PJ, I'm at a total loss also. Offhand, I would say that 15# dextrose is too much for only 4 gal. useing ec1118,and would kill the yeast, but since it has worked for you before??? Plus all the other you have done.

I just made a high gravity rum run ,not as strong as yours with same yeast and with no starter, and after 40 hours, nothing. Frustrated, I pitched a pack of turbo 48, and had to put it into the bathtub and pull the airlock it became so violent. Finished totally dry in 3 days as opposed to just turbo which usually takes a week or longer.

Wish I could help you more, but there are others here more versed than I. I kept mine at 77 deg.

PJ:

I'm just curious, why do you use ec 1118? I know it's a bit cheaper than turbo, but after you add all the nutrients, vitamins, and acid is it really worth all that trouble?

I think that diluting and aerating the wash reduced the OG allowing the EC1118 to kick in, but I can't phathom why in only one bucket. Like John I was surprized when you said that the wine yeast had worked in the past with that high of a gravity. However as long as you have sugar for the turbo to eat it should work okay for you.

Me? Sugar is cheap, I'd toss the first two buckets and put my turbo into a fresh wash, but that's, of course, your call. With everything you have invested into this wash it would be interesting to see how the turbo reacts. Please let us know how this works out for you.

Hey John. Hey Elricko.
Thanks again for writng back.
I've used the EC-1118 because that was what was recommended to me when I was starting out. Until now I've not had much of a problem getting my wash to happen - then again, it is all I've ever used ,don't fix what's not broke, and so don't know the joys of anything else.
I think, adding up what you two guys have told me, that I will bite the bullet dumping the two buckets of wash to start over when my Turbo 48 arrives. Sorry Elricko for not going through with the possible Turbo-fixed wish wash! If I don't it just sounds like it will continue to be a problem into the distilling and tasting.
I'm wanting to nail down the 'simple' sugar-water wash, both for distilling practice and tasting before I venture off to the 17 other recipes I want to try; is there the sure-fire dextrose, water, and Turbo 48 recipe I should use in my two five gallon buckets?
And as always gentlemen, a TERRIFIC forum!
Thanks,
PJ Lily

John,
Wow! Thanks! I would have blown it for sure without your advice ,but assuredly come out with a fantastic story of woe, about the Turbo yeast. Three buckets it is then.
So into each bucket would be ,not in order of course, 2/3 packet of Turbo, say 13# dextrose, and water, filling up the bucket to five gal.? 13# of dextrose is not that much less than the 15# I was using previously...
Are carboys 6.5 gallons and if so should I just bite the bullet and buy two; my boiler is a 13+ gallon keg. If so then I could buy that stick-on thermometer for the carboys that I saw and coveted at the beer making shop,!,
After a number of successful tries with this recipe what would you suggest be a sensible next recipe? There is a poteen recipe on the recipe forum that has peaked my interest...
Thanks again,
PJ Lily

Robert expresses and explains it better than I did. Mix it all together, and split into smaller carboys. What also might be good is to let the initial ferment subside,and then split into the 3 carboys. Any of them would work well I think, but the best would just allow the whole batch ferment as one entity, and distill or strip it all quickly. ie, the garbage can, Or like Robert said, disperse into seperate smaller fermentaters.

PJ:

John is giving you good advice. As far as fermenting buckets, I use three 8.5 gallon buckets that are available from either brewhaus, mile-hi or most homebrew shops. The usually run about $18. When I make a double batch, I use two buckets and pitch two packs of turbo. Once that's done I pour bucket one into the third bucket and put in clearifier, then I wash the emptied bucket. Then I pour the second wash into the first bucket and add clearifier. Kind of like rashing rings these are a one time cost and worth it because as john says, everything is geared for 25L batches. This will give you 13 gallons of wash which is perfect for a keg.

Now as far as longer time storage of distillate, I use glass. If you want to accumulate like John is talking about a glass carboy is the way to go. This is aside from your fermenting buckets.

Oh ya,
My favorite new John word is Fermintator!
My gal wanted to know if that would be an all potato mash? I told her, 'ya, duh.' Girls. LOL
Keep up the good work!
PJ Lily

I'll let some other mor knowledgable people answer some of your questions.

I use sparkaloid with fantastic results. I set my wort outside in the cold overnight, bring in, and add the sparkaloid, and keep room temp. 24 hours at most. I notice that after so many hours there are conglomerants ,remember, I l used up my dictionary, floating from the middle or so down. I will knock on the sides like on a house door, and almost immediatly, they begin to drop.

In over 50 sugar washes, i have never had a problem. I put 17.5# sugar in fermentater, run the bath tub till its hot, shove fermentater under faucet, and stir till about 15L. stir till dissolved, let rest and stir again, agitating as much as possible to aereat. Add cool water to bring temp. to pitching temp. Pitch turbo, cap and seal with airlock. Has never failed me.

If you are going to the trouble of boiling, why not use cane sugar and a little acid to make dextrose. Invert sugar. A lot cheaper if you are going to boil anyhow. Correct me if I am wrong.

With the turbo 48 I add all sugar, 17.5# at beginning and no problems. Put into spare bathroom and keep at 75 deg.

With turbo's its so dang simple, easier than typing all these strange words.

using turbo yeast, a total volume of 25L is the goal ,after sugar, hot water, yeast, cold water,.

PJ:

I meant siphon, sorry about that. Okay, here's my two cents ,or 2 shillings as the case may be,

Here's how I make a simple sugar wash:

Turn on my hot water and let it run until it gets fully hot, then run two gallons ,through a filter, into my 'fermentator'. To that I usually add 16 pounds ,17.26KG, of cane sugar to the hot water and stir until it is all dissolved. I then run cold water through the filter bringing the total volume to 6.5 gallons ,25L,. I check to make sure the temp is below 70 degrees ,21C,, then pitch the yeast ,Mile-hi Turbo48,stirring constantly for about two minutes until it is completely disolved. Next I drop the hydrometer in and get the OG ,usually 1.10,. I then cover, set the air lock and put it in a location where the temp stays around 68 degrees ,20C, for seven days.

At the end of the week I take a second hydrometer reading to make sure it is finished working and then siphon it into a clean 'fermentator' put in SuperKleer ,I like sparkiloid as well, but usually use SuperKleer, then I set it aside again for another three days.

At that point it is water clear and I siphon it off into my boiler and distill. If I have any tails from the last batch I toss that into the boiler as well. I distill using the reflux method. From that I usually get three and a half to four quarts ,4.5L, of 93 to 95% distillate.

That's all there is to it. I know, some of you are asking why I leave it so long in the 'fermentator' and why wait so long to clerify. Hey, I'm just not in that big of a hurry. I let nature take it's course and shoot for the cleanest and maximum yield. I also let it reflux for hours. Again, I'm in no hurry. If I could just slow down the drinking part then I'd really be doing good!

I hopes this helps PJ. Everybody has their own method and their own way of doing things. That's what makes this an art. I look forward to hearing about yours.

Cheers