DIY CO2 Help

[only6foot6]

I have recently built a home CO2 injector. I used a 2-liter soda bottle & drilled a hole though the lid. Ran the tubing through the lid & sealed with silicone. I have also built a home bubble counter using a baby syringe & check valve.

Looks great but I am not getting the results that I thought I would. I used the following yeast solution:

2 cups sugar
4 cups water
1/4 tsp yeast

I prepared the yeast in about 1/8 of a cup of warm water by stirring. I then let it sit for about 10 minutes before adding to the sugar water.

I was under the impression that I would start to see CO2 bubbles between 1 - 4 hours but did not. I almost gave up on the solution but after about 14 hours bubbles started occurring. They were actually going really fast. One bubble every 5-7 seconds. This rate last for about 1 - 2 days then it pretty much stopped. Now, every once in awhile I will see a bubble.

I was thinking that I possibly have a leak. I have gone a bought some nylon bulkhead fittings to attach the tubing to the 2-liter bottle. I saw this example here:

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html#5

Is it possible I have a leak? Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[jhj]

Try the Jello receipe, first post on the CO2 sticky. It is stable and lasts longer.

The sugar receipe slows down after an initial burst.

[misopeenut]

mix sugar and water in the pot then once it cools down, put it in a bottle and let it sit for a while til it hardens.
then add the yeast. thats what i did about 2 weeks ago and its still going.
tiny bubbles using chopstick rather than co2 stones :D
i also added gelatin

[Onikun]

i use 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and i forget how much yeast lol i think 1/4th table spoon i'm not sure i just use the same measuring spoon everytime. Anyway when you activate the yeast use tepid water. almost hot but just hot enough so that it doesn't burn when you put your finger in it. then stir vigorously WITH sugar in the solution as well. then let it sit for 20 min then stick it in the bottle. should activate faster than what you're doing

[quenton]

I had trouble with these recipes too. I spoke with someone I know at our Church who owns two wine-making stores and has chaired the Ontario (that's in Canada!!) Wine-Makers assocation for the last 4 years. He had the following comments:

- too much sugar, try a bit less -- too much can kill the yeast -- I tried 1.5 cups
- use used marked for "champagne" it has a higher alocohol tolerence
You can get it at your local wine shop -- I use LALVIN EC-1118
- use a yeast nutrient -- can get it at wine-making shops

I followed the instructions on the yeast packet, I used 1/2 packet for 2L 3/4 full
bottle of water/sugar. I added 1 tsp of nutrient to the water/sugar. I dumped
the yeast into 2oz of warm water and did NOT stir until 15min -- then stir well and
add to the sugar/water. It began in about 3 or 4 hours, is still going strong at 5 days
and is stronger than any of my previous attempts.

[carpguy]

That's why I switched to pressurized.

Quenton's right about the champagne yeast: it has a slightly higher alcohol tolerance and is more than likely fresher than the baker's yeast at the grocery. If you can't find it locally, it's available out here and might be worth looking into.

The quarter teaspoon is probably not enough. Yeast will double it's population daily under the right conditions. A given percentage of the yeast is viable and another percentage is dead when you open the packet. Hot trucks and months spent in warehouses, on shelves, in cubbards. If 20% is viable, a quarter teaspoon isn't very much at all.

I used to use a starter culture of a cup of hot water (105-107 f, hot to the touch but not scalding), some sugar (a tablespoon or two), a bit of baking soda (which also belongs in your mix bottles). After an hour the whole room smelled like dough and the yeast would have formed a thick head on top of the cup… into the mix bottle.

When its starting to slow down its running out of sugar, hitting toxic levels of alcohol, or both. You could siphon out and replace the better part of the liquid, leaving the stuff at top and bottom alone.

Beer and winemaking sites are a great resource if you want to get serious about DIY CO2.