Home Distiller

Can you use too much yeast? What would be the problem other than waste? Wouldn't it really squeeze the maximum alcohol from the wash? Thanks

More yeast won't make more alcohol, it will just speed the fermentation process... The amount of sugar in the wash, or converted starches with grain mashes, determines the amount of potential alcohol...

Plenty of yeast early on help get things going and will edge out wild yeasts. Too much yeast will just result in more sediment on the bottom of the fermenter at the end. I use a cup in 6 gallons of wash if I am doing fruit because they often have an abundant amount of wild yeast riding on their skin.

I've never used more than a couple of tablespoons for a 25 litre wash. Usually 2 packets of ale or EC-1118 is more than enough to do the job. For UJSM, once established, the yeast will self regulate.

Finding the right amount of yeast to pitch is more of a relative issue than a science as far as home fermentation is concerned... Many variables come into consideration compared to the stringent protocols adhered to by large distilleries... Too little and your ferment may languish for far too long in comparison to your patience... The "too much is never enough" idiom can lead to unwanted smells and flavors... Even finding what usually works doesn't work with every batch and each recipe can react differently with the same amount of yeast... Finding a good baseline for your needs is most important, then make adjustments from there as deemed necessary...

dixiegurl wrote:Can you use too much yeast? What would be the problem other than waste? Wouldn't it really squeeze the maximum alcohol from the wash? Thanks

As far as I know, and I have done more than 500 brews, you cannot use too much yeast... as long as you dont leave it on the yeast cake more than three weeks. IMHO...

I use 1/4 C +- per 5 gallons, have only had problems with using not enough.-hey-

Thanks for the insight...I have found on my second wash, like the first, I had to add yeast after a few days because it fizzled out. I think my original amount was correct, but I was not letting my wash cool enough before pitching and I killed some yeast. Make sense?

dixiegurl, most yeasts like the wash to be below 95F before pitching and that's high considering the amount of heat that will be produced during the aerobic multiplication phase... Shooting for 85F - 95F should be safe... Some folks feel that pitching at room temperature will produce cleaner washes due to less stress during the aerobic phase even if the overall ferment may take a bit longer...

dixiegurl wrote:Thanks for the insight...I have found on my second wash, like the first, I had to add yeast after a few days because it fizzled out. I think my original amount was correct, but I was not letting my wash cool enough before pitching and I killed some yeast. Make sense?

I am not sure too high a temp would cause it to stop after a few days. Wouldn't it simply kill most of the yeast and never get started properly? If 10% of the yeast survived the high temp, it seems they would multiply and get things going but take longer to do so. A ferment stopping would be something else wouldn't it? What could be killing the yeast after a few days? That is the question.

I'd be inclined to agree with you, FeralPig... If thermal runaway was going to cause problems it would most likely happen within the first 24 hours or so... It might take a while for all of the yeast to die but probably unlikely that it would take over 48 hours...

Infection, pH, lack of nutrients, or the wash actually being fermented to dry, would all be possibilities... Considering how it happened on two back to back ferments I probably lean towards pH or nutrients because it's unlikely that an infected wash would restart with the addition of more yeast... The new yeast would use the dead yeast for nutrients, however, and would try to slog along even if the pH was way off...

What recipe are you running, dixiegurl...???

Out of a store bought moonshine book. It's actually a very good book and the recipe was close to others I have seen: 5 gal h2o, 10lb sugar, 1 pkg champagne yeast. Maybe I am not telling the whole truth here. First time I didn't add nutrients, and after 3 days it died out. I added 2 6oz cans of tomato paste and another pkg of champagne yeast and it went 10 days, sg down to 1.090, and ran great. Second time I started with one can of tom paste (thought I'd save 49 cents!) and about the same thing. I then, after 3 days, added a second tom paste and 2 tblsp of regular bakers yeast and it seems to be running fine...s/b done in 2 days. My temp on the 2nd wash was about 88 deg when it pitched the yeast...I was in a hurry. That's why I thought I killed the original yeast with a high temp. I stir about every 2nd day.

Thanks for the input

Ok... Sounds like not enough nutrients for a 14% wash and your yeast is getting osmotic stress... If you add 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salt and one or two multivitamins you should have better luck... it might be worthwhile to start checking the pH of future washes and use some citric or lemon juice to get down near a pH in the range of 4 - 5.5...

I will try that next time, thx...
btw, I correct myself, sg went to .990.

dixiegurl wrote:btw, I correct myself, sg went to .990.

Then it's done.