Turbo wash smells kinda funny......any ideas??

[Fattiusmaximus]

Put on a couple 5 gal buckets of Alcotec 24 turbo wash....2lbs sugar per gal....1 pk turbo...now 5 days later
I have a couple that smell like good beer and a couple that smell like horrid butt!....what the devil did I do ,
And how the heck can I fix it???

[Dnderhead]

dump the turbos ,,make a lower percent wash from tried ant true ..

[Fattiusmaximus]

Ive been successful with turbos thus far and wanna use up what i have left....about three more pks..just wondering what the awful smell is and if its alright to run it ??

[Dnderhead]

most likely infected.,,run or not its up to you,some distill ok ,others not so good.

[Fattiusmaximus]

Thanks.....Im gonna try and run it....waste not want not, right?

[Cornfed50]

Hey fatt, tell us about your buckets and sanitation practice before hand and what kind of spoon and where you are storing during ferment. and the temps. Cornfed

[Fattiusmaximus]

Using food grade 5 gal buckets, sanitized with hot water and light bleach.....the first wash i just left the lids over the buckets
with a towel over top in my kitchen.....they did very well i got 17%abv after 5 days. So thinking, my first mistake,
that it would be a good idea to put 3/8" male hose fittings on the lids of these buckets and using a water trap
I wouldnt have to clean up as big of a mess. Well a couple buckets smell like total butt and taste like alcohol but
with an awful sulfury (maybe) taste...and a couple turned out very much like the first batch!...not sure what the devil
happened and how to prevent it from happening again.

[Fattiusmaximus]

Used a stainless steel spoon and im gonna have to say my temp control was lacking....the first 24 hrs they were in the back of my dining room away from the heater and then i moved them in front of my heater after the violence subsided....there they were a steady 78°....Ive since built a small room in my workshop for fermenting any advice on flooring?

[Cornfed50]

Sounds like you might have issues with yeast. What kind are you using and how much? Place your mash buckets on a wool or insulated blanket.Sometimes there is mold or wild yeast on some grains and that will spoil your mash easily. I dont boil my mash anymore but i hold grains at 155-160 for 90 mins. And check my mash on the second day to see if all is well.Also allow yourself a few inches in the fermenter for the yeast cap and active fermentation. Cornfed

[Fattiusmaximus]

Im using a basic sugar wash with alcotec 24......thats why Im puzzled as to where I goofed!!....That stuff smells like skunked beer....im gonna run it anyways and see what happens.....but thanks for the grain tips, thatll be my next endeavor........wish i could find someone else using an electric heating element with a temp control box on a valved reflux still.....I would love to pick their brain!!

[Cornfed50]

Thats right you did say alcotec 24. They hate that stuff here like a red headed step child. It sometimes produces some funky esters. I would try feeding sugar over three days in one third pitches or dividing one batch between two buckets to ferment. I think that the distillers yeast and high gravity beer yeast and champagne yeasts have the best results.The old timers swear buy bakerd yeast. That stuff will top out at 12% and most turbos go 18-24% before they expire. Most commercial distillers shoot for 8-12.5% They will tell you there are less fusel alcohols and less off flavors/smells associated at those percentages. Turbos are good if you can carbon filter and air out and your mixing. I am working on a turbo batch right now.I am trying to solve some of those issues myself thru experimentation and documentation. Whitedog is not for everybody. My favr is still sour madh whiskey. If your refluxing then i understand. Get some Redstar or Crosby and baker distillers yeast and yeast nutrient and you see a difference, The theory of turbos is heat+chemical+yeast stress= Funky smell and off flavor. Cornfed

[Fattiusmaximus]

That makes sense......thanks for all the info!!!....Im new at the whole distillation process but im quickly spending my way into an obligated hobby;)!!!!......Wish I could post pics of my monster from my android!...Ill keep yall posted on my blunders.....but really thanks guys for all the advice and info!!!

[oliver90owner]

they did very well i got 17%abv after 5 days

Sorry to have to enlighten you, but you are way off in your estimate/claim of alcohol, I'm afraid. Only about 12% would be produced from your two pounds of sugar to the US gallon, according to my normal UK tables. Let us know how, if you have found a method of getting that amount of alcohol per unit of fermetable sugar

Now, they recommend not to fit an airlock for no good reason. I would think that at high temps the yeast is going to metabolise the nutients to all sorts of smelly products and these may have been retained rather than dissipated? Following the suppliers' instructions is good until you are ready to experiment on your own.

RAB

[Cornfed50]

Hey Oliver. You have a interesting statement. I think alcotec wants you add about 3lbs. To each gal. To get 14-18%. The upside to turbo yeast is that it converts all sugars into alcohol. Sometimes you get more out of your sugar wash than others. I always think that those ph buffers differ from house to house due to different water sources and initial ph prior to mashing.We all get some higher or lower percentages than others due to small variances and techniques. Cornfed

[Cornfed50]

Sorry i left the airlock out. It is because the Co2 produced is way more than a standard airlock can handle and it will clog up.and blow your lid off and make a mess. Reason#2 is that turbo yeast need more oxygen to ferment properly and can cease function if they are kept in a airtight situation. I have seen the mash temps. Go ten degrees over the room temp! All turbo yeast is made in England and Sweden. Cornfed

[Dnderhead]

in the US..
1 pound sugar in a 1gallon ferment=7%
2lb in a 1 gallon ferment 14%
3lb in a 1 gallon ferment=21%

[NWO Shiner]

Total newby to the site but have made wine for years.it sounds like you 1) have an infection due to improperly sanitizing the fermenting bucket & all related items, or 2) hydrogen sulfide being produced due to lack of nutrient causing the yeast to undergo too much stress, or 3) combinations thereof.
I've screwed up several batches of wine along the way due to the above.
This site is great!!