too much sugar? - Home Distiller (2024)

17 lbs is too much and turbo yeast is the wrong yeast if you plan to drink what you make.

Unless you're making fuel for your lawn mower, use a recipe from the "Tried and True Recipes" section of the forums. For a sugarhead recipe, the prescribed amount of sugar is usually around 7 lbs. for 5 gallons of water. And also, use the yeast stated in the recipe.

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Geez...I get tired of "trying to fix stupid". I wish hobbiests would seek knowledge before following the ill-fated ruse of wanna-be U-tubists!

Really...17 lb. of sugar in a 5 gallon batch! And then choke it down with a turbo yeast! This tip has to be from the 70's when fuel alcohol was in vogue.

OK..rant off.

jjontry, water that ferment down by splitting it into two fermenters. You have enough sugar there for twice the volume. And even then, it's strong. Too bad about the turbo yeast tho, because you can't "undo" that in this ferment.

As a strong suggestion....read a LOT more here before even attempting to run your still. I get the feeling you are very novice at this. There is a spoonfeed thread in my signature....read it and all of the threads included there. Read through them all...not just the titles...but through the linked threads.

Be safe. Be responsible. And be discrete.
ss

My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
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Also, jjontry...did you use any yeast nutrients? Probably not, because turbo yeasts often include their own nutes in the mix. But here's the deal...yeast need certain nutrients for healthy budding (the reproduction process of yeast cells). It is when the population increases to the cell count necessary to anaerobically ferment the wash. Sugar washes don't have those nutrients in them unless you add them.

Rad's all-bran recipe (in the Tried & True recipie forum) is a great sugar wash for beginners seeking a neutral spirit. The Birdwatcher's is another good one. Wineo's sugar wash is also a good option. It's all there...instructions and Q & A comments from many users who've proven the recipes for the forum.

Back on track..when you ferment, keep the temperature warm enough for the yeast to work to finish. And you may need something to keep the pH from crashing, which sugar washes often do need.

Good luck.
ss

My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K

jjontry wrote:ok git it you guys and girls HATE Turbo yeast...
That still dose not help me...
looking for advice Thank You

Do what the guys suggested. That's the best advice.

Please post pictures of your still if you have one or tell us about what your plan is for a still whether it's to build your own or buy one. That way you start off on the right track and keep safe.

jjontry wrote:That still dose not help me...
looking for advice Thank You

It helps you. More than you know, that is unless you plan on checking out sometime soon... However, don't expect much help on this particular experimental wash. How can we give experienced advice on a turbo wash when we avoid them like the plague? If you had done a tried and true recipe then we would bend over backwards to discuss what went wrong. Since that is not the case, you are going to have to go your own way on this one.

This place isn't warm and fuzzy. Its more like a sternly observed funeral. Despite that, it has grown much kinder in recent years. Awhile ago we would have probably just put you in a fermenter and rolled you down the hill, or perhaps just flogged you with 50# sacks of corn!

All joking aside, we do want you to be safe and successful. That requires alot of research and for you to discard any notions that marketing may have sold you up the river on. Take your time. This isn't a race. Links in my signature.

Good luck, and enjoy the journey.

Spoonfeeding
Hydrometer
Alcoholmeter
Ethylisator

jjontry, 17 pounds of sugar in 5 gallons of water equates to roughly a 24% ABV potential with a SG of 1.155... 20 pounds of sugar in 5 gallons of water equates to roughly a 28.2% ABV potential with a SG of 1.182... What part of that sounds right to anyone...??? The correct answer is none of it...

Time to do what we consider mandatory research into the theories and fundamentals before proceeding... If you have already mixed up those washes, split each them into two 5 gallon washes for a total of 4 buckets... Nobody needs washes beyond 14% potential, and even that is the absolute maximum... Think Quality, not Quantity... There is no room for greed in this hobby...

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Concentric Pot/Reflux Still (Experimental)
Refined the Gerber and All Bran recipes.

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jjontry wrote:ok git it you guys and girls HATE Turbo yeast...
That still dose not help me...
looking for advice Thank You

In this case, YES ,it is to much sugar! Tone it down to about 1.6 pounds per gallon and it will make a more tolerable drink. As the others have said you are off to a bad start if you want to drink that stuff.

cranky wrote:I really hate to say it but something ain't right here. Why would a "long time looker" and experienced beer brewer not only use turbo yeast but not already know why not to?

Hmmmmm....those thoughts were tumbling in my brain too, but I didn't want to throw the "troll" flag. Still want to believe it was a sincere request for help. But I have been called nieve before.
ss

My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K

A message to new members
We want you to be safe and succeed so start here
My Apple Brandy Recipe

jjontry wrote:I used the Turbo Classic Yeast recipe 17 lbs of sugar and 5 gal of water. I used 20 lbs of sugar and 5 gal of water what are the possible problems and what are my solutions. Thanks

since nobody here seems to have read your actual question... and if they have, they've only felt the need to tell you how horrible turbo yeast is (and i'm not here to defend it OR discourage it's use, but, even though I now prefer either bakers or distillers yeast, I've had gallons and gallons of extremely delicious product as a result of *the rest of you - cover your ears* yes - turboyeast)

ANYway.. if you haven't already given up on your question, or had it answered elsewhere, here's a little insight that may or may not be helpful no matter what yeast you're using. I obviously don't know your exact situation/setup, room temp, etc.. but.. the 2nd in this list is what came to mind when I read your question...

http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-failure

cheers!

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