1) Are you using "fast acting" yeast? Red Star makes both
types. Fast acting types don't survive higher alcohol
levels and are quite, um, "fast". Even so, a couple of
hours seems a little quick, even for fast yeast, unless the
mix is quite warm.

2) If your water is very soft, you may be missing minerals
the yeast needs to grow. Sugar is fine, but it doesn't
build cellular structures. You can buy "yeast nutrient",
but you can also use any generic brand plant fertilizer (the
kind trace elements that you mix with water) to somewhat
better results. Just a pinch, you don't want too much
Ammonia, use the lowest "N" type you can find.

3) The best yeast to use are the high alcohol types used in
beer and wine making. Yeast, of any sort, peaks at about
18%-20% Alcohol. Bread yeast might get to 10%, and fast
acting types can fade away at 6-8%. YMMV, it all depends on
the species. Alcohol production is proportional to CO2.

4) You use/need Baking Soda if you allow air into your mix.
Bacteria convert the Alcohol to Vinegar. What happens
when you mix Vinegar and Baking Soda? Well, more CO2. Not
exactly easy, what with vigorous CO2 production going on,
but you can use an air pump if you have a suitable means for
exchanging the CO2 rich air into your tank. A typical
"CO2 reactor" will not serve here, this requires a
specialized design.

5) Your water may have high Chlorine or Chloramine. Yeast
aren't immune to this stuff any more than any sort of
one-celled organism. Generally, if you add enough yeast you
overcome the bactericide with shear mass. But, maybe try
adding Amquel, processing your water through RO, DI, or
Carbon cartridges, or doubling your yeast dose.

**************************
Dacaprice wrote:
Ok.... so far everything I have read about a DIY CO2 setup is very
similar. I opted to by the Nutrafin system... but with the packets
they sold me I was getting nothing. I think the yeast was dead.
Regardless, I re-made my own mixture with yeast and baking soda using
the same measurements that come in the packets. I finally got
bubbles, but they only lasted a couple hours then nothing. I then
removed the Nutrafin canister and used a 1 gallon juice bottle,
increased the amounts of everything and presto... great bubbles. But
again it only lasted a couple hours. What is going on!?!?!? It is
very frustrating. I have soft water here; we have a water softener in
our home. Does that make a difference? Should I try a different
brand of yeast? Right now I am using Red Start Active dry yeast which
was just what was at the local supermarket. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.