wposw stalled

[hicup]

1348649795874.jpg

Ok, so here goes.
For the first time we have tried a sugar wash following the recipe in the tried and true section.
The total wash size is 170 litres with the following ingredients...

40 kg of raw csr sugar
60 grams of dap
60 grams of gypsum
6 grams of epsom salts
30 grams of citric acid
145 litres of water from our bore (contains no iron is perfectly clear and tastes better than we get from the tap) at 6.0 ph
Yeast was pitched in at 30 degrees and we used 500 grams of allied mills instant high activity brand.
Sugar and all other ingredients were blended together in very hot water (Not the yeast)
We were aiming for 14% abv.

After yeast was pitched, the fermenter was stirred with a paddle on my drill for about five mins.
Lid was loosley fitted and closed the next morning and airlocked.... it was going off big time.
For the next three days, it went ballistic through the airlock going from 1.092 @ 30deg to 1.020

It has now been over a week and the temp has remained constant, the ph did drop to around 3.0 after the first 3 days.. wash was augmented with 150 grams of bicarb soda and a little more dap. The ph is now 5.0

Please help me nut this out, i am at my wits end as the wash seems stuck at 1.015...
:text-thankyoublue:

[crow]

I think you might have to much sugar for that yeast. Most sugar washes would call for 28kg in 170 ltrs (I think) some one else might chime in with another theory but thats what it sounds like to me about one 3rd too much . Any way if that is the problem, umm do you have a spare fermenter you could take a 3rd out of each and water all 3 down, just a thought

[hicup]

Cheers for the reply, i think you could be correct..
The fermenter next to it has a hibernating ujsm so i may have to rethink my plans.
I figured that i could push the yeast a bit harder to get 14% clearly this cant be done.

[hicup]

Just wondering, since my maths is about as good as a turbo wash, he he if i were to split the wash into two seperate fermenters of 85 litres and add more fresh water do you think i could kick them both off again.... assuming the current sg of about 1.015 with a start of 1.092 i have about 10.5% abv at the moment.

I am thinking that if i water down each batch with 20 litres i would be close to 210 litres at 10 abv sound about right?

[crow]

tto answer your first question yep ya sure could, you may or may not have to add more yeast, I'd be guessing not. second question FIIK I'd guess that will be 85ltrs in each so about a third more will make it a normal. If ya wanted to get pedantic about it ya could zip over to the calculators in the beginners section and work it out exact but as you are trying to re start a cock up i'd just water it down and run with what you got ;-)

[hicup]

Cheers croweater will give it a try

[Kimbo]

Yep, what Crow said, 14% is a bit high if your using bakers yeast, fine if your using turbos. I would keep the sugar aroung the 30Kg mark next time. Water it down, see how it goes, you may need more yeast.

[Chocaholic]

If watering it down doesn't work, how about pitching a higher alcohol yeast to finish it off?

[crow]

No just re pitch with the same yeast once its watered down(if it doesn't re start) high ABV yeast will give him an inferior product for no reason

[Chocaholic]

No just re pitch with the same yeast once its watered down(if it doesn't re start) high ABV yeast will give him an inferior product for no reason

Cheers croweater, I was thinking along the lines of the Fine Scotch Whiskey thread, where bakers yeast and Safale05 was used.

[hicup]

What a bloody marvelous lot you are...
I appreciate the responses from you all and today i split the one fermenter into two... after taking the lid off the second tank, i discovered that it had become infected.
I ditched the corn, lees and backset i had put to sleep and gave the whole b lot a thorough sterilisation.
I then divided the volume of the 1st fermenter in half and added 20 litres to each drum along with a bit more dap... only about 20 grms in each.
Guess what?
Yep bubbling away allready.
Sg or subtotal sg was 1.015 before lidding...
Btw.. no more yeast pitched at this stage
Once more, cheers again for the input. :D :D :D

[emptyglass]

Wino's sugar wash does not contain corn, UJSM does.
Which one are you making?

Good news its going again.

[hicup]

Sorry WineGlass, i should have been more clear...
The pic at the top shows 2 fermenters...
1 has wposw . The one i am having trouble with.
The second one was a hibernating uj...

[emptyglass]

Don't be sorry mate.
But I'm confused.
Did you ditch the corn from the UJ to make way for diluting (guessing you kept the wash)

[hicup]

Wash was put through the still a few days ago...
The corn was sleeping along with the lees from the last gen...
No heater, airlocked but infected with white spiderweb like bacterial infection i think.
Wanted to have a go at the wposw.
Corn may still be ok with a pasturisation, not sure what do you think???

[hicup]

Gave in tonight...
On arriving home no action from either bubbler....so
Tasted the wash and yes still sweet, sg still 1015 so while no one was looking i threw in another 200 grams of allied high activity yeast...the same as used initially...
2 hours later,,,,, bubble bubble toil and trouble.....
Not sure how this will affect flavor, not hav7ng run a wposw before, i dont have a benchmark to go by.
I assume that all yeast living or dead (read not needed) will fall out of suspension on completion anyway.