# Longest co2 Formula



## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

Hi! Everyone, im Now running a DIY co2 and try Expirementing whats the Longest Co2 mixture, So can anyone here put their Co2 Formula Mixture and how many weeks its producing co2:

My current mixture is:
2 cups of cane sugar
1/2 tsp. of Yeast
The water is up to the end of the label fo a 2 liter soda
I use the aerobic technique on the yeast


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## Purrbox (Jun 1, 2006)

Mix is for a 1 Liter bottle:

Fill bottle with:
3/8 cup Sugar
Tepid water to top of label:

In small bowl:
1/8 tsp Champagne Yeast
1 T Sugar
Tepid water to 1/2" above Sugar

After 30-60 mins add contents of bowl to bottle. Cap with regular cap and shake well. Switch to DIY cap and hook up to reactor.

Lasts 4+ weeks.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

If you add just a bit of protein powder (athletic drink mixes), and yeast nutrient (ammonium sulfate), it super charges the mix. In fact, be careful and only add maybe 1/4 tsp of the protein powder.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

what a protien powder do, is it take the co2 more longer, my mom has a protien powder, i think she drinking it for her diet.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

The protein powder feeds the yeast. 

I never add new yeast -- I leave the old yeast at the bottom of the bottle and pour out the old liquid. Then, I add new sugar, new protein powder, a pinch of baking soda because I have soft water, and new ammonium sulfate, and shake and let sit for a bit, then hook it up again.
It is usually off and running again by morning (I always renew at night).


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

Again, don't add too much protein powder or the mix with come bubbling out of the bottle and into your tank -- a little goes a long way!


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

so you mean, no need of putting a new yeast, is that right?


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

re: keeping the same yeast.

This is a fermentation process, so keeping the same yeast is a bit tricky. The process produces alchohol which will eventually kill the yeast, but is desirable since it will kill off other types of bacteria much earlier in the process.

To keep the same yeast colony