Brewing Master

Question:

Alright cool thanks Mdixon.  I appreciate ur input and scientific back up.  What nutrients would I add to help the yeast?

Response:

Oh, one final question, Did you really want to know all that????

I think we need a rec.crafts.brewing.rotgut where we can direct all questions from the cheap-nasty-buzz crowd. Not withstanding the (in most countries) illegality and quite signifigant danger involved, sugar water actually isn’t a bad start for home distillation of "vodka", but I discourage home distillation to anyone whose first question mixes up their % and degrees. :/

Response:

Alright cool thanks Mdixon.  I appreciate ur input and scientific back up.  What nutrients would I add to help the yeast?

Yeast nutrients.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok thanks man.  I was just wondering how to make really cheap alcohol. Sorry the 115% i meant to say 115 degrees F’ Well, if you want really cheap alcohol, go buy Scope or Listerine. If you’re trying to make booze from table sugar and bread yeast because you’re a 14 year old trying to get trashed, IF you can choke that shit down, you’re gonna get some kinda bacterial infection of some sort, because if you’re asking us this, you’ve no clue about brewing or sanitation, and you’re gonna wind up getting sick. Go get some guy to buy you a case of natural light or something… or some mouthwash/nyquil.

Thanks man.  But I think I’d rather take the chance of infection over drinking the methanol in mouthwash or getting fucked up on nyquil BTW I am 22 years old

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok thanks man.  I was just wondering how to make really cheap alcohol. Sorry the 115% i meant to say 115 degrees F’ Well, if you want really cheap alcohol, go buy Scope or Listerine. If you’re trying to make booze from table sugar and bread yeast because you’re a 14 year old trying to get trashed, IF you can choke that shit down, you’re gonna get some kinda bacterial infection of some sort, because if you’re asking us this, you’ve no clue about brewing or sanitation, and you’re gonna wind up getting sick. Go get some guy to buy you a case of natural light or something… or some mouthwash/nyquil. Thanks man.  But I think I’d rather take the chance of infection over drinking the methanol in mouthwash or getting fucked up on nyquil

There is no methanol in mouthwash. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -BTW I am 22 years old

Response:

Maybe winshield washer fluid? or is that ethanol – i get them mixed up – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Thanks man.  But I think I’d rather take the chance of infection over drinking the methanol in mouthwash or getting fucked up on nyquil There is no methanol in mouthwash. BTW I am 22 years old

Response:

Thanks man.  But I think I’d rather take the chance of infection over drinking the methanol in mouthwash or getting fucked up on nyquil BTW I am 22 years old

Then go buy a case of natural light for like $7

Response:

Oh, one final question, Did you really want to know all that???? I think we need a rec.crafts.brewing.rotgut where we can direct all questions from the cheap-nasty-buzz crowd.

How about rec.crafts.brewing.underage or rec.crafts.brewing.frat-house Or are those redundant? John. —                            *** John P. Kolesar ***            *** Head Administrator, Monty Python’s Flying Talker ***

Response:

BTW I am 22 years old

Then go to the local liquor store and buy some vodka or other relatively cheap high alcohol drink.  At least you’ll be able to drink it.  I doubt you would be able to get your homemade hooch past your nose, from the way you’re describing making it. John. —                            *** John P. Kolesar ***            *** Head Administrator, Monty Python’s Flying Talker ***

Response:

What he seems to be talking about looks like something we brewed up once. We were at our LHBS buying our usual beer brewing ingredients and were standing around the check out, there was a dusty box called LiquorQuik (spelling?) My husband was reading it and the shop owner "you want it?, take it!" Anyways to shorten things, it was some kind of kit that you add table sugar to and brew 1 gallon of 21% booze and add the flavoring at the end (Strawberry Margarita). If you try it on it’s own it’s horrible but mixed with strawberries, ice and water, it’s not bad. — Louise:o) http://pages.infinit.net/weez1959/

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 3.25% from 16 ounces of sugar? If 20 ounces of sugar will bring the water up to 1.005 I don’t see how 16 ounces will produce 3.25% 1 cup of sugar weighs 7 ounces. Thus 14 oz, or .875 pounds in 1 gallon. I guesstimated 1.036 gravity from 1lb of sugar in 1 gallon of water, based on the #’s in promash for honey, extract, etc. so, a SG of 1.032 or thereabouts… assuming a 75% attenuation, thats a FG of 1.008. 1.032-1.008 * 135 (rough, rough estimation… I know the actual # is like 131.something) is about 3.25%… more like 3%

Response:

Thanks man.  But I think I’d rather take the chance of infection over drinking the methanol in mouthwash or getting fucked up on nyquil

Good. There is no methanol in mouthwash, but I think some of the ingrediants in mouthwash (like menthol, eucalyptis, and thymol) can be harmful in large amounts. The "Robotussinl buzz" really is due to dextromethorphan HBR, a dissociative hallucinogen in high doses – plus you’d have to avoid the cough syrups with acetametophin (fatal in high doses). So, yes, sugar water is better than this.  Check out Jeff’s suggestion for the "liquor yeast". Also have some bleach on hand for sanitation purposes. I think that’s all you need, and it will be cheap.

Response:

Straight sugar-water does not have the nutrients yeast needs. To ferment it you would need the right blend of nutrients. You would also want a yeast more alcohol-tolerent than bread-yeastThere are yeast-nutrient blends designed specifically for straight sugar-water. check out http://www.austinhomebrew.com/  item number 12365 (use the search box) Can’t get much cheaper than that.  I wouldn’t drink it, but you would be the envy of all the cheapskate alcoholics

Response:

Alright cool thanks Mdixon.  I appreciate ur input and scientific back up.  What nutrients would I add to help the yeast? Yeast nutrients.

