Fermentation stopping, can't get good nutrients, need substitutes for chemicals... How to fix?

crozdog

Bi carb soda will raise ph. check the backing aisle of the supermarket / grocery.

Try contacting MH - Morris Hedstrom or one of the other supermarkets to see if they stock it / can get it.

you can make your own buffer with bicarb & citric acid - or start your own bathe bomb business ;-)

captainshooch

+1 @Philter last batch I pitched at 83F and within 6 hours it had gone up to 91F all on it's own... then slowly dropped over next 48 hours to 78F the it was done the following day. @Fiji_Spirits definitely try for a cooler pitching temp, those hi temps can lead to off flavours. 82 - 84 is fine but 100-104 is more than I would like.

Fiji_Spirits

I've been heating my water to dissolve the sugar, but it comes out of the tap at between 78 and 86. I need to check the sugar suspension at temperatures to see if I can get 4KG of sugar to suspend in 5.5gallons of water at ~82F.

Also started looking at alternative nutrients. looks like the long beans they have here and some cucumbers might do the trick. hmmm bean vodka?!?!

crozdog

try searching for chemical supply companies & ask them if they can or know who can supply food grade sodium bicarbonate to regulate your PH

start with HB Chemicals Manufactures (Ann White) Telephone:679-339-1422 Waimari, Rakimari

Fiji_Spirits

I can get baking soda but I was under the impression that using it in low wines created ammonia reaction with copper and messed up the distillate.

Lloyd

@Fiji_Spirits did you get a favorable shipping rate fron the US? I know it is often cheaper from there than from me in China or from @punkin in Australia.

Baking soda in the distilled low wines is supposed to be OK if in moderation. I tried it but sadly I saw no benefit, hope you have better luck.

Your original post suggests that your low wines is not the problem. A stuck ferment and treating low wines to convert more ethanol with baking soda are two different subjects.

Fiji_Spirits

I should have said beer or wash I guess. sorry. I'll have to go back and review what happenend, but I suspect that as has been suggested already that my SG was too high

crozdog

@Fiji_Spirits EC118 sugar washes are known to take time & stall due to low ph hence the suggestion to buffer the ph during fermentation.

I suggested Bicarb as it is usually cheap & available - it's used in food & fish tanks too

If you can get trisodium citrate even better!

Citric Acid – Sodium Citrate Buffer Solutions, pH 3.0–6.2

Oh I also agree on lowering the SG & temp

FullySilenced

Here is a link to a bean wash... maybe something you can adapt to your situation:

Lentil Wash @ StillSmart

Fiji_Spirits

sweet info on the bean wash!!

I ground up some fresh cucumbers and fresh long beans yesterday and stuck them in the freezer till I can get to this. wanna do one of each then one with both as a nutrient, then I'll do one TPW for good measure. gonna pitch at a lower temp and use much less sugar. should be a fun week.

Myles

Try boiling the water then leaving it overnight before you mix up your wash. Personally I never use Tomato Paste, not since I discovered boiled yeast. The only things added to any of my fermentations are lemon juice, epson salts (when fermenting for rum) and B vitamin.

Try mixing up your wash, taking out a few pints that you dilute 50:50 with water (in your case boiled water, just in case the chlorine is the problem) let that cool to room temperature before pitching the yeast.

Next day the starter should be going well, so you can add it to the fermenter and see what happens.

dad

Can you get processed cereals? Cornflakes, rice crispies, puffed rice and such? Many of the vitamins are there...while some add flavors the rice adds almost nothing.

I malt cheap brown rice in a day or two. Make sure the sprout is at least the same size as the original grain.

Start saving the leftovers from your ferments as starter food for the next.

Fiji_Spirits

@dad said: Can you get processed cereals? Cornflakes, rice crispies, puffed rice and such? Many of the vitamins are there...while some add flavors the rice adds almost nothing.

I malt cheap brown rice in a day or two. Make sure the sprout is at least the same size as the original grain.

Start saving the leftovers from your ferments as starter food for the next.

Good ideas there. nver thought of sprouting rice. i can get that all day, hopefully it'll grow!

I can get some cereals. do I need malt to break them down or will they add flavor as is?

Fiji_Spirits

as luck would have it i discovered that I have the option of switching my water supply to a spring fed instead of city water. somehow my water got turned off and I drained my tanks before I found out (all 10,000L). so now I filled one up with spring water and am using that for a while at least. we'll see how it shakes out. with christmas and work and all the parties I still havent started the new recipies.