?? turbo yeast ??

[pi55ed]

Anybody know whats in these turbo yeasts,??
Can they be replicated using our own ingredients, or is it too expensive to try?

There must be a way of finding out, come on Jimmy use your special powers to enlighten us, where we to may know the knowledge... the complex ingredients must be able to be brought out sometime......... It is my quest for 2009 to find the truth.......

[quietman]

[Phantom]

If you think about it, it's got to be yeast........and nutrient, but enough of both so that there's no "lag period" while the yeast colony grows to a large enough size to ferment the batch of wash.
Oh and something to regulate acidity. Yeast prefers and acid/low pH environment.
Hence there should be no reason why a packet of proprietary wine yeast, nutrient and some acid blend mixed up shouldn't do the trick. Though it's fair to say that it might take longer as there'd probably be the lag phase while the yeast multiplies etc.
Turbo yeast packets would have enough yeast/nutrient/acid to start working pretty much straight away, but with the still spirits "triple distilled" turbo yeast, it seems that it must be quite a specific yeast as it doesn't seem to go much over 14% irrespective of how much sugar is used - so I'd be thinking along the lines of a champagne yeast to try it myself as that usually goes to about 18%, or there are a few that, with "feeding"/chaptalization, will go to 2o or 21 % ABV
There is much said at other forums that some of the smoothest raw alcohols are achieved by "not getting too greedy" i.e. making larger batches of lower %ABV washes and using the still to build up the %ABV of the finished spirit and not trying for a 20 or 21 %ABV wash to get an 80% spirit after the first run.
Oh and I'm guessing that my summise about the turbos is because they can basically achieve a consistent level of alcohol from the same recipe 6kg sugar/turbo pack/carbon pack. Consistency is good for commercial reasons........

[pi55ed]

So a good mix of...
champagne yeast,

yeast nutrients,

------------------------------------------
lemon juice ??

tomato juice??
Any vitamins or minerals added??

[umpa]

Im going to have a go at re-usin my Alcotec Tripple Still pack, after its done, Im going to re-use the yeast and carbon.
Im going to simply add 6 bags of sugar on the old yeast cake, fill it with water to the 23L mark - Add some sqeezed lemon maybe some acid blend or just citric acid.
Let it ferment, if it fails it will be just a waste of sugar.
Regards
Ian..

[Jimmy]

Turbo yeast isn't actually a 'turbo yeast' if you see what I mean - yes, it's a specific strain of yeast which can handle high alcohol levels, but the 'turbo' part comes from the nutrients that are specifically tailored to get it to work as well as possible. There is some odd kind of sugar in there (Trehalose I think) which helps the yeast to form a strong internal cell structure and also kicks it off going. They also contain a lot of phospholipids which are depleted in the first fermentation, which makes the yeast less tolerant. I think basically it's a case of giving a strong yeast like a champagne type a load of perfect nutrients and some special sugar it can chew through, and then also having a few bits in there that give it strength so that it doesn't batter itself to death with the violence of the fermentation.
As I understand it, you can re-use the yeast but it will perform as if you're using bog standard stuff and not like a turbo. However, I have never tried this so if anyone wants to give it a go they are more than welcome to 'take one for the team' as it were!

[HangOver]

As I understand it, you can re-use the yeast but it will perform as if you're using bog standard stuff and not like a turbo.

I am assume like you said that saving turbo yeast wouldnt be all that hot as all the special nutrients will have been used up?
Just wondering though as we are talking turbo's I used the alocotech48 turbo and to took about 2 weeks to ferment not the 48hrs and the turbo clear took over a week to clear the wash dunno where they get 48hrs from. Anyhow I wondered how this compares with bakers yeast and just leaving it to clear?
Just wondering if its worth the extra trouble with tomatoe washes when its not really all that much cheaper?

Are other washes faster, clearer, more pure?

[umpa]

From my experience when you re-use yeast, the fermentation is much more rapid at getting going; I think it’s down to the large amount of yeast cells at the start. When you pitch a small packet of yeast its first job is to multiply, when re-using it’s already at pitch strength so to speak albeit a little tired.

I have done it before with beer, and it made a big difference to the ferment time, but this turbo stuff is new to me, I don’t know if the carbon will have an effect on things, but what the hell I’ll do it and let you all know.

[pi55ed]

Worth a shot,

afterall its only sugar you are wasting, and some carbon, the benefits far outweigh the negative, if it works (good times).....if it doesnt (bad times)..... but hey just open another turbo, or get an home brew concoction on the go....

Sugar aint cheap anymore though, i get mine at 69p per bag from wilkinsons in uk,,

[Jimmy]

The point with the tomato washes is partly cost - each batch costs sugar + about 50p compared to a few quid for Alcotec 48, few quid for TurboKlar, etc etc. It's not massive spending but it does add up over time. Secondly, the rapid fermentation of the turbo does give some off-tastes which can be carbon filtered out but the idea with the 'natural' wash is to try and avoid them. Third, and most importantly, I don't live anywhere near a homebrew shop but I CAN tell the missus to buy me bakers yeast and tomato paste from Morrisons so that's why I do it!

[HangOver]

jimmy, so you dont carbon filter your distilate?

that would save so much time.
how long does the tomatoe wash take to ferment and clear?

I just bought all the stuff to try it for my next wash

[umpa]

I only shop at 3 places, Wilco's - LHBS of which there is only one a few miles away, and one online shop. I buy on-line more because its free shipping with the amount I order and they have never let me down.
Wife just sent a set of drinks optics to Santa for me, holds 4 bottles - I guess I will have to rob the Bottle Bank again - lol
If only I had saved all my old emptys over the years !!!!
Regards
Ian

[Jimmy]

"jimmy, so you dont carbon filter your distilate?

that would save so much time."
You mean carbon filter the wash before clearing? I would do with a turbo, but I don't need to with the tomato as it's a much gentler, slower ferment so it doesn't seem to need it. Plus again, you need to be bothered to make an order from a homebrew shop for that... I will try it one day though and let you know! I do carbon filter my finished product though, at present only by putting a handful of carbon into the bottle, shaking it up, and leaving it for a week or so.
Are you getting the idea yet that I'm lazy?

[HangOver]

no not at all I am currently trying the same thing, I have some quite strong spirit in a bottle with a about an egg cup of carbon in the bottom, been there a few days and I think its working so I may not filter at all if this work.
I was meaning carbon filtering the spirit not the wash.
How long does the tomato wash take to ferment and then clear?