Stalled Sugar Wash
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2022 6:01 pm
Last week I started a sugar wash similar to the Fast Fermenting Vodka (FFV) using dextrose instead of sugar.
I used citric acid to bring the PH down to 5.2
SG was 1.070
Gave it a good blitz with the Bamix stick blender to aerate the wash.
Proofed the yeast and added it to 30°C wash.
Within minutes the activity started.
About an hour later I had to replace the airlock with a blow-off tube as the activity was so turbulent. The next day I put the airlock back.
The wash was kept at a constant 30°C using a heat wrap controlled with an Inkbird temp controller.
After 5 days there was very little activity, according to the airlock, so I took off the lid and checked the SG of the wash.
1.050 was the result.
PH was 2.8
Not being too disheartened, I decided to try and 'fix' the wash.
Gave it a good stir.
Threw in a bit of old Lowan dried yeast (exp 2011), about 1 tsp of DAP and 1 tsp of bicarb soda to raise the PH and waited.
Two hours later....nothing.
Another 2 hours....nothing.
Plan B:
Gave the wash a good stir.
Rehydrated 20g of fresh yeast and poured it in.
About 8 hours later the airlock indicated that the ferment was up and running again.
12 hours after that (today) it was burping every second (a good sign).
I don't know what went wrong at the beginning.
PH was good
Temp was good
Aeration was good
Hopefully my 'fix' will result in a fully fermented wash.
I used citric acid to bring the PH down to 5.2
SG was 1.070
Gave it a good blitz with the Bamix stick blender to aerate the wash.
Proofed the yeast and added it to 30°C wash.
Within minutes the activity started.
About an hour later I had to replace the airlock with a blow-off tube as the activity was so turbulent. The next day I put the airlock back.
The wash was kept at a constant 30°C using a heat wrap controlled with an Inkbird temp controller.
After 5 days there was very little activity, according to the airlock, so I took off the lid and checked the SG of the wash.
1.050 was the result.
PH was 2.8
Not being too disheartened, I decided to try and 'fix' the wash.
Gave it a good stir.
Threw in a bit of old Lowan dried yeast (exp 2011), about 1 tsp of DAP and 1 tsp of bicarb soda to raise the PH and waited.
Two hours later....nothing.
Another 2 hours....nothing.
Plan B:
Gave the wash a good stir.
Rehydrated 20g of fresh yeast and poured it in.
About 8 hours later the airlock indicated that the ferment was up and running again.
12 hours after that (today) it was burping every second (a good sign).
I don't know what went wrong at the beginning.
PH was good
Temp was good
Aeration was good
Hopefully my 'fix' will result in a fully fermented wash.