DIY CO2 does not start
 

Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

DIY CO2 does not start
 

my first, last and only attempt at a DIY CO2 setup, gave me the same
problems... I soon learned I had the check valve facing the wrong
direction....

--
RedForeman ©®
... not being happy today....


"Nemo" wrote in message
...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It
seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this
time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

DIY CO2 does not start
 

my first, last and only attempt at a DIY CO2 setup, gave me the same
problems... I soon learned I had the check valve facing the wrong
direction....

--
RedForeman ©®
... not being happy today....


"Nemo" wrote in message
...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It
seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this
time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

DIY CO2 does not start
 

"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...
my first, last and only attempt at a DIY CO2 setup, gave me the same
problems... I soon learned I had the check valve facing the wrong
direction....

LOL! You got me going there for a second. :).

DIY CO2 does not start
 

"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...
my first, last and only attempt at a DIY CO2 setup, gave me the same
problems... I soon learned I had the check valve facing the wrong
direction....

LOL! You got me going there for a second. :).

DIY CO2 does not start
 

Nemo wrote in message
...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It
seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this
time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

Don't worry about air temperature. It may slow down CO2 production but will
not halt it altogether and will certainly not kill the yeasties. Assuming
the water is not too hot - over 110º - when you add the yeast, you have a
leak somewhere in the system.

I'll bet you a quarter it's leaking where the airline fits to the check
valve - sniff there and see if you can smell it.. I never use check valves
anymore. I just put the bottles up on the back of the tank (where they are
warmed by the lights) with the shortest possible line straight-shot into the
tank - one end siliconed into the DIY bottle, the other under water, nothing
in between.

If not at the check valve, sniff at the cap itself to see if it's leaking
out the screw-on bottle cap threads.

Remember, the CO2 gas has to build up enough chamber pressure to overcome
the pressure of the water it is entering. Even the most miniscule leaking
in the line is enough to lose most of your gas. I have had any number of
bottle rigs leak over the years. Some just never were any good and I never
figured out where they were leaking from but just had to replace anyway.
Quite often I have to reseal an airline into the bottle cap because the
pressure of repeated twisting has loosened the seal.

Good luck.

DIY CO2 does not start
 

Nemo wrote in message
...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It
seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this
time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

Don't worry about air temperature. It may slow down CO2 production but will
not halt it altogether and will certainly not kill the yeasties. Assuming
the water is not too hot - over 110º - when you add the yeast, you have a
leak somewhere in the system.

I'll bet you a quarter it's leaking where the airline fits to the check
valve - sniff there and see if you can smell it.. I never use check valves
anymore. I just put the bottles up on the back of the tank (where they are
warmed by the lights) with the shortest possible line straight-shot into the
tank - one end siliconed into the DIY bottle, the other under water, nothing
in between.

If not at the check valve, sniff at the cap itself to see if it's leaking
out the screw-on bottle cap threads.

Remember, the CO2 gas has to build up enough chamber pressure to overcome
the pressure of the water it is entering. Even the most miniscule leaking
in the line is enough to lose most of your gas. I have had any number of
bottle rigs leak over the years. Some just never were any good and I never
figured out where they were leaking from but just had to replace anyway.
Quite often I have to reseal an airline into the bottle cap because the
pressure of repeated twisting has loosened the seal.

Good luck.

DIY CO2 does not start
 

"Nemo" wrote in message ...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

First I want to say I feel your pain. I had trouble getting mine
started too. The temp in the house can very well be affecting your
culture. The colder the temp the more slowly the yeast produces.
Also, you might want to use 2 cups of sugar, as opposed to 1, and add
a tsp of baking soda that will help prolong the CO2 producing time of
the yeast. That's what works for me. Be wary that you can kill the
yeast if your water is too hot. Good Luck.

Chris

DIY CO2 does not start
 

"Nemo" wrote in message ...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

First I want to say I feel your pain. I had trouble getting mine
started too. The temp in the house can very well be affecting your
culture. The colder the temp the more slowly the yeast produces.
Also, you might want to use 2 cups of sugar, as opposed to 1, and add
a tsp of baking soda that will help prolong the CO2 producing time of
the yeast. That's what works for me. Be wary that you can kill the
yeast if your water is too hot. Good Luck.

Chris

DIY CO2 does not start
 

Just to confuse a little more this is my recipe . Mine is working fine for a
week now.
My recipe:
6 cups of warm water
3/4 cup of sugar ( i used brown, dont have other one)
1 tsp of yeast
1/2 tsp baking soda

Still working....

--
Paulo
"Dacaprice" wrote in message
om...
"Nemo" wrote in message
...
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from
siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It
seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water
to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this
time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?

First I want to say I feel your pain. I had trouble getting mine
started too. The temp in the house can very well be affecting your
culture. The colder the temp the more slowly the yeast produces.
Also, you might want to use 2 cups of sugar, as opposed to 1, and add
a tsp of baking soda that will help prolong the CO2 producing time of
the yeast. That's what works for me. Be wary that you can kill the
yeast if your water is too hot. Good Luck.

Chris

DIY CO2 does not start
 

If it's foaming at the surface then the culture is working but the CO2
is leaking. The most likely location is the tubing/bottle cap
junction. I used aquarium silicon but it just wouldn't stick well to
the plastic bottle cap. I used ShoeGoo and got an extremely solid
connection and upwards of 2 months' production.

DIY CO2 does not start
 

Nemo wrote:
Second time I've tried this now with no luck.

- 1 well rinsed 2L Pepsi bottle
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups of warm-hot water to dissolve the sugar
- 4 cups of cold water : result is 6 cups luke warm sugar water
- 1 tsp baker's yeast (stored in the fridge)
- half a dozen shakes

I have a check valve in the line to prevent the tank water from siphoning
back into the bottle.

I get foam at the mix's surface but no sustained CO2 after 24 hrs. It seems
as if the culture just dies off after it gets started

Tap water parameters a

pH ~ 8.0
gH ~ 3
kH ~ 2-3

In the second attempt, I used chlorine-chloramines remover in the water to
no avail.
The temperature in the house goes down to 16-17 oC during the day this time
of year. Could this be the problem? Do I need to insulate?


The simple and sure fire way to tell if it is working and maybe leaking,
as opposed to not working, is to put your ear up to the bottle. If it is
working you will hear the fizzing noise.

DIY CO2 does not start
 

It was a leak at the contact between the line and the cap. Fixed it with
contact cement and bulldog liquid nails. Still suffering from intermittent
bubble production, though :(. I get a burst of bubbles through the airstone
when I shake the bottle, but then it goes ... nothing after a minute or so.

Thanks for all the replies!

DIY CO2 does not start
 

It was a leak at the contact between the line and the cap. Fixed it with
contact cement and bulldog liquid nails. Still suffering from intermittent
bubble production, though :(. I get a burst of bubbles through the airstone
when I shake the bottle, but then it goes ... nothing after a minute or so.

Thanks for all the replies!

DIY CO2 does not start
 

It was a leak at the contact between the line and the cap. Fixed it with
contact cement and bulldog liquid nails. Still suffering from intermittent
bubble production, though :(. I get a burst of bubbles through the airstone
when I shake the bottle, but then it goes ... nothing after a minute or so.

Thanks for all the replies!