StillSmart

ok guys im gonna do my first TPW eek
ive come across a Birdwatchers Sugar Wash Recipe Calculation over at Hd
http://shuggo.com/birdwatchers/

for a 26L wash
5.85kg sugar
255g tomato puree/paste
88ml lemon juice
73g yeast(allinsons)
0.16 t/spoon of epsom salts

at the bottom of the calculator it says >> As a helpful hint, don't add all the sugar at once, this is just the MAXIMUM amount you'll need.

so do i add say 3 kg when starting out then the other 2.85kg a couple days later

does the lid on the fermenting bin need to be firmley place on,or just resting on top of the bin loose

also ive seen a few mentioned about the ph level dropping and stalling the wash

also il be using my airstill and be using aidenmac/mozr guide

mate, theres a few variations to the TPW recipe. The one you've stated seems ok.
Depending on pitching temp, it will ferment quite vigourously at first, though not for very long...so the lid on loose for a 'few hours' should suffice, especially if there is some headspace left in the fermenter....just keep an eye on it.
Re the adding sugar in stages, I've never done that...I wonder about the advantage (happy to learn here though) and I would 'worry' about the potnetial to introduce 'nasties' into the ferment by reopening during an active wash.
the lemon juice (or citric acid) should be sufficient to keep the pH ok for this recipe.

Dont forget to degas (give it a good stir around FG time) and, once 'cleared'/settled, maybe consider racking it off prior to airstilling.
All good from there....with the guide.

Magnu: Put all your sugar in at once. Trying to add later could shock levels of other ingredients. Just let the lid rest on top. There is no need for airlocks. For wine maybe but not for what your making - which I presume is a neutral.

I read on here where a lot of people shoot for a high % neutral from the one run. You will get a cleaner product by doing a stripping run and then a spirit run. I do not need to use charcoal filters on my neutral product.

Before adding Lemon Juice or Citric Acid check the pH with all the other ingredients in the wash, including the yeast. This recipe originated in the US where high levels of limescale are common, hence the Lemon Juice to counteract the high alkalinity.

I blindly followed this recipe the first time I tried it and it failed to launch because the pH was 3.5 after I added the Lemon Juice. My water supply is normally 6.4 so when I run a TPW now, I routinely add a buffer of Citric Acid and Sodium Bicarb in the ratio of 1:1.31 and this keeps the wash pH fairly level throughout the ferment.

This buffer works with the natural pH where I am but you should check the pH where you are before deciding on using Lemon Juice or a buffer.

The water supply you use will determine if you need either of these additives.

AM

Just to confuse you even more, I use nothing other than

Tomato paste
sugar
Yeast

I have just done three consequetive batches, each of them fermented dry to under 0.990 in 11 days.

if you add some water to that recipe you'd get a better yield

AM

(Sorry couldn't resist)

Well, he did say they "fermented dry"!

thanks for the input guys
il get me some ph papers to keep a check on the ph levels
if you live in a hard water area would the ph be up or down

Neutral pH is 7

Hard water = pH of 7+ depending of the amount of hardness.

Ideal brewing pH is 5.5

Try to get yourself a pH pen, generally available online, because pH papers can work out quite expensive over time.

AM

cheers aiden
i got some papers of fleabay,so i should get them next week sometime
i was looking in wilkos earlier and came across this >> http://www.wilko.com/garden-accessories ... h%20tester

would this do the job aswell,providing you click over the button for ph testing

Not sure about that one

This is the type I use http://www.amazon.co.uk/EiioX-Digital-W ... +ph+tester but I bought it from a HBS.

If you're getting one make sure you get a pH7 buffer solution with it so you can calibrate it as required.

Works a treat and cheap as chips

AM

I do a lot of BirdWatcher's Sugar Washes and have found that most ferments get stuck or are really slow is down to temperature.

I keep my 25 litre washes at 30 degrees celcius with the use of an aquarium heater and they ferment to .990 in just over 6 days with ABV of 10.5%.

aidanmac... how do you make a ph buffer? and what level ph am I trying to achieve?

A pH of around 5.5 is said to be best and this can be achieved and controlled by use of a pH buffer. The precise makeup of the buffer is determined by the water you use but a good starting point is to make a buffer of equal weights of Citric Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate.

100g of Citric Acid + 100g of Sodium Bicarbonate will level your pH and if you find the wash has stayed above 4.5 at the end of the ferment then no adjustment would be necessary. If the pH drops below 4.5 you need to increase the weight of Sodium Bicarbonate in the Buffer. I suggest increases of 15g until you get a ferment that ends with the pH still over 4.5

AM

thanks ! I will try the buffer!