I have been using her recipe (http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/Nyberg_yeast.ppt) with good success. I even bought champagne yeast for it. The problem is that the CO2 production is not lasting me very long. It seems to produce a BUNCH of CO2 for about 3-4 days, then it dies almost completely after about 6-7 days. If memory serves me right, I think her recipe used to last me longer (maybe 2 weeks) when I first started using it (about 3 months ago). I have been keeping the yeast "gunk" in the bottom of the 2 liter bottle and reusing it (just adding more dechlorinated water, molasses, sugar, baking soda and protein mix). Could it be that the yeast have multiplied and I just have too much yeast? Maybe I should dump most of the yeast gunk and leave just a tiny bit for next time? Anyone gone through this? How much of the gunk do you reuse? Thanks!
Anyone using the Nyberg CO2 DIY recipe?
- Thread starter tyoder
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dorris
Replicator of Amazon streams
umm, I always clean mine out every month. I should probably do it every 2 weeks as it is most potent for the first 10 days apparently, but i don't keep any of the gunk. Just clean it and start over. Does it recommend that you keep the gunk? My recipe is a bit diff though.
have you ever had a problem with it smelling? I have a 10g planted in my office and every morning when I open the door I get hit with a yeasty-odor...if it wasn't for the fact my boss keeps his koi in his office, I think there would be a problem. Is the smell normal (I have only been using it 3weeks or so)
I am just getting my 20 gallon temporary Koi tank setup and cycling. I like this DIY stuff and I plan on making some up. I have a whole bunch of plants in there and this would be great for them. I plan on outting the air tube right into the back of the internal filter, it's a Whisper that hans inside the tank, so it's easy access...
I hope this helps plants AND lowers PH a little bit. My water is extremely hard and I am not worried in the least about PH crashing.
I hope this helps plants AND lowers PH a little bit. My water is extremely hard and I am not worried in the least about PH crashing.
tyoder
the same thing happened to me..i think it may have been too much yeast that soncumed the food too quickly
I am playing with how much new yeast I add..I added quite a bit less and the last batch is still producing CO2 after 2 weeks.. it is promising so far.
i will be chanig out the second bottle today ..I leave the white stuff on the bottom and add lesst yeast than the recommendation.
the same thing happened to me..i think it may have been too much yeast that soncumed the food too quickly
I am playing with how much new yeast I add..I added quite a bit less and the last batch is still producing CO2 after 2 weeks.. it is promising so far.
i will be chanig out the second bottle today ..I leave the white stuff on the bottom and add lesst yeast than the recommendation.
Dorris:
Yes...I read that you can just re-use the gunk in the bottom and not add any extra yeast (gunk = yeast--at least with champagne yeast). I think I started with just 1/4 tsp of yeast the first time I made the mix, but now I have a bunch of that gunk (maybe a full 3/4 inch at the bottom). Basically I am being lazy and cheap because I'd rather not keep buying yeast if I don't have to.
fanch313:
Mine only smells when I change the bottles; my husband comes in and says "uh... what's THAT smell?!" Hee, hee.
cmslick3:
I have two bottles in a 60 gallon tank and it does lower the pH in mine, but my KH and GH are low.
star_rider:
I agree, I am guessing too much yeast = fast food consumption = less lasting CO2 with a super high burst on the first 3-4 days. I just have too much of the gunk.
Well, I am on my way to change one of my two bottles and I will try to just leave a tiny bit of that gunk. The rest is going down the drain...we'll see how it works. I'll pinch my nose!
Yes...I read that you can just re-use the gunk in the bottom and not add any extra yeast (gunk = yeast--at least with champagne yeast). I think I started with just 1/4 tsp of yeast the first time I made the mix, but now I have a bunch of that gunk (maybe a full 3/4 inch at the bottom). Basically I am being lazy and cheap because I'd rather not keep buying yeast if I don't have to.
fanch313:
Mine only smells when I change the bottles; my husband comes in and says "uh... what's THAT smell?!" Hee, hee.
cmslick3:
I have two bottles in a 60 gallon tank and it does lower the pH in mine, but my KH and GH are low.
star_rider:
I agree, I am guessing too much yeast = fast food consumption = less lasting CO2 with a super high burst on the first 3-4 days. I just have too much of the gunk.
Well, I am on my way to change one of my two bottles and I will try to just leave a tiny bit of that gunk. The rest is going down the drain...we'll see how it works. I'll pinch my nose!
dorris
Replicator of Amazon streams
It certainly can smell a little off when cleaning out. I think if you could smell it all the time perhaps it's not quite airtight so the smell escapes.
How much more expensive is champaign yeast than normal bread yeast? I've heard champaign yeast is more potent. Have you tried both tyoder?
How much more expensive is champaign yeast than normal bread yeast? I've heard champaign yeast is more potent. Have you tried both tyoder?
Yes, I've used both, regular yeast and Champagne yeast, but not with the Nyberg recipe. With that recipe I've only used the Champagne yeast. In my experience (notice the disclaimer), Champagne yeast seems to be more potent (but that may also be because I am adding the extra "stuff" to it...the protein powder, the molasses, which I never added to the regular yeast). The main advantage that champagne yeast is supposed to have is that it can tolerate higher alcohol levels so it's supposed to last longer than regular yeast for this type of application. I bought it at a local "make your own brew" store. It was not that expensive, but certainly more expensive than regular yeast. I think I paid about $7.50 for about 5 small packets of it and I've only opened one.
By the way, last night I emptied one of my brew bottles and drained all the liquid out, leaving only the stuff that clung for its life at the bottom of the bottle after tilting it upside down. The bottle is already producing a good amount of CO2, so I guess you really don't need a bunch of the "gunk" to get it going again. Now we'll see if reducing the amount of yeast left in the bottle will make the CO2 production last longer...
By the way, last night I emptied one of my brew bottles and drained all the liquid out, leaving only the stuff that clung for its life at the bottom of the bottle after tilting it upside down. The bottle is already producing a good amount of CO2, so I guess you really don't need a bunch of the "gunk" to get it going again. Now we'll see if reducing the amount of yeast left in the bottle will make the CO2 production last longer...
Bread yeast is good to about 14-15% alcohol by volume, champagne yeast is good to about 16% or so. IMO not worth the extra cost for the extra few days you might get out of it.
dorris
Replicator of Amazon streams
How is it now? Are you using 1 cup of sugar for 2 liters of water llike in the recipe. The thing with that recipe, I have noticed it doesn't say wether or not to add more yeast when you do the change. Even though you leave the gunk in the bottom, I think perhaps we are suppose to add a little more yeast at the change also. And like you have just done, just leave the gunk that clings on and not all of it.
How much of this co2 mix do you use for what sized tank by the way? Do you have any way of measuring the co2 content or are you like me and measure it by plants growing or not? Risky but I doubt I will have too much co2 I need more i think but then I would need more light.
How much of this co2 mix do you use for what sized tank by the way? Do you have any way of measuring the co2 content or are you like me and measure it by plants growing or not? Risky but I doubt I will have too much co2 I need more i think but then I would need more light.