Let’s see, my LHBS has two.  One is high energy, and the other is just marked nutrients. Cheers, Mike

Response:

3.25% from 16 ounces of sugar? If 20 ounces of sugar will bring the water up to 1.005 I don’t see how 16 ounces will produce 3.25%

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know there are many variables.  And ways to find out the percent. But Im just asking if anyone can give me a very vague estimate on what % alcohol this would be.             I melt 2 cups of sugar into a gallon of water, then put 2 packets of active dry yeast into the water at 115%.  I let it cool to room temperature in a dark place and wait till it stops fermenting which is around 12 hours.                                     Anyone know around what % alcohol this would end up.  If I add more sugar will this increast the alcohol percent? You mean besides the fact it’d taste like shit? If it fermented fully, it should be 3.25% or thereabouts. Thats assuming table sugar feremented correctly. And what is active dry yeast in water at 115%? What the heck does that mean? And yes, more sugar = more alcohol. Double the sugar, and in theory your alcohol should be about 7% Again, ASSUMING ‘active dry’ bread yeast would work like brewing yeast, and assuming the table sugar would ferment correctly. Why?

Response:

Ok thanks man.  I was just wondering how to make really cheap alcohol.  Sorry the 115% i meant to say 115 degrees F’

Response:

Ok thanks man.  I was just wondering how to make really cheap alcohol.  Sorry the 115% i meant to say 115 degrees F’

The cheapest alcohol is going to be some inexpensive Vodka from the liquor store. As far as the question, I am unsure what the amount (wt) of sugar in a cup is.  IIRC, 3/4 cup is about 5 ounces or so.  So for arguments sake, let’s say 7 oz per cup.  2 cups = 14 oz = 0.875 lb. I have measured the gravity of a sugar solution 1 lb of sugar topped up to 1 gallon of water to have an OG of 1.043.  Assuming everything else is correct, if you topped up the water to one gallon after adding the sugar, then 43 x 0.875 = ~38 or 1.038. Without worrying about a FG measurement, you have 38 points that can ferment since water is 1.000.  So 38 x 0.131 = 4.847 % ABV maximum If you took a hydrometer reading, you would most likely get a reading less that 1.000 due to the properties of alcohol.  Now this assumes the sugar fermented completely which probably didn’t happen since you added no nutrients for the yeast. Oh, one final question, Did you really want to know all that???? Cheers, Mike

Response:

3.25% from 16 ounces of sugar? If 20 ounces of sugar will bring the water up to 1.005 I don’t see how 16 ounces will produce 3.25%

1 cup of sugar weighs 7 ounces. Thus 14 oz, or .875 pounds in 1 gallon. I guesstimated 1.036 gravity from 1lb of sugar in 1 gallon of water, based on the #’s in promash for honey, extract, etc. so, a SG of 1.032 or thereabouts… assuming a 75% attenuation, thats a FG of 1.008. 1.032-1.008 * 135 (rough, rough estimation… I know the actual # is like 131.something) is about 3.25%… more like 3%

Response:

Ok thanks man.  I was just wondering how to make really cheap alcohol. Sorry the 115% i meant to say 115 degrees F’

Well, if you want really cheap alcohol, go buy Scope or Listerine. If you’re trying to make booze from table sugar and bread yeast because you’re a 14 year old trying to get trashed, IF you can choke that shit down, you’re gonna get some kinda bacterial infection of some sort, because if you’re asking us this, you’ve no clue about brewing or sanitation, and you’re gonna wind up getting sick. Go get some guy to buy you a case of natural light or something… or some mouthwash/nyquil.

Response:

Why? Well…He wants to marinade some PORK! -Brett – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know there are many variables.  And ways to find out the percent. But Im just asking if anyone can give me a very vague estimate on what % alcohol this would be.             I melt 2 cups of sugar into a gallon of water, then put 2 packets of active dry yeast into the water at 115%.  I let it cool to room temperature in a dark place and wait till it stops fermenting which is around 12 hours.                                     Anyone know around what % alcohol this would end up.  If I add more sugar will this increast the alcohol percent? You mean besides the fact it’d taste like shit? If it fermented fully, it should be 3.25% or thereabouts. Thats assuming table sugar feremented correctly. And what is active dry yeast in water at 115%? What the heck does that mean? And yes, more sugar = more alcohol. Double the sugar, and in theory your alcohol should be about 7% Again, ASSUMING ‘active dry’ bread yeast would work like brewing yeast, and assuming the table sugar would ferment correctly. Why?

Response:

I know there are many variables.  And ways to find out the percent. But Im just asking if anyone can give me a very vague estimate on what % alcohol this would be.             I melt 2 cups of sugar into a gallon of water, then put 2 packets of active dry yeast into the water at 115%.  I let it cool to room temperature in a dark place and wait till it stops fermenting which is around 12 hours.                                                                                 Anyone know around what % alcohol this would end up.  If I add more sugar will this increast the alcohol percent?

You mean besides the fact it’d taste like shit? If it fermented fully, it should be 3.25% or thereabouts. Thats assuming table sugar feremented correctly. And what is active dry yeast in water at 115%? What the heck does that mean? And yes, more sugar = more alcohol. Double the sugar, and in theory your alcohol should be about 7% Again, ASSUMING ‘active dry’ bread yeast would work like brewing yeast, and assuming the table sugar would ferment correctly. Why?

Response:

I know there are many variables.  And ways to find out the percent. But Im just asking if anyone can give me a very vague estimate on what % alcohol this would be.              I melt 2 cups of sugar into a gallon of water, then put 2 packets of active dry yeast into the water at 115%.  I let it cool to room temperature in a dark place and wait till it stops fermenting which is around 12 hours.                                                                                  Anyone know around what % alcohol this would end up.  If I add more sugar will this increast the alcohol percent?

Response: