Red Star premier blanc sugar wash question??

[Sarah916]

Recipe I used:

5 gallons of water
18 cups of sugar
1 tsp fermaid k
Handful of raisins
1 packet of red star yeast

OG was 1.070

My question is, after 12 days it's down to a couple bubbles a minute out of the airlock. So I wanted to check to see what kind of reading I was getting on it. It read at 1.060 now. Its only dropped 0.010 in almost 2 weeks. Is this normal? How long does this yeast take to eat the sugar? I have about 5 different washes and mashes going with different ingredients and yeasts, just trying to experiment a little. Any advice? Thanks

[still_stirrin]

Sarah,

Even though sugar is highly fermentable, it doesn't have enough (or any of the nutrients) yeast need to consume the sugar. Yeast like phosphorus and magnesium. Also, spent yeast (some of the yeast dreggs from the bottom of a ferment) when boiled to kill the yeast, becomes a very good nutrient for starting the next ferment.

When doing a sugar wash, you could add some tomato paste, a little epsom salts, and a little fertilizer to your wash (I like to boil the nutrients for 5 to 10 minutes and then add to the wash). I use about 1/2 cup of yeast slurry for a 5 gallon ferment. I add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of epsom salts. And about 1 to 2 teaspoons of 10-18-0 fertilizer to a 5 gallon ferment. These will feed the yeast so they start quickly and drive to termination on your sugar wash.

If you look at the tried and true sugar wash recipes, you'll see they all add some nutrients. DAP (di-ammonia phosphate) is another great yeast nutrient and it is typically available at your local homebrew store.

It is not too late to add some nutrients to rejuvenate your ferment.

Another concern for sugar washes is the potential to become acidic; as they ferment the pH will fall. But that usually happens a little closer to the end of the ferment, like when your SG has fallen to 1.020, or so. Counter the crashing pH with a small handful of crushed oyster shells (chicken feed available at the tractor supply stores).
ss

[Sarah916]

Thanks for the great advice. I did add a tsp of fermaid k nutrient at the beginning. But what you're saying that wasn't enough or it's obviously not working. I'll try adding some more and sees what happens.