Turbo Yeast

[Bushman]

Turbo Yeast
Seems like this topic comes up a lot with new members. We have threads and threads discussing the use of Turbo Yeast so thought it should be addressed for new members to read. Members that buy commercially built stills are sometimes given Turbo yeast to get started with or they go to their local brew shop that sells turbo yeast. Below I have put together a few facts and also comments taken from other threads by members of the forum.

The higher the alcohol fermented, the more stress on the yeast thus fermenting turbo yeast to 14% will produce a lot purer mash than a fermentation to 18% or higher. The more stress, the more by products are produced which yields your volatiles and off flavors and smells.. Too some degree these can be removed with more activated carbon after distillation (read Rad's comments below). Most long time members would argue that if you are doing it right with the proper recipe and yeast that carbon filtering is not necessary. I read on another forum that a person claimed carbon filtering helped for a while but then the off flavors and smell returned.

If you're making fuel, turbo yeast seems to be a good way to go but this forum is not about making fuel.

Below are comments and suggestions by members regarding Turbos:

Husker wrote:
Turbo yeast is much more than just yeast. There are ph buffers in there. There are a LOT of nutrients in there (nitrogen based). You are probably best off simply using them to make cheap neutral, just to get them used. Just use about 2/3 the 'suggested' amount of sugar, and they should do OK. NOTE, turbos are notoriously hard to clear, AND they will produce more off taste, in unclear form (with lots of yeast in suspension). So, you will likely want to rack off the yeast bed, into a clean container (under air lock again) after it finishes the first time, and make sure to try to degas the wash to remove the CO2, since that will help it settle better.

But just use them. You have already bought them. I certainly would not use them in any 'flavored' drink, like rum, brandy or whiskey. The flavors will carry. But if you keep the ABV down, run them twice (strip and re-run through a column), you can produce a usable neutral. Then just dont buy any more, and the problem is solved.

alkoholics wrote:
[ If you must use Turbo Yeast
This is simple if you are using turbo yeast and its the packs that contain 205g of yeast and nutrients, split it into two separate batches, it eliminates most off flavors and you will not need carbon filtering

1 Pack 24 Hour Turbo Yeast 14%abv, 206 grams (split in 2 103grams each)

12 Kg Sugar. (split into 2) 6 kg each its better to use 5 kg each

46 Liters Water. (split into 2)

Ferment between 20-30c till done (roughly 1-5 days) Rack and clear, then Distill, you will not need to carbon filter it and you will get more booze for your buck

Rad wrote:
Most turbo yeasts are engineered, by adding nutrients and other components, to ferment fast and to high levels of alcohol content (%ABV)...

What commonly happens is that an uninformed person wanders into a brew shop and is sold turbo yeast thinking it is the quick and easy way to making hooch at home... But they are never told that pushing for a high %ABV wash is going to cause potential problems...Those problems being off tastes, off smells, problems clearing, and rough tasting spirits... So the same uninformed person heads back to the brew shop and are sold clearing agents and a carbon filtering system... More money in the brew shop's pocket and the idea of cheap easy hooch is becoming less appealing...

Some of these previously uninformed people eventually make their way here where they learn that there is no quick and easy way to get quality hooch by pushing for a high %ABV wash, fermenting exceedingly fast, using extreme amounts of nutrients and other components. They learn to use Tried and True recipes that produce nice hooch virtually every time, to know better than to trust every smiling brew shop salesperson, and live happily ever after...