some advice for a newbie :)

[charles1001]

Hi all just have found this forum. seems very intersting and informative.

if you dont mind i may start my new membershiup with a question (how it is so often usually the way)

Basically i am (trying to make) a nuetral spirit using a simple sugar wash and alcotec vodka star turbo yeast and it has been 3 days now and there is no real action in the airlock. every so often it may bubble but not as "dramatically" as some other peoples i have viewed on youtube.
i hear it fizzing away, rather gently i must say and was wondering is there something wrong?
obviously i want the highest alcohol content i can achieve (which with this particular yeast is 14%) so to have optimum results upon distilling.

am i going to end up with a "duff" batch and wasted time and money? thanks in advance.

ps. the air temp around it is kept at 20-25 dgrees centigrade, and followed instructions on packet- 6kg sugar common table used. 21L water. add yeast when dissolved etc....)

[Dnderhead]

your not going to fiend many turbo fans on here but most likely if it is "fizzing" it is working.check your lid for leaks.

[LWTCS]

your not going to fiend many turbo fans on here but most likely if it is "fizzing" it is working.check your lid for leaks.

Yes. And after you check your lid, try and readjust your thinking just a bit.

Higher abvs and faster ferments do not always equal better likker.

If your fizzing, it is working.

In the mean time, try and do some reading here. It will not be wasted time.

[Samohon]

Why not drop by the Welcome Center... charles1001...
Its a great place to introduce yourself properly and get a feel for the place...
Going by your post, your journey is just beginning and you have a lot of research to do...
The mentors and gurus here will help you out along the way, but they do expect you to read and study...

Anyway, Welcome to HD charles1001...
Have fun and be safe man...

[clacker]

Hi Charles,

I too have a "vodka star" batch running...two in fact. I too thought my batch was failing.

Mine took a few days before I noticed the SG droppping so I wouldn't panic yet. Are you getting little bubbles coming to the surface? I just use a slightly cracked open lid so I couldn't tell you what sort of output there is.

I bought two packs before discovering HD and the utter contempt for "clean" turbo yeasts. I'll be cranking up Birdwatcher's recipe for my next wash. Head over to the recipe section and check it out.

Edit: Missed the fizzing bit in your post...that's all mine is doing and the SG is dropping so all good! It's the 7th day and I've gone from 1.1 to 1.02

[rad14701]

charles1001, did you add 21 liters of water or top up to 21 liters...??? Adding 21 liters will give a potential yield of 14.1% ABV but topping up to 21 liters will give an 16.8% ABV potential yield...

obviously i want the highest alcohol content i can achieve (which with this particular yeast is 14%) so to have optimum results upon distilling.

Just remember that chasing high %ABV, also known as turbo yeast greed, will not result in "quality" spirits, only "quantity"... There is a big difference between those two words...

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress...

[charles1001]

Hi all,
thanks for all your replys, much appreciated.
today it seems to have a lot more action coming form the airlock, which i am pleased about.
I Filled with 21l of water and then added sugar and yeast, so your saying this method will get me 16%ABV?
It seems i have a lot to learn (even after many, many hours of late night research) but luckily for me if i get my teeth into something i will spend hours chasing it to aquire the knowledge needed, so yes i am more than happy to spend hours researching and testing new methods as i am quite interested.
supposedly the "vodka star" yeast ferments quite cleanly, according to the manufacture any way lol. what other alternatives are there?

thanks in advance, charles.

[rubber duck]

Charles the manufacturer says it ferments cleanly because if they said it's going to taste like shit they wouldn't sell much yeast. There are a lot of snake oil salesmen in the distilling business.

Try one of the tried and true recipes, I would do death wish, or Birdwatchers. You can't go wrong with the tried and true recipe section. Those recipes are there for a reason, they work.

[LWTCS]

Kiwi say's he gets a nice creamy vodka from the wheat germ.

No matter there all good.