Home Brew Co2

[dgwebster]

This is stupid question time: can I use the co2 from home brew cider making as my supply in a yeast based fert system for my tank?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I just checked my calendar and stupid question time isn't for another 3 months. This is a good question. Sorry I don't feel comfortable giving an answer. I think it's yes, but I've never used co2 injection.

 

[mike455555]

yes, yeast is yeast, there are different types which respire at different rates, but as long as you use the same yeast each time you wont have a problem 

 

[dgwebster]

Hmm interesting to know and now I have an excuse to make my cider that the wife cannot complain about!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Thanks mike.

 

[mike455555]

long if you do the same every time, im not sure on brewing but its the same reaction producing the same thing so i suppose so, only thing you would have to worry about is using the same amount of apples, and sugar, and the co2 should run for a about 2 weeks (depends on your mix)

 

[dgwebster]

Indeed I felt like it would just be the same when it came to the gas. Scrumpy recipe I have should last about 10-12 days from a 5L jug

 

[josh63762]

I have made a diy co2 with 2 2l bottles and its still going strong after a month now

 

[dgwebster]

I have made a diy co2 with 2 2l bottles and its still going strong after a month now

Do you drink what is left over in those two bottles once the first fermentation stage completes? I am looking specifically if there is any danger/problem of using co2 from a brewery by product. For example, it may not provide a big enough amount, might get my fish drunk from 'ethanol' gas and so forth. Sadly I am a physicist by education and paid no attention to the chemistry or biology parts. Possibly why I now earn a living in a job that has nowt to do with physics haha

 

[DrRob]

The issue with this would be how regular the CO2 supply is. There is no reason why you can't do it , as such (although I'd be more careful to put a proper airlock between the 2 containers, you really don't want scrumpy in your tank, nor do you want tank water syphoning back into your scrumpy).
 
The problem, to which you may or may not like the solution, is that home brew tends to produce lots of gas at once, then taper off to quite a low level, as I'm sure you've noticed.
 
The solution is to have several home brew batches running at intervals, piped into the system, so that the output of the faster ones is matched with the slowing down systems, which are replaced as they reach racking off. Of course, this may leave you with too much CO2 for your tank, but it'll keep things fairly regular, and the supplies very good.
 
The other problem is with any blockages in the system, back pressure in the CO2 system will adversely affect the home brew, but with multiple sources the pressure should be spread out nicely, just watch out for blocked diffusers backing up the system.

 

[coolie]

I thought about this, but there is also an argument as a brewer for going for full CO2 pressurised setup, because the same kit can be used to add pressure to a pressure barrel
and put a bit of gas into your finished product.

 

[SO19Firearms]

Smells like algae to me.

 

[dgwebster]

I thought about this, but there is also an argument as a brewer for going for full CO2 pressurised setup, because the same kit can be used to add pressure to a pressure barreland put a bit of gas into your finished product.

Yes you could get a bit of fizz, but fermentation wont occur because you have added co2 to the barrell: the co2 is the by-product of the booze making and im looking to get rich quick with the worlds first carbon neutral booze! Get hammered guilt free. No pinching my idea guys!

 

[coolie]

Yes you could get a bit of fizz, but fermentation wont occur because you have added co2 to the barrell: the co2 is the by-product of the booze making
 

 
 
Well, I don't know how far down the path of homebrewing you are, but in a home setup, the gas from stage one, which is generally a bucket can't be captured and goes to waste.
 
The CO2 from stage 2 can be captured in a pressure barrel, but it doesn't amount to enough, because as you use the beer from the tap (in other words - drink it)
 
the pressure in the barrel decreases until there is not enough to even push the beer out let alone make it gaseous to drink.
 
At that point in time, home brewers start to add CO2 back into the barrel, using the tiny capsule bottles you get or soda stream setups.

 

[dgwebster]

At the moment I use 5L water bottles with their cap on top, but not screwed down. My thought is to drill a top, tube it and connect it to a nutrafin ladder, which requires little pressure.

At stage 2 I simply add a little sugar to the bottle before decanting the hooch, which kicks off a secondary fermentation in the bottle giving it a little fizz.