Co2 recipes?

[charliefoxtrot]

I've got a 30 gallon planted tank with high light levels, Co2 and all that.  Now for Co2 I've been using a marketed version of the DIY yeast/sugar type of system.  It's made by Red Sea and it's basicly a one-liter bottle with a proprietary cap, some yeast and sugar to mix with warm water, and a powerhead diffusor that seems to work pretty well.

Anyway I wanted to substitute the yeast/sugar refills with a custom recipe.  the folks at my LFS gave me one but I lost the sheet of paper.  Anybody know a good recipe for DIY Co2?  this would be for a 1-liter bottle.

[Dave]

Re: Co2 recipes?

This is what I use...

1 cup of granulated Sugar, 1 teaspoon yeast (regular Fleischmann's works the best, Fleischmann's Fast Rise or the regular store brands don't work as well)

Fill the 1 liter bottle aprox. 2/3 to 3/4 full with COLD water, add the sugar and shake until the sugar has dissolved. Add the yeast and shake a couple of times.

The reason for the cold water...when warm water cools it contracts and can turn your CO2 system into a syphon. Place a check valve in the tubing to prevent this.

Good Luck, Dave

[guppymax]

Re: Co2 recipes?

Where do you get the check valve?

max

[Dave]

Re: Co2 recipes?

Just a standard old airline check valve Max. Prosper has handfulls of them.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Co2 recipes?

I have 3 or 4 un-used power heads and lots of soda bottles....
can someone give me a link to or a description of this DIY CO2 system ?

Does CO2 really make a difference ?

[SCOTT]

Re: Co2 recipes?

Absolutely, it makes a huge difference in the growth rate and coloration in your plants. Once you have it you won't believe the difference it makes.
As to how to make them, get with Max the next time he comes to call, I know he knows how they are made as I showed him mine.

[charliefoxtrot]

Re: Co2 recipes?

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_co2.php

Basicly, a 2 liter soda bottle full of yeast, sugar and water.  You're basicly fermenting specificly for the byproduct of CO2.  What I have is basicly a commercial version of the DIY setup.  

The two main problems are leaks in the sealant you use to attach the tube to the bottle cap and diffusing the CO2 into the water.  My setup has a proprietary powerhead diffuser.  I'm sure you could mod a regular powerhead for the same purpose but I wouldn't know how.

[gt3guru]

Re: Co2 recipes?

i also find it is helpful to add some baking soda to harden the mixture. this keeps the ph from swinging too wildly and killing the yeast.

as CO2 desolves in water it creates carbonic acid.

fun test, attach a small air stone to the end of the tube. take a small cup, smaller the better, add some of your ph testing liquids to it to test the ph. then stick the air stone in and squeze the bottle. Will  change color right before your eyes (if it isn't already acidic).

[Smokin_Cache]

Re: Co2 recipes?

Pure Grape Juice-Yeast and sugar if it suits your taste. I think yeast dyes off at about 11% alcohol content. I think wine making yeast will with stand the alcohol better. The baking soda makes sense I will have to do some research on that one.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Co2 recipes?

Honey - make mine Mede

2 one gallon milk jugs
a standard airline checkvalve
3' airline tubing
air stone or power head
a package of wine or champagne yeast
3 pounds of honey
a lemon
some bleach
zip drops

You should be able to find the honey, lemon and bleach at any local supermarket. For the jug look in the orange juice or milk aisle. The Yeast can be found at a local homebrewing supply shop.  Airline and fittings can be found at the local fish shop

Cleaning up:

The first thing to do is get everything good and clean. Wash the jug, with hot soap and water. Make sure to rinse off the soap very well. Fill the jug with warm water and add a 1/2 tsp of the bleach, wait a few minutes and pour it out. Rinse the jug with clean water. Rinse it again. If it still smells like bleach, then rinse it again. Rinse it one more time and add zip drops.
Drill a 3/16th dia hole in the cap and force the airline tube into the hole
Cut the tube off near the cap and incert the check valve.  Connect the far end of the air line to the airstone or power head.

Boil some water:

The next step is to boil some water. Take a 2 quart sauce pan and add about a pint of water and the juice of the lemon to it. If you want to flavor your mead with some spices add them too. Put the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. After it begins to boil, remove it from the heat and add in the honey. Stir until all of the honey is dissolved. Set it aside and allow it to cool.

Wake up the yeast.

The yeast in the package you purchased is asleep. You will need to wake it up and get it ready to turn your honey and water into mead. Take a cup of warm water (80-100F) and add 3 tbs of the honey mixture to it. Add the package of yeast and stir well. In about 10 or 15 minutes the yeast will have been awakened from it's dormant state and will have started to foam and bubble.

Add the yeast.

Pour the honey mixture into the jug, add cold water until it is full to the jug's "shoulder". When this has cooled down to below 90F you can add the yeast and water mixture to it. Put the cap on the jug.

Wait 2 weeks (half way there)

This is the hard part. Place the airstone or powerhead  into the aquarium.
place the jug of mead into a warm dark place (under the aquarium) for about 2 weeks. After 2 weeks you will see that there is a layer of sediment at the bottom of the jug. This is the yeast which has settled out of your mead. Clean another jug the same way you did in step 1. Carefully pour the mead (without splashing) into the new jug while leaving the sediment behind.Top off the new jug with clean water and replace cap.  This would be a good time to clean out the orignal jug and start another batch.  

Wait for another 2 or 3 weeks   (Time to drink)

It is now time to drink your mead. Carefully pour the mead into your favorite drinking vessel and admire it. Carefully examine the color and smell the fine aroma. taste your mead, enjoy it.  I prefer mine Ice Cold.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Co2 recipes?

Turbo Yeast, a relatively new product on the market is an excellent yeast/nutrient mix which when mixed with sugar and water will ferment out into 18 to 20% alcohol by volume in as little as 2 days.  Once the mash has achieved a specific gravity of 1000 or less, it is done (a really good ferment will get the mash down to 980)

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Co2 recipes?

I stopped by HEB to do a little grocery shopping today and wouldn't you know it.....  They had 3 # jars of honey on sale.   :drinker:

[HFBfounder]

Re: Co2 recipes?

HAHAHA!! Great recipe, but  :bsofftopic:  :wink:

[SCOTT]

Re: Co2 recipes?

I was actually wondering how long it was going to take before someone other than myself realised that brewing and CO2 were totally different subjects, hehe.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: Co2 recipes?

so which is the product and which is the by-product ?

artyman: