[Alpinist]

Just thought I'd get your attention.

Years ago I tried the DIY method for C02 on a planted tank. I never reallly got it to work for some reason, I never got a vigorous enough fermentation going. I'm guessing it was from poor quality dried yeast.

Anyway, I now work at a brewery. I have access to 40 huge (some are 20,000gal) stainless steel cylindroconical fermentors full of beer fermenting at various stages.

Do you think it would be worthwhile to do a DIY CO2 setup using this bounty of CO2 producing material that is on the other side of my office wall?

Here's what I'm thinking: every Monday and Thursday (I don't work Fridays) I bring in my clean 2L bottle and on my way out the door, I fill it up (what, 250ml or so?) with freshly fermenting wort. Take it home, plug it into my aquarium, and VOILA: DIY CO2! When it's done bubbling away a few days later, I rinse it out and replace it with the next bottle that I've just brought home.

Anyone see a problem with this?

 

[fshfanatic]

It should work as long as your employer doesnt mind you taking it. The only issue I think you may have is that it wont produce enough CO2 to be beneficial. There isnt a lot of sugar iin beer wort and that is what the yeast feeds off of which produces the CO2.

 

[[email protected]]

Given your employment, I'd talk to a/the brew master about the CO2 gererating capacity of different strains of yeast.

 

[Alpinist]

... that is what the yeast feeds off of which produces the CO2.

Oh, I'm well aware of how that works. Beer and I... have an intimate relationship.

The only issue I think you may have is that it wont produce enough CO2 to be beneficial. There isnt a lot of sugar iin beer wort...

This might be true. All the DIY recipes I'm seeing ask for 2 cups of sugar and 1.5L of water (roughly), which works out to about 26% sugar on a weight basis. The average beer is around 12 degrees plato (or about 12% sugar on a weight basis). Although, in all the beer fermentations I've seen, there is plenty of C02 bubbling out for a good 4-5 days...

 

[Alpinist]

Given your employment, I'd talk to a/the brew master about the CO2 gererating capacity of different strains of yeast.

It's not so much the yeast strain as it is the temperature of the fermentation, the extract (sugar) content of the wort, the levels of free amino nitrogen, and to a certain extent the initial oxygen level of the wort (helps yeast multiply).

 

[Burks]

Shouldn't be a problem. If too little sugar, I'm sure you can just add some more (if it works with regular DIY CO2, should work here).

Now if you boss doesn't mind, that'd be sweet. Constant supply of free CO2.

 

[eyebeatbadgers]

Constant supply of free CO2.

I'd be more excited about the constant supply of beer!

 

[macclellan]

Here's what I'm thinking: every Monday and Thursday (I don't work Fridays) I bring in my clean 2L bottle and on my way out the door, I fill it up (what, 250ml or so?) with freshly fermenting wort. Take it home, plug it into my aquarium, and VOILA: DIY CO2! When it's done bubbling away a few days later, I rinse it out and replace it with the next bottle that I've just brought home.

Anyone see a problem with this?

Yes; it's a waste of perfectly good beer. If you wanted to plumb the outgassing co2 for a tank at work, that seems great (capturing a wasted resource). Otherwise, just get a proper injected system.

 

[Alpinist]

Yes; it's a waste of perfectly good beer.

If tossing a liter of spoiled beer troubles you, you'd have a hard time working at a brewery. Perfectly good beer goes down the drain all day long.

If you wanted to plumb the outgassing co2 for a tank at work, that seems great (capturing a wasted resource). Otherwise, just get a proper injected system.

Yeah, I'm working on that. Slowly. Trying to minimize the expenditure by assembling it piecemeal and hunting for deals.

 

[elihanover]

The Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented beer, beer, beer, beer....