DIY CO2

[SiNiStEr]

I had done a DIY CO2 the other day, and started using it yesterday. here's a pic of my DIY CO2

Almost 24 hours later and it's still not producing any CO2. I wonder if it's something i did wrong when making the yeast micxture.

Using 4 2 liter bottles. recipe for each bottle is as follows

2 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp yeast

with the yeast I mixed 1/4 cup of warm water 110* to 1/4 tsp yeast and 1 tsp of sugar. I stirred then set for 10 minutes to proof.

the 2 liters bottles each got 2 cups of sugar and filled 3/4 of the way to the top with warm water. I shake the bottle to mix the sugar and water, then after yeast had proof i pour into the bottle and shake again to mix everything.

This is where I think I might of messed up at. Am I suppose to shake the bottle after the yeast was added? or even shake the bottles to mix the sugar and water and should let the sugar set at the bottom of the bottle?

Also should I let the bottle of sugar water come down to room temperature before adding the yeast in?

any help would be very helpful.

 

[fastlight81]

The set up looks great. So you see no bubbles in the bubble counter at all? Everything looks good as to what you did. I do the exact same thing, except I use more yeast. You using 1/4tsp will give you longer lasting co2. I would check your seals. I found out when I did mine, the smallest leak will cause problems. use soapy water and put that around the joints and holes, see if any small bubbles form. if it does you have a leak.

 

[SiNiStEr]

k thanxs I'll do the soapy water trick. I'm not seeing any bubbles in the bubble counter.

Update::

I did the soapy water, not seeing any leaks. Think I'll dump all 4 bottles and start fresh bottle. but this time after I add the proof yeast into the bottle I won't shake it to see what happens.

 

[cichlidcichlid]

I am not sure about the mixture, but I don't think those bottles are able to build up enough pressure to take Co2 from the floor to the tank.

Pour in 1 cup of sugar, then pour in hot water directly into the bottle (only fill to the neck of the bottle), shake periodically until sugar it completely dissolved. Then add 1/4 teaspoon yeast (level to much will exhaust the sugar), shake periodically until yeast is totally dissolved. Finally add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and shake it in throughly. Let the bottles sit for a few minutes to gas off and hook it up.

The Co2 should start on either the second or third day after the mixture was made.

Hope this helps!

By the way having 4 bottles at once, how big is this tank?

 

[cichlidcichlid]

I just notice from the pic that you have all 4 bottles feeding 1 line to the tank. This may build up enough pressure to reach the tank.

I am using one 2 liter bottle on a 29 gallon so the pressure for one bottle probably wasn't enough.

What kind of tubing is that? Is that Co2 tubbing?

 

[SiNiStEr]

it's silicone tubing. My LFS ran out of silicone tubing so I went to pet smart and bought a 25' silicone tubing.

The location I don't really have anyplace else for the bottles except for under the tank.

 

[cobfreak]

I would give it more time. The way you prepared the bottles sounds right to me. You SHOULD shake the bottles after everything is together. You could even shake them some more, after that 24 hours (leave them connected, just swirl them around in the bottle, shake side to side, that kind of thing) to see if they at least temporarily produce bubbles.

Do you have a check valve somewhere on that setup?

 

[cobfreak]

Also, it sort of looks like there might not be enough air space above the water in the 4 two liter bottles. I don't know if that would have anything to do with the time it takes to produce CO2 or not.

 

[dundadundun]

gas separator... no more than half full.
2-liters... water line below the taper for best surface area.
mix sugar and water... the yeast needs no mixing. if it's healthy it should start producing quick just by sitting on the surface... mixing before you close the cap can gas off some of your co2 if the yeast is healthy.
yeast... best to add it to room temp water... hot tub temps will kill it before it produces anything.
hose connectors... all possible fail points since they rely on silicone. drilling a tight fitting hole for the hose provides a better seal usually... less chances to fail either way.

just some things. i know not for sure what your particular issue is though.

 

[SiNiStEr]

COB I do have a check valve, on the line that goes into the tank. At which I blew in both ends to make sure I get the right ends hooked ip right. lol

gas separator... no more than half full.
2-liters... water line below the taper for best surface area.
mix sugar and water... the yeast needs no mixing. if it's healthy it should start producing quick just by sitting on the surface... mixing before you close the cap can gas off some of your co2 if the yeast is healthy.
yeast... best to add it to room temp water... hot tub temps will kill it before it produces anything.

K your saying mix the sugar water then just add the yeast straight in then cap it?

Gas seperator is just a little past half full with plain water. the water line on the 2 lite's is just a hair below the taper and one bottle is right at the taper.

hose connectors... all possible fail points since they rely on silicone. drilling a tight fitting hole for the hose provides a better seal usually... less chances to fail either way.

I used 3/16 rigid tube to placve thru the caps, and the bottom of the caps the tube protudes 1/4". It is a real tight fit, had to muscle the tube in thru the hole. I place silicone around the tube on top and bottom to make sure it's leak free. But I was wondering on the gas separtor bottle the 2 rigid tubing that runs in it from the 2 liters if I might got it to far down in the bottle. They are 1/4" off from the bottom of the bottle or does this really matters?

of course if i had about $250 - $300 I would went with a pressurize system. lol but of course that much money seems like $5000 to me.

I'm gonna give everything another day or 2 to see what happens. If the same problem still exsist then, would it hurt to add a little bit of yeast straight into the bottles instead of proofing it?

Forgot the picture up top you can see how cloudy looking the 2 loters look, before i put in the yeast mixture the sugar water was clear.