psf wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:24 am
someone mentioned that the baking soda kills yeast. maybe that's my problem.
I also figure the yeast didn't like the baking soda and citric acid.
One of the best source of nutrients is to boil some yeast and feed that to the fermentation.
Not to brag but at 86'f with bakers yeast, mine are consistently done in around 4 to 5 days
thank you for all the support and advice. read the Gravity today, 6 days after I pitched the yeast, and it was at 1.000. It was probably done yesterday but I wanted to wait a day. corn is starting to settle on the bottom and no longer sit on the surface. the mash isn't as cloudy as it was when I was using citric acid and baking soda. PH finished at 3.92. I'll rack it off in the morning and let if sit a day before I rack it into the still for run. KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. FOLLOW THE RECIPE and MIND YOUR PROCESS.
psf wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 5:15 pm
KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. FOLLOW THE RECIPE and MIND YOUR PROCESS.
Easy to state.. but requires a state of mind to make it happen..
Your're on the right track, just develop the necessary state of mind to make it happen, and all will be history..
Mars
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "
I've never racked and cleared a UJSSM and don't know of any good reason to. I get my stripping done and get the next generation started on the same day to keep my yeast and trub in good condition.
NZChris wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 5:40 pm
I've never racked and cleared a UJSSM and don't know of any good reason to.
I can think of one good reason.
The shine tastes better and you get more of it before the tails appear.
Also a cleared wash is less likely to foam up and puke than a dirty wash
Give it a try
Read the whole post, and as usual, lots of opinions. my 2 cents, city water is the shits. Put your ear slammed up against the top of the fermenter and you'll hear bubbling, good way to identify when it's starting, or when it's surely finished.
Start all over and sanitize all your equip, i got lazy a few times.......
I run a big plastic bucket, 35 L or so, with a single green heat belt and a single wrap of "Hot water Heater blanket" style insulation. (the shiny bubble wrap) and my house is set at 18-19 deg C. Keeps it nice.
have fun!
I can only speak from limited experience but none the less I have some. I'm on my 6th generation. I ferment outside with no heater. I follow the recipe while using bakers yeast and spring water from the mountain I live on. I don't worry about pH or outside temps. I fermented in the winter outside with no heater. It's done when it's done. I doubled the size of my fermenter to give me more to play with in between.
Can a crashed or almost crashed sugar wash be rescued?
1- by correcting the PH and then adding more yeast? or
2- boiling the wash and using it to add yeast to restart?
For my first time I have made two buckets of sugar wash with turbo yeast. The temp is at almost constant 28C =82F
One bucket as sacrificial run with 4kg sugar in 17L water, OG 1.100, I did not have enough yeast so started as almost half the amount needed.
and another as the main to get my first distilling, with 8KG sugar and 25L water, OG 1.130
after 24 hours
the main is doing well and looks fine, PH is 4
the sacrificial is smelling not so good, and is not as active. I measured the PH was a bit low, 3.5, added some bicarbonate of soda, the only thing I had, and then also added some oyster shells. But I am not confident that it is working, there are still some bobbles coming up but not as much, my main worry is the bad smell.
is there anything that I need to do to save the situation?
thanks in advance.
I like to make Pear brandy so I started a wash -- like a dummy, a few days ago not thinking about it being winter. I use Red Star Grand Couvee yeast, in a sugar wash with thawed and pulverized Bosch Pears. It didn't do much. Adjusted the ph up to about 4.2 (usng calcium carbonate and when that ran out, wood ash) and added more DAP. A little action but still not really working a day later. Added more yeast -- meh. Came here for ideas and got good advice -- warm it up! I did that yesterday and it took off big time bubbling like crazy all day. Today, it's barely active even after agitation. Opened it up to add DAP, recheck the ph . . . and gave it a little taste and a few sips had quite a kick! after 1 day! I tossed in a bit more sugar and closed it back up. Maybe it's the yeast concentration but this could be the shortest ferment time ever. I'll let it sit and clear another week before running.
