StillSmart

Hi, firstly I'm new to this forum and I've just got myself an Air Still. I guess I may have leaped before I looked but I figure hey-ho, this little still looks like a good entry point into the hobby. If I enjoy it I'll eventually get myself a T500, but for now the Air Still will have to do. Now, here's my problem and I'm hoping you can advise me.

I bought the Air Still as part of a starter kit with all the equipment required supplied. Having read many threads since acquiring the still, I'm guessing that Turbo yeast wash isn't the way to go but, me being me, I paid for it so I decided to give it a go so I can at least have a starting point for future reference even if the results aren't brilliant.

So, following Love Brewing's instructions......
1) I sterilised all the equipment
2) Disolved 6kgs of sugar in water making 25L
3) Checked the temperature was at 30ºC
4) Pitched the yeast
5) Stirred in the carbon gunk
6) Put lid on loosely and fitted supplied airlock
7) Waited........expecting vigorous activity to start over the next few hours...............nope, zilch, nothing.

12 hours later, a tiny bit of froth on the wash that's all, and a feeble attempt to push at the water in the airlock. So I sealed the lid. and turned on the central heating but still nothing. Ambient temperature is around 20º - 22ºC so not exactly cold or (even with heating on) too hot.

A very long time ago (20 years or so) I used to brew my own beer and got some fantastic results so I'm not a complete novice although much knowledge has been lost I do remember certain things but at the moment I'm stumped. This has never happened to me before, I always got a good start to the fermentation.

So, could it be a bad batch of yeast? Should I fit a heated brewing belt to the fermenter (something I used when making beer)? Or have I done something seriously wrong? Please advise as I really don't know what to do next or are these turbo yeast thingies just a gimmick and waste of time?

Sounds to me like the yeast was DOA. Do you have some bread yeast in the kitchen? If so, pitch in a tablespoon or so.

Hi, & welcome to the forum.

+1 with Chill...it sounds like the yeast.... maybe it's not up to the job.

You say there's..." a tiny bit of froth on the wash" to me this looks like the yeast is struggling to get going....do as Chill said throw about 50/70 grammes of dried bread yeast in and stand back..

Let us know how you get on.

Thanks for the advice guys. I was just about to chuck in some bread yeast as advised and the wash started glugging and gurgling away! In my beer making experience, I've never known a brew to take 22 hours to get going before. Is this common with washes? Was I being too hasty in thinking perhaps it was dead?

That does seem a long time to get started...mine takes 30mins...how much yeast was in the packet??

Some of us on here use 70 gms or more of baking yeast into a 23 ltr wash.

Icefever, the yeast packet was huge!!!

Next time I'm definitely going to try a recipe for a wash rather than this Turbo 'Triple Distilled' stuff, and from what I've read baker's yeast seems a good way to go. But I needed a starting point being an absolute novice at this.

The yeast packet would be full of nutrients.
No problem...stick with what you have for now....take a look at the recipe section and say which one you think you'll be ok with.

What type of drink are you after?? Vodka,Rum, Whiskey????

I actually want to make gin. I know that's going to be tricky with an Air Still but I'm already planning to make a sputnik. But first off I'll try the supplied essences but I realise this can't be like infusing your own botanicals. It's a journey and I know it's got to be baby steps at first hence trying the kit method to begin with. But I know what it was like when I used to make beer and wine, you not only become hooked on the product but the creation process as well.

Keep the questions coming... We all started somewhere.

PS an air still + sputnik makes cracking gin.

+1 on that Mash

Thunderbird wrote:I actually want to make gin. I know that's going to be tricky with an Air Still but I'm already planning to make a sputnik. But first off I'll try the supplied essences but I realise this can't be like infusing your own botanicals. It's a journey and I know it's got to be baby steps at first hence trying the kit method to begin with. But I know what it was like when I used to make beer and wine, you not only become hooked on the product but the creation process as well.

You are starting with some knowledge and limited expectations it seems.
Good for you.
Strap in, it is a roller coaster

Robert.

Thank you guys for your help and for making me feel very welcome on this forum.

I've had this happen with old yeast. There are not a lot of viable cells and it takes a while for them to multiply up to the point where real fermentation can begin. At least that is my understanding of what was happening.