Diy Co2 Problems

[DoubleJ]

I can't get anything from my yeast. I have been very careful in my preparation but, there are no bubbles. It has been 2 days now. Am I just being impatient? It just looks like brown water in a bottle. I was expecting a big reaction full of bubbles and action. Any ideas?

 

[DoubleJ]

I had the thought that maybe it's temperature. My house stays between 67 - 72 F. Is this too cold for the yeast to do their thing?

 

[DoubleJ]

I guess it was temp. I placed a Thermacare Heat wrap around the bottle and within 5 minutes, it started bubbling away!!!

 

[vic]

I had the thought that maybe it's temperature. My house stays between 67 - 72 F. Is this too cold for the yeast to do their thing?

That could simply be expansion caused by heat. The temperature is a little low to get the fermentation started but the fermentation process does produce heat and will therefore likely sustain the ongoing fermentation. A "oversized tea cozie" would aid in retaining the temperature in the fermenter. You might look at using a real hardy yeast such as Brewer's Yeast or a cannibalistic champagne yeast. These yeasts will be far more tolerant of a cooler environment and will likely continue the fermentation process longer as they are less effected by the raising level of ethyl alcohol in you fermenter. You should also use a starter for the yeast. Simply bring a half 6 oz glass of water to a temperature of 100F , add 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar, stir and float the yeast on the top. The yeast will sink and reconstitute and then float to the surface and begin to grow/work. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes, give a stir and pour into your fermenter. Screw on the top and stand back. Should produce CO2 within several hours, if not sooner.
Cheers;

 

[DoubleJ]

That's exactly what I did but, I got no bubbles. I added the heat and it's working great now. The heat wrap should be used up here in a few hours. I'll see then if the bubble flow stops or not. I have a good plan in mind if it does stop and it becomes obvious that I'll need to keep the mixture warm.