Triple Distilled Turbo Yeast - a week to ferment ?

[sonsenfrancais]

I have modest ambitions as a distiller. The excellent combination of SmartStill, carbon filters, TD Turbo Yeast, Turbo Clear and six packets of sugar will keep me happy until alcoholic dementia finally intervenes.
But here are a couple of minor questions that I would like help with
1. The yeast instructions say 'leave to ferment ... for 7 days'
If I do that I will have trouble clearing because at the end of the seven days the fermentation is essentially finished but there is still some very slow fermentation going on that will screw up the clearing. In fact I leave it two weeks and have no problems. I have experimented with slightly higher temperatures, but that makes little difference.
So .. do others have the same experience, or is it possible to ferment in just 7 days - without using a stabiliser ?

2. Instructions on Yeast and Turbo Clear say to stir the wash to get rid of gas - and I use a twiddler on the end of a drill. Works fine
However, the instructions don't say to rack off into another fermenting pail first. I do this to get rid of the thick black sludge at the bottom - but is it necessary or advisable ? Will clearing still work ok after you have stirred up that muck ?


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[alan]

If you want to use turbo yeast then try vodka star or alcotec 48,Iv only used one yeast with added carbon,never again to much like hard work.alan

[Iain]

Last time I used turbo with carbon (only time in fact) it got an infection .... longest part of the job was cleaning my fermenting bin .... urgh ... never again !!!

Clearing may work .. but if you can take as much of the rubbish away before clearing you will get better results regardless of what you use

So if it was me I would rack off, then add clearing

Iain

[Almanac]

+1 on the Carbon thingy - not worth the hassle!

1. Turbos never do what they say on the pack. A constant ambient temp will even things out greatly. I try to keep the wash at a constant 20oC or thereabouts. Biggest problem will be temp swings between night and day. Try to insulate to maintain constant temp and things will go a little better for you.

2. Clearing - degassing is essential to clearing the wash. In the case of a turbo with carbon I'd recommend that you beat the daylights (CO2) out of the wash a couple of times then let it settle out. When the liquid is white/clear again siphon off to a clean fermenter. Degas again, violently, then add the clearing agent and wait. The colder the wash is at this point the better. I leave mine stand on a cold concrete floor.

Finally, do yourself a favour and stop using that muck. I use Vodka Star to make very good, clean neutral with no carbon and no other nasty stuff in the finished spirit.

Good luck with it

AM