Re: DIY CO2 waste

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: DIY CO2 waste
From: "Thomas Narten" <narten at VNET_IBM.COM>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 08:04:52 -0400
Cc: olga at arts_ubc.ca
> >All this talk of DIY CO2 yeast systems has got me thinking - what is
> >everyone doing with the alcohol produced in the process?
>
> You know, David, I've wondered about this too. Everytime I dump one of
> those bottles out it smells like beer. Are we missing something here? Does
> this CO2 producing give us a jump start on a home brewery? :)

One of the true wonders of the net is that there is always someone out
there willing to do just about anything. From the past:

From: gseven at lacerta_unm.edu (Roy "Gary Seven" Corey)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: DIY-CO2 cider, was: can I drink...
Date: 14 Apr 1994 19:10:59 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Lines: 77
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: lacerta.unm.edu
Keywords: homebrew

<stuff about BATF maniacs skipped>

>Um, I dunno.  I put 5 gallons of water, hops, and barley malt
>into fermentation a few times a year.  The results don't make
>me sick, furthermore mattk, shine, and quite a few others tend
>to visit to help me empty the carboy.
>
>Of course, I haven't hooked it up to my fishtank yet, but I plan to try
>that, in the due course of things, not having gobs of free time at the
>present.
>-----
>jj at alice_att.com  Member HASA - Atheist Scum Division

----------------------------------------------------------------

   Well, I tried just such an experiment.  I does work, even with the
bread yeast you can drink the product (though it won't taste very pleasant)

   My setup was, a 2 liter bottle filled with apple juice (leaving about 2.5
to 4 inches space at the top for foam) and champagne yeast.  If you want to be
carefull (like all good brewers) you should wash out the bottle and sterilize
it first.  Don't use soap, you'll never get it all out.  Don't use bleach if
it's plastic though, it'll disolve.  There is a sterilizing powder you can
get at breweries if you want or use boiling water.

  Next add the fermentables.  I used apple juice because I wanted some
flavor, not just sugar water alchohol.  I used a normal concentration of
apple juice and it came out VERY dry.  I've talked to other non-aquarium
brewers and this is common with champagne yeast, all the fermentables get
used up.  Recomendations are for double strength (or 1.5 strength) apple
juice, just use frozen concentrate, or add honey or something to the mixture.

  Now comes the yeast, if the juice (sugar water, whatever) is about 70
degrees F you'll be fine.  Too hot will kill the yeast and too cold it'll
just take longer to activate the yeast.  There will be a head of foam on the
top the next day or so.  I wouldn't let it go into the tank if I were you,
though my girlfreind did (she tried it when she saw my plants double in size)
and nothing bad happened in her tank.  If you have left some space at the top
you should be fine.

  The other DIY-CO2 posts have the hookups under control, I let mine go
through the power head.  My only problem is that the plants very near the
power head drarf those in the reast of the tank (though all grow better).

  Incidently, special thanks to Thomas Narten who posted his methods for
DIY-CO2 and got me started.

  Anyway, in a couple of weeks it slows or stops producing CO2.  You can
take it off the aquarium (put the next batch on?) and get it ready to drink.

  You may want to top the container off (still leaving an inch at the top)
so that:   1.  The cider will carbonate.  If all the fermentables really
were exuasted then it won't produce CO2 and carbonate.  DON'T think that
more is better and try to overcarbonate.  That can be messy.  Enough
apple juice to raise the level to near the top is all you should need.
2. when it does carbonate if there is too much air space at the top it will
just pressurize and not mix the hold the CO2 in soloution (technical term
there might be used wrong)

  Last: wait a while.  Don't worry about letting it age, it's not fine
wine or anything.  The wait is to let it carbonate enough to drink.  It
doesn't have to do this but it's better (to me) carbonated.  I waited
about two or three weeks I think.  (And I won't even open beer that hasn't
been in the bottle for at least a month.

  I don't know if I will try hooking a beer brew to the aquarium, I am still
a bit worried about other gases coming through (will my fish smell like hops?)

  Happy brewing/fishing.

----
                           Live from unm.edu
                           Roy "gseven" Corey

        "Communication is the staple of an advanced society"