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WANTED: Your best Hagen CO2 recipes!

62K views 54 replies 33 participants last post by  RWaters 
#1 ·
I am looking for the best DIY recipes for the Hagen CO2 unit.

I was reading a couple of past threads, and while the discussion was about the Hagen unit, the recipes always seemed to revert back to the 2l bottle. The Hagen canister is no where near 2l, so those recipes don't translate easily! We have so many resourceful and experienced people on this board, I am sure a great recipe is out there!

I am asking the DIYers to post their best Hagen CO2 unit recipes! If recipe proportions need to be different because of different types of yeasts (bread, wine, beer or champagne) post them!

Mike
 
#52 ·
I never had much luck with it. I tried it 6 or 7 times, with 2 liter bottles and the provided "bottles". I tried to be very scientific with it each time. I had 2 bottles and ladders mixed at exactly the same time with exactly the same water and formula. Sometimes it would work very well, sometimes it would be a dud. Seems like the trick was to have the water hot enough to help the yeast along but not too hot to kill it. I never had one last for more than a week or so. It was a big production, and an even bigger mess every single time. I invested in a 10 lb pressurized co2 tank with regulator, and have never looked back. I use an Up-Aqua atomizer with a "bazooka" tube to diffuse the co2 directly into the return hose from my canister filter. I rigged the return so it came out halfway deep in the water of my 75 gallon tank. The bubbles come out almost microscopic. It works great and minimal equipment in the tank makes it look great! After setup cost is about 10 bucks every 2 1/2 months to get the tank filled. About 2 minutes with some teflon tape and a wrench, 5 minutes to dial it in and... done. Besides that, the look of wonder on the guys faces at the welding shop makes me laugh everytime. My point is I guess it all really BOILS (see what I did there?) down to whats your time, effort, buying yeast, pounds of sugar, etc... really worth? Ask yourself, why don't I ride a bicycle to work everyday? Because the car has been invented... I didn't mean to ramble or be a wizenheimer, but it really is much much better.
 
#53 ·
I'm gonna add some points on this for those reading it for the first time.

Baking soda kills yeast. Not the baking soda per se, but once it breaks down it's the sodium that is toxic. So adding it as a buffering agent to hard water (or any water) just kills the yeast a few days earlier. Adding baking soda is a common myth and in fact is counter productive in the long term.

"The big three" things with yeast. Use sucrose, try to be sterile (bacteria and yeast do not get along), and dry yeast should be mixed in water at about 104 degrees (F) and only after the yeast has reached room temperature (if refrigerated).

That's pretty much it. Here's a link if want to know everything about yeast with a lot more details and specifics.

DIY CO2 System for Planted Aquarium

- John LeVasseur
 
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