My first turbo

[JakeB]

OK let me start off by saying I have been doing T&T recipes and all malt extract since the beginning, about a year for me, not a lot of time, so only a few of each of the recipes I have tried. I know turbo yeast is going to come out horrible, but I see a lot of old timers say everyone has done it... I have not. I made a few mistakes along the way, but I did a lot of reading first, and started out mostly on the right foot. I got some new equipment, so for fun I thought I would test the claims made on Still Spirits Turbo Fast yeast, for my sacrificial run, so here goes...

Package claims it will ferment out 6kg of sugar dry in 24hrs... it also says 13%ABV in 24h. Instructions say stir in sugar, bring up to 22l, bring to between 20 and 30 C and let ferment for 22 - 24h. I just put 6kg of sugar in a 5 gallon bucket with some hot boiled tap water, then topped up to 5 gallons with tap water, adjusted to 22c and tested gravity, came out 1.112, my hydrometer seems to indicate that should come out to 22% ABV. Keep in mind, I am throwing this together as if all you knew was what is written on the package. I did not check sugar wash calculator yet, but will do that before it is dry.

Should be interesting. It's been sitting in my 21C kitchen for 30 min, beside the hot side of the deep freeze. No additives, water conditioning or inverting sugar, just what it says on the package, nothing major yet. I'll report back in the am (after 12h) and the evening (after 24h). Any bets as to weather it ferments 6kg dry in 24h? How about if it ferments out 13ABV worth of sugar in 24h? I have my doubts about the full 6kg, maybe 13ABV worth... Never tried turbo, but my guess is 3 days to ferment out 6kg dry per instructions. This will taste awful and is strictly being used as a sacrificial run, for science lol...

To anyone new, this is only a test of the claims made on the package. Should come out tasting awful, this is for a sacrificial cleaning run only, (a must for new equipment). For a tasty beverage, start with something from the tried and true section...

[NZChris]

I don't sample sacrificial runs because they can contain toxins and are run hard out for the purpose of removing crud and toxins with no regard to the taste of anything that might get condensed, (if I turn the water on).

I suggest that you only sacrifice enough to clean the still, then run the rest using all of your skills to get the best cut you can make with it. If that tastes terrible, then the nay sayers might be correct. I haven't tried it yet, I don't remember if it was available back when I started distilling.

[JakeB]

I don't sample sacrificial runs because they can contain toxins and are run hard out for the purpose of removing crud and toxins with no regard to the taste of anything that might get condensed, (if I turn the water on).

I suggest that you only sacrifice enough to clean the still, then run the rest using all of your skills to get the best cut you can make with it. If that tastes terrible, then the nay sayers might be correct. I haven't tried it yet, I don't remember if it was available back when I started distilling.

I sacrifice all of sacrificial runs, because there could be something toxic in there, even dripped back in to the boiler then redistilled, I would never chance it. Besides, it's turbo yeast. I could separate out half the wash and try to save it, but why bother, it will taste bad (can't say I have tried, but I trust what I have read, and also know from experience high ABV sugar wash will taste harsh, even with a good yeast and balanced nutrition, except maybe if sugar added gradually with a high abv tolerant yeast).

I am going to run it, at least a couple hours to clean up any manufacturing oils or leftover toxic stuff (there was definitely some nasty looking oil I cleaned out of some nooks and crannies with a q tip and alcohol/dish soap water). Then I'm going to dump all of it.

It was $10 for the turbo, and about $5.5 worth of sugar from a big Costco bag full. I only did so much to test their claims, by following the directions on the package. I agree I could have fermented 40l of say wposw and put 10l though for cleaning and saved the rest... Probably what I'll do next time.

I spent the $ on the turbo for the fun of testing thir claims as far as if it can ferment out 6kg in 24h, pretty much a wasted run for fun and because I had to do one anyways... I highly doubt I could pull anything worthwhile off a 22abv sugar wash, especially with turbo.

[NZChris]

I could separate out half the wash and try to save it, but why bother, it will taste bad (can't say I have tried, but I trust what I have read, and also know from experience high ABV sugar wash will taste harsh, or hot, even with a good yeast and balanced nutrition).

I haven't tried it either, but I can't say I absolutely trust everything I read on forums.

If someone gave me their finest Turbo wash to clean my still with, I'd dilute enough to 8% to clean the still, then try to get a nice heart cut out of the remainder using every trick I've picked up over the years. If I can't get a nice cut, I've learned something, if I can I've learned something, If I don't try ....?

[JakeB]

I just did the sugar wash calculator, it says this will be 18.4%, so maybe not so far out of the ballpark as far as max abv. What I have read is 8 - 10% is best, anything over 14% probably will taste hot or harsh, unless maybe if the sugar is gradually added. By slowly adding more sugar as the yeast consumes it, you might get to as much as 18% and be OK. I haven't tried that personally. I usually aim for 10 - 12%, for both sugar washes and malt extract. Since I started stripping even for neutrals, results have been great (thanks for the past advice about stripping NZChris). There won't be enough of this to strip anyways, so it is still doubtful I would get anything good from it.

[NormandieStill]

The one pack of turbo that I used (which was used for various cleaning runs) stated that for the highest abv you needed to actively cool the ferment.

[JakeB]

I could separate out half the wash and try to save it, but why bother, it will taste bad (can't say I have tried, but I trust what I have read, and also know from experience high ABV sugar wash will taste harsh, or hot, even with a good yeast and balanced nutrition).

I haven't tried it either, but I can't say I absolutely trust everything I read on forums.

If someone gave me their finest Turbo wash to clean my still with, I'd dilute enough to 8% to clean the still, then try to get a nice heart cut out of the remainder using every trick I've picked up over the years. If I can't get a nice cut, I've learned something, if I can I've learned something, If I don't try ....?

Good point, I may come back to this one day, and try for 10% with enough to strip. You never know if you don't try, or trust someone who has... For this run though, it's too little wash too high to get a good result from. Just a test of the yeast claims for an experiment. I needed a throw away wash for cleaning anyways. Great idea abut using a portion of a bigger consumable wash for cleaning though. I will definitely do that next time I have new parts (this is stage 2 of 5 to get where I want to go I think... I may change my mind as I learn).

[JakeB]

The one pack of turbo that I used (which was used for various cleaning runs) stated that for the highest abv you needed to actively cool the ferment.

Interesting, I never heard of that but it does make some sense. Yeast can generate its own heat, if it is really working that hard...
I am using Still Spirits Turbo Fast for this, and pretending I know nothing. I just followed the directions on the package... No de chlorination, no inverting sugars, checking PH etc. Just read on front "can ferment out 6kg of sugar in 24h" and directions on the back "clean and sanitize, prepare water making sure you wind up with 21l at correct temp (refer to chart that says 20c for 24h, 30c for 22h), Now add sugar, stir to devolve completely before stirring in sachet." The test is, will it ferment out the 6kg it says it will in 24h. I have my doubts, but seemed like a fun experiment to use for sacrificial run...

[NZChris]

By the time you need to do your next cleaning run you will probably have plenty of foreshots, heads and tails to use. I've never had to ferment something to clean a modification or another still.

[JakeB]

By the time you need to do your next cleaning run you will probably have plenty of foreshots, heads and tails to use. I've never had to ferment something to clean a modification or another still.

Even better point, thanks. I do have a bunch of feints kicking around, could have diluted that. I was thinking one day, I'll try doing a queens run with feints from mostly whiskey, see if it is any good... For now, I'll keep saving those to try that, but if it doesn't work out, feints would make a great cleaner... Probably will eventually have a bunch of stuff that is no good for much else...