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I'm starting my 2nd Birdwatcher wash. The first one took 26days to complete.....but it turned out ok. IMO.

Two questions: I'm using a 5 gal bucket. The lid has an airlock. When do I seal the lid to outside air?

Where do I get a Ph test kit that reads the low Ph correctly?

A feller I know says its a good idea to seal your fermentation bucket just after you pitch your yeast. Dont open it again to avoid infections if you can. Sounds like your fermentation is a bit slow. A number of things can affect this, some of the more common ones are a low fermentaion temperature, a feller I know suggests pitching your yeast at about 90F and keeping your fermentation going above 75F, preferably closer to 80. Generally the higher the ferment temp, the faster the ferment. Other things that can really cause a slow ferment are not keeping the yeasts happy with sufficient nutrients including plenty of oxygen in your wash water(need to aerate wash really good). Other nutrients you need are Magnesium(epsom salts), a nitrogen source(dap, tomato paste). Also to high or too low ph will cause slow ferments. You can use lemon juice or citric acid to reduce the ph. With a plain sugar wash without any backset(which lowers ph), usually you will need to lower the ph some into the 4-4.5 range for best yeast activity. Most washes with plenty of oxygen(only at the start) and plenty of nutrients to keep your yeasts happy, will finish in 3-6 days. One more caveat, dont try to run your wash at higher than 10-12% abv. Trying to add too much sugar to produce a high abv wash, say14-16% will really slow down your ferment. Theres lots of good info on making good washes, and keeping your yeasties happy. Keep reading and good luck.

August

You have the patience of a saint. No way could I wait 26 days.

ferment temps that are to high can screw you up also. I generally have good success when i keep it under 80, but depends on your yeast what temp. range will work best. I usually knock down the cap & give it a stir after an hour or so, then put a lid on.

I pitch yeast. Wait an hour and seal it up. Don't mess with it until I'm ready to rack it. Unless it stops or slows considerably bubbling. If temps are off I yet to correct them. Only if the temps are good will I open it up. It's hard to do. And I'm not going to say I don't open them on occasion. But I really try not to.

Fritz The Cat wrote:You have the patience of a saint. No way could I wait 26 days.

LOL.....in the mean time I completed 3 other batches. This batch was slow from the start and stalled several times. I refused to give up on this bucket and used it to "exparament" with.
Rad help me discover my Ph was too low. I had used distilled water instead of my usual spring water and I still added lemon juice and the Ph dropped below 4. Plus my room temps too low.
The final "Fuel" was actually good. Ended up smoother than other "Faster" batches.

Seal em when thr fruit flies arrive

I doublt sealing your fermenter is what would be leading to stalled ferments. Address things like PH, pitching rates, and nutrients first.


A side note... I ferment crosby baker DADY yeast at 92F and it loves it and tastes great. This particular yeast is supposed to work best at higher temps. For me, it stalls out below 70. From parent site "I recently purchased a pound of "SuperStart" Distillers Yeast by Alltech from Crosby & Baker. (http://www.crosby-baker.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) According to the spec. sheet the optimal fermentation temperature is 90F +/-2F. So for those of you in hotter climates this may be just the ticket. Also, Seth from C&B reported that it is very possible to get a 21-22% yield from this yeast.Pricewise - 1lb. - $3.15 US (label states that 1/2lb will ferment 1000gal.
"

astronomical wrote:Seal em when thr fruit flies arrive

I doublt sealing your fermenter is what would be leading to stalled ferments. Address things like PH, pitching rates, and nutrients first.


A side note... I ferment crosby baker DADY yeast at 92F and it loves it and tastes great. This particular yeast is supposed to work best at higher temps. For me, it stalls out below 70. From parent site "I recently purchased a pound of "SuperStart" Distillers Yeast by Alltech from Crosby & Baker. (http://www.crosby-baker.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) According to the spec. sheet the optimal fermentation temperature is 90F +/-2F. So for those of you in hotter climates this may be just the ticket. Also, Seth from C&B reported that it is very possible to get a 21-22% yield from this yeast.Pricewise - 1lb. - $3.15 US (label states that 1/2lb will ferment 1000gal.
"

Are you a business? The crosby site only sells to people with store fronts.....