WANTED: Your best Hagen CO2 recipes!

[AlgaeHater]

I have a hagen and measured out what comes stock in the expensive little packets. Its 1 tsp of baking soda and 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of yeast, I cant remember now. Anyways I uses sugar to the line, 1 tsp of baking soda and 1/8 to 1/4 of Red Star active dry yeast. This produces pretty good results. sometimes it is a unpredictable as to how much co2 comes out. I am going to put a little plastic air regulater in the line so if to much comes out I wont have a problem. Has anyone had a problem with the nutrafin packets in use smelling like death? Mine did once, it was a terrible awful smell. I have got a recipe for a 2l bottle if it could help anyone: 2 cups of sugar 1 tsp and 1/4 tsp of yeast.

[m3th0d]

I just recently used up my last batch of Hagen packets (they came with the kit) and so I decided to try DIY for the first time via anonapersona's recipe and I have to say I am amazed at how much more CO2 I'm getting! I barely put any baking soda in there because I have hard water and I'm getting about 16-18 bpm. Every step has at least two bubbles all the time and it's been running for a week now!

[jbarone]

I've got a Hagen Co2 Unit, and followed Anona's recipe until recently.
It never lasted me very long (1 week), so I thought I'd experiment.

I boiled 8 cups of water, and gradually added sugar cup by cup.

I managed to pack 6 cups of sugar in there, and then let about
half a cup of water boil off. After cooling to room temp, I put
the sugary water (more like syrup) into my hagen unit, added the
recommended dose of yeast and baking soda and....


Nothing. I think the consistancy of the sugar-water didn't allow
for the yeast to "mingle with it". Lesson learned, I guess.

On a second note though, I diluted the mixture some (1:1), and it
seems to be producing fine. Not very strong though. I'll be sure to do
some experimenting tonight.

Later!

JB

[Marc]

Weird ive never had a problem with the Hagen packets...but you are right they are expensive. I'll try the yeast out!

[Gemleggat]

What do you think is in those two hagen packets? Its Yeast and Bicarbonate of Soda! Geezs

I use sugar to the line, a teaspoon of bakers yeast and one of bicarbonate.

MIX sugar with bicarbonate of soda to a 12:1 ratio and store in in a jar then when its done just use that. Use water of around 30C ,too hot will kill the yeast, too cold and it wont start. Good Luck

[George]

I have two units in my Juwel Rio 125. I use supermarket yeast (activator) and bi-carbonate of soda (stabiliser). They're much cheaper and it allows me to increase the co2 output by adding more yeast. I change the solution every 14-20 days and have acheived wonderful results. I use nearly half teaspoon of yeast, level teaspoon of bicarb, fill just over the line with sugar and over the line with water (slightly warmer than tepid which gets the bubbles started much quicker). The bubbles are flowing normally after 2 hours, max flow after 3 days, constant for about 10 days then slowly dwindling after 14. I change the mixture when there are 3 bubbles or less in the diffuser. HTH

[observant_imp]

I found this on another forum and the person who submitted it got pooh-poohed a little, but I decided to try it anyway. It's working for me.

Use lightly packed dark brown sugar instead of white sugar in the recipe that most of us seem to be using. I've no doubt I will need to redo much more often, but after a week I'm still getting a bubble every 2-3 seconds. This is more like what I was getting during the summer when the house was warmer. Now that it's cooled off, I was only getting a bubble every 7-9 seconds with the white sugar. My plants have really perked back up.

Cheryl H

[amanda huggenkiss]

Interesting. Thanks Cheryl. I'll have to give the brown sugar a try in one of my units. I've got two on my 29g so I can run them side-by-side and see how they compare.

[observant_imp]

Amanda,

I do put my finger over the tip and gently invert the bottle twice to give it a little start on mixing. Probably a little more necessary with the packed brown sugar than the white.

[Momotaro]

Too bad this wasn't posted a day earlier, I just bought a pound of white sugar! I am going to have to give the brown sugar a try.

I give the Hagen canister a good shake. I figure it helps aerate the whole solution.

Mike

[amanda huggenkiss]

I always give it a good stir.

I'm thinking this'll be a good way to get rid of the hard brown sugar that I don't want to bake with!

(I need to get one of those little brown sugar savers!)

[Kris]

did you run the two side-by-side,amanda? how did it compare?
after the KU-COL game, i am running to the supermarket to buy some supplies and so i wanted to know...brown or white sugar?

[supaoopa]

I'm sick of my hagen packets. The second batch i just put in the canister hasn't produced anything. tHe first batch only lasted about 2 weeks.

How long does a average recipe last with champaine yeast?

[WolverineFan]

What I want to know is it easy to find champaign yeast locally or do you have to order it?

[critrcrazy]

Originally Posted by Momotaro

I am trying Anona's recipe using champagne yeast.

I will update!

Mike

So Mike...what were the results??? Inquiring minds would like to know