alcotec 48 homebrew where do i start help

[utterchaos]

i have got some alcotec 48 turbo yeast, some turbo klar, and some activated carbon, to make up 23 litres of wash, which will have flavours added, i have also made up a filter system using carbon and a bucket, along with some plastic tubing, as found on this forum, to filter it all thru at the end.

problem is.... where do i start

do i add sugar, and dissolve in some warm water, then top up to 23 litre mark, then add the turbo yeast, when do i add the carbon and when do i use the turbo klar.

do i add everything at the start, and just let it ferment and then once complete add the turbo klar and leave for 24 hrs then run thru my carbon filter.


any help please thanks

 

[Moley]

Follow the instructions on the yeast pack to the letter. If you have previously made wine or beer then temperatures will seem high, but that's the way these yeasties operate.

The pack should tell you initial volume of water required and its temperature. I haven't used the 48 but for the Triple Dislilled or Vodka Star washes it's 21 litres at 30°C, then you add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then the yeast and carbon.

Finings go in after fermentation has finished and you have knocked as much gas out of the wash as you can.


Edit: I've done a quick search on another site and found this:

Alcotec 48: 21 litres water @ 40°C with 6Kg sugar for 2 day ferment or 8Kg sugar for 5 day ferment

If you're going for the 8kg option then you really should be using brewing sugar.

 

[mm707]

I use 8kg.

Be careful not to add any more than that, it won't ferment and leaves it tasting sweet and not nice.

 

[Atlantis01]

Im thinking of doing one of these as well and i was wondering a few things too.

1, am i ok using my standard beer/cider brewing kit? aka big bucket and leave it in a 22 degree airing cupboard? i have a thermal band thing my father gave me which i could use to boost the temp but it does look like it wants to electrocute me...

2, so water sugar, dissolved. add yeast and carbon. brew. rack and add finings like you do with wine? at this point most of the posts start down the distilling route which i cant as i have neither a still or a lisence, is this the point where i ass an essence or flavouring and call it cherry flavoured hooch?

3, im looking at cherry flavoured hooch i should have said, around 20%.

4, is it immediately drinkable or should i filter it with my vinbrite first?

think thats all my curiosities at the moment!

thanks guys!

 

[mm707]

standard brewing bucket should be ok, I use a brewing belt but then again I dont have a room with constant 22c

brew, rack, add finings and then the best thing to do is triple filter it through some plastic pipe with activated carbon granules in. This gets rid of any nasty smells and tastes and leaves it crystal clear.

After that it is drinkable straight away.

Have a look at this thread viewtopic.php?f=69&t=39078

 

[utterchaos]

mine has been going for 7 days now sg was 1.118 and has now dropped down to 1.019 but it is soo sweet its nasty, been kept at 22c using a belt, and it seems to have stopped doing anything no surface action at all, told should weight untill its 0.990 will this remove the sweetness.

8kg sugar made up to 25litres, alcotec 48

 

[Michaeldonk]

I've got the same brew on, it's been kept around the 21-22 mark and after 8 days it's at 1.020 like yours, from some of the posts I've seen they say to leave it for 11 days or more. 5 days at 30c is what's recommended but who has a room that temp??? Mine also looks like it's doing very little but there's still some pressure there and a few bubbles every now and again through the airlock.

I added my carbon at day 4 as advised on another forum and it seems to be doing its job so just hold out for a few more days and see how it goes.

 

[utterchaos]

Turns out my hydometer was bust a stupid plastic thing, bought and tried a new one and its down to 0980 so all is good, I put my activated carbon in same time as the yeast, so will rack it off tommrow if still same, then run thru my home made carbon filter thingy that I saw on here to filter any weird taste or smell

 

[Moley]

:thumb:
It needs to be clear before you do the carbon filtration thing, have you got the Turbo Clear or some other finings?

Rack it off the sediment (as most of the carbon should have settled out and you don't want to stir it all up again) then you need to knock as much carbon dioxide out of it as you can, either by stirring vigorously or using something like a whisk or a paint stirrer mounted in an electric drill. Then you add the finings according to their instructions, then you wait a couple of days, then you filter it.

 

[utterchaos]

Cheers moley, its your info I am following from another post you made turbo klar has gone in now after, racking into another brew bucket and stiring the life outta in with a paddle mouted into a battery drill, now waiting for it to clear, then thru the carbon filters

 

[Michaeldonk]

Hope it turns out great, what you going to be doing with the finished product?

 

[Moley]

There are various essences etc. available from homebrew shops which can be added to these fermented sugar washes to create half strength ‘spirit’ flavoured drinks, or you can add cordials and colourings to make alcopops. Discussion of anything beyond that is likely to break forum rules and that's when posts get deleted or topics get locked.

 

[mm707]

I drink mine on it's own with some tonic water. Not sure if it's that nice or I've just got used to it :)

It is really good for making a baileys clone. Use an irish cream essence from a home brew shop and mix with sugar and elmlea. Recipe is on the essence bottle but it lasts longer if you substitute the cream with elmlea.

 

[Michaeldonk]

Have any of you tried flavouring it naturally, I know it's not the best quality stuff but I was thinking banana, vanilla etc etc and also I have loads of tonic bottles from work and was thinking see the rainbow taste the rainbow, splitting skittles colours and doing each individually. What do you think?

 

[utterchaos]

Was all nice and clear, put thru carbon filter thing and has now gone a very very light grey in color

 

[mm707]

Was all nice and clear, put thru carbon filter thing and has now gone a very very light grey in color

give it a while and the grey will settle to the bottom.

 

[Michaeldonk]

I need to get hold of some carbon pellets. Wont have chance to get to the lhbs before new year. Can you use the aquarium ones. Only ask as I have a jolleys round the corner from me

 

[Michaeldonk]

Also does it taste/smell ok?

 

[Atlantis01]

I second the above post, can Aquarium activated carbon be used as it seems to be much cheeper. :)