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Turbo Yeast - temperature |
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Some turbo fermentations are temperature sensitive, especially using the older generation products. The important temperature is the liquid temperature. Air temperature is normally cooler because the fermentation activity produces energy - heat. There is a risk that the yeast kills itself with it's own activity by overheating (before it kills itself with alcohol - but that's another story). For the new temperature tolerant generation turboyeasts like Alcotec 24 and Alcotec 48 you don't need to worry at all about temperatures. We cannot guarantee good performance in the Gibson desert but pretty well anywhere else.
For many other products you need to control temperature so the liquid temperature stays below 30C (low alcohol products like Alcotec 6) or below 24-25 C for high alcohol products (like Alcotec 8). This will also be the case for virtually all competitor products so if you want to be on the safe side - use a temperature tolerant Alcotec and you don't need to read any further here.. The easiest way is to make sure the air temperature is low enough, (25C for Alcotec 6 and 21-22C for Alcotec 8). If you have a borderline case, try increasing ventilation so you can remove the heat from the liquid. Start procedure - optimumAdd 5-8 litres of hot water (not boiling, somewhere around 60-80 C / 140-176 F is fine) to fermenter (if you use a glass demijohn or similar you must avoid quick temperature changes which may crack the glass - use more water and stay at 30-50 C / 86-122 F). Then add your 6-8 kgs of sugar and stir/shake thoroughly. Finally, top up with cold water to final volume (normally 25 litres) and mix well. This will give you a good solution at the right start temperature. The start temperature should preferably be above 25 C (77 F), ideally 30 C (86 F) and always stay well below 35 C (95 F). Finally, add your turbo yeast. These are general guidelines but they will work fine with most turbo's (how do we know that - well we manufacture most of them in the world and the rest are copies). Notice that these higher temperatures also will work for high alcohol products although they want a lower liquid temperature during fermentation. Because of the extreme nature of the high alcohol fermentation it will add up to 8 C (46 F) to the liquid temperature (compared to the ambient air) but this will happen some 20-30 hours after the start and by then your higher liquid start temperature will have gone down. Turbo cooling - Here's an idea that actually works:If temperatures simply are bad (your holiday cottage in the Gibson desert or wherever). Put some plastic bottles (2-5 litres each) with water in your freezer. Then add them one at the time once fermentation has started and during the first 20-30 critical hours. Do NOT add them until fermentation has started properly (5-12 hours). You will have to experiment a bit and monitor the liquid temperature so it stays under the magic levels above. |
Hambleton Bard is the world's largest turbo yeast manufacturer. Our international brand - Alcotec - is sold throughout the world today and is the de facto industry standard turboyeast for home distillers as well as for professional distillers.
