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The Age-Old Question: Whats Your Favorite DIY CO2 Recipe?

1682 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Theratboy_101, 
kelly528
Having finally gotten my bubble ladder I'm all set to start up my DIY CO2. Only one question... I am seeing different recipes all over the internet touted to work the best for various reasons. 1/4 Tsp Yeast... 1 Tsp Yeast... 2 cups sugar... tankwater.... baking soda....

So I bring this before the most knowledgeable people I know out of all the forums I visit. What should I put in my CO2 container?!

If it helps I am running 65W over a 20 high and using brewers yeast.

Thanks guys!!!
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eternity302
Last month I tested 1/4 teaspoon yeast, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 3 cups of sugar! But i'll hafta go home to confirm! This formula lasted 5 weeks! with a good 1 bubble every 2 seconds! But I'll have to go home to confirm!

This month, I think i did 1/4 teaspoon yeast, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 2 cups of sugar! I noticed that the bubbles weren't bursting as quick, maybe 1 bubble every 3-4 seconds and it seem to be dying on the second week!
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crazy72
I've tried a few and this one here is the one that seems to work the best and last the longest for me.

http://fish.cecolts.com/pics/co2.html
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ibenu
I use to use TWO reactors and start them about 2 weeks apart. Ideally it would have been a more steady rate of CO2, since one bottle is getting going while the other is running out. That being said I would not get it really consistent, and have moved to metricide, as I can be consistent with it and results were better than DIy Co2 (I have a lot of fun mixing and making it though, loved the chemisty fun)

I used yeast from a wine store so perhaps it was slower release...
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eternity302
ibenu said:
I use to use TWO reactors and start them about 2 weeks apart. Ideally it would have been a more steady rate of CO2, since one bottle is getting going while the other is running out. That being said I would not get it really consistent, and have moved to metricide, as I can be consistent with it and results were better than DIy Co2 (I have a lot of fun mixing and making it though, loved the chemisty fun)

I used yeast from a wine store so perhaps it was slower release...
Click to expand...
Lisa, you sound quite experience, if I decide to run on metricide (And i apologize for de-railing the thread), should i still run some co2 in or not?
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ibenu
I couldnt speak to that Eternity never done it...

Kelly, as I said 2 weeks was about the max anyway in my experience so It makes sence to get a second one going...

How many gallons is your tank?

And I would place it in a bucket on the floor, none f mine exploded but its been reputed to happen!
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effox
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of lemon juice, 3 table spoons yeast for nutrients.
1 teaspoon yeast. 2 cups sugar.

Directions:
Put the 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 3 table spoons of yeast together, stir and put into the deep freeze. (When it freezes it'll splice the yeast, as well as the vitamins from the lemon juice will provide nutrients to the CO2 mixture).

(Once the nutrient mixture is frozen)
Pour yeast into warm water, stir around to aerate. Let it foam.
Break up the nutrient ice and put it into the 2L pop bottle (not all of it, just some [not an exact science, put more in than less]).

Put half a bottle of warm water into the 2L, pour the foamy yeast mix in. Mix.

I had 1 bps for 2 weeks, and .5 bps after 2 weeks, until it stopped on the 4th week.

I'd suggest looking into the jello mix solution though, I've heard good things about that, as the alcohol produced will eat into the nutrients, keeping the yeast alive longer to produce more CO2.
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Theratboy_101
From brewing my own beer and wine I can tell you you need very little yeast. One small pack of brewers yeast about 1/2 teaspoon will have 5 gallons of beer or wine bubbling like crazy in a day!

Now the yeast will die when the alcohol gets up to 17%-25%... depending you the kind of yeast. So brewers yeast would be better then bread yeast. and it's cheap. about $1 a pack at any save on foods.

As for yeast nutrient. I've never found a need for it. But if you feel the need any kind of freash fruit juice (not from a bottle... to many additives to keep it freash) just a table spoon or two per 2L will have more than enough nutrient.

I'm planing on putting co2 in one of my tanks. When I do I'll work out the best sugar to water ratio to get the best yield.
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effox
I'd agree, I use champagne yeast.

I find for longevity the nutrient is the way to go. 3 weeks of consistency where as my first batch only had 2 weeks.

It's a lot of playing around to find the best batch. Let us know Theratboy_101 what your results are in a month's time!


Also, keeping it warm will produce better results as well... I know my dad kept his wine in the furnace room for this reason.
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Theratboy_101
About 70 is best for brewing but a little cooler would make it slow and may be better for smaller tanks.

As for finding the best mix it would only take an hour or two... If my gram scale wasn't broke. And it'll be a few weeks waiting for the replacment to be shiped to me.

One could also try using a mix of sugar and starch. the starch will break down in to sugar slowly and may ferment for some time at a slower rate then sugar water. but that may take a few month to work out.
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