner washes ferment out disproportionatly faster and this simple
(but frequently ignored) fact can be quite useful...


AllanD

[stillvodka]

Thanks Both of you for your Advice, it's most appreciated.

I have two 20ltr washes that has been over done with the sugar, both of them fermented really well for a good 2 weeks before they stopped, but they both didn't ferment the sugar right out, they both had to much sugar in them, But would there still be enough alcohol in them to get a couple of bottles of spirits.

Thanks

[AllanD]

There will be alcohol in them for certain, but as to how much?
Any number would be a guess, Honestly I doubt your excess of sugar washes used as much half the sugar available, a combination of osmotic stress on the yeast added to the increased toxicicity of alcohol in the high osmotic environment created by the large excess of sugar.


Ok, I'll guess and let other quibble/kibitz/argue my math...
(There will be alcohol in them for certain, but as to how much?
Any number would be a guess, Honestly I doubt your excess of sugar washes (I'll admit to a bias for FAST fermenting washes) as much half the sugar available, a combination of osmotic stress on the yeast added to the increased toxicicity of alcohol in the high osmotic envrionment created by the large excess of sugar.

Ok, I'll guess and let other quibble/kibitz/argue my math...

I'll admit to a bias towards "thin" fast fermenting washes...

it takes twice (actually slightly more than twice) as much sugar, by weight, to make a given weight of alcohol.
Under usual conditions a kilo of sugar will yield around 975grams of alcohol (I usually figuire ~1200ml of azeotropic ethanol per kilo of sugar.)

Getting two "bottles" (presumably 750ml) is well within reason for each bucket...

Also don't throw away the "residue" after you've boiled it,
just add a bit of water to make up the volume....
and of course fresh yeast wasting sugar is almost as much of
a crime as wasting alcohol. (but don't tell the revenooers I said that:)

washes like that usually ferment better the next time around,
because the cooked yeast cells are the perfect fertilizer for yeast.

AllanD

[stillvodka]

Thanks AllanD,

You live and learn as they say, a couple/few bottles will do me, i will be careful with the sugar next time,

Thanks