# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Problems with DIY gelatine CO2 setup



## The Bishop (Mar 11, 2004)

I read the thread originally posted by anapersona about the gelatine DIY CO2 method and decided to try it myself. After mixing things wrong once or twice, I finally got gelatine (2.5 cups sugar, 2.5 cups water) to harden in the bottom of a 2 liter. I activated the yeast and added it with tapwater and baking soda, and it was going at a max rate of about 8 bpm for a while.

I understand that a lot higher bpm values should be expected. What am I doing wrong?


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## The Bishop (Mar 11, 2004)

I read the thread originally posted by anapersona about the gelatine DIY CO2 method and decided to try it myself. After mixing things wrong once or twice, I finally got gelatine (2.5 cups sugar, 2.5 cups water) to harden in the bottom of a 2 liter. I activated the yeast and added it with tapwater and baking soda, and it was going at a max rate of about 8 bpm for a while.

I understand that a lot higher bpm values should be expected. What am I doing wrong?


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## The Bishop (Mar 11, 2004)

Also, the current bottle I have going is going at about 2 bpm and it seems that only about a quarter of the gelatine has been processed into.

Perhaps dechlorination is a good idea...? I just don't understand.


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

My first attempt at the gelatine was using a solid batch in the bottle and I ended up opening it up and stiring it with a stick to break it up. I moved to cubes after that. I found that allowing the gelatine to set up in a pan and then cubing it works better than making it solid in the bottom of the bottle. You get more surface area exposed to the yeast. 

I started with 1" cubes, since that fit into the neck of the bottle easily enough. Now I actually use 1"x1"x4" rectangles, because I am lazy and they still fit into the neck of the bottle.

I finally eliminated the baking soda from the gelatine mix, as well as the yeast nutrient I used for awhile (from the beer brewing store). I've used wine yeast and bread yeast and now I am just using plain old bread yeast. While the baking soda is useful with a sugar and yeast mix, the gelatine is inhibited enough to not need the baking soda. Adn wine (and beer) yeast hates baking soda, never use them together.

My current procedure, should you want to try this, is thus: Take an 8"x8" brownie pan and add 1 cup of cold water. Add 4 packets of Knox gelatine and gently stir to dissolve. In a large measuring cup, add 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar and heat in the microwave to dissolve the sugar completely. Add this to the pan of gelatin and mix. Then chill overnight. 

Divide the pan into 3rds or 4ths depending on the rate and life span you want. I find 3rds makes a real high initial rate and falls off at about 2 1/2 weeks, 4ths has a lower initial rate but lasts longer, over 3 weeks, and so is a smoother pace of CO2 production. 

In your generator bottle, add the gelatine, then water, not really even warm water, just "not cool", to about 3 or 4" from the top, then 1/4 teaspoon of regular bread yeast. 

Sometimes I "proof the yeast": adding it to a cup of lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar and wait for a slight foam before adding it to the bottle. Sometimes I am impatient and don't do that, not sure if it makes a difference, "best practice" would be to do it each time.

By the time I walk through the house to the back rooms the yeast has fallen down and bobbed back up again and so I hook it up. I keep the generater bottle on top of the tank until I know that it is making pressure, and I make sure that all water is out of the lines. 

I run the gas through a bubble counter/separator and I clean that water every time. My reactor is open ended so I don't have an airstone or anything that plugs up, it is a DIY version of the PlantGuild reactor.

I've never bothered to dechlorinate the water. My water is moderately hard, with GH=9 and KH=8, in case that makes a differnce.


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## The Bishop (Mar 11, 2004)

Hmm. My water is very similar to yours. I think I'll try it your way this time.


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## mrmag (Jan 12, 2005)

[/QUOTE]

I've never bothered to dechlorinate the water. My water is moderately hard, with GH=9 and KH=8, in case that makes a differnce.[/QUOTE]

Anonapersona do you have any more tests on your revised recipe?


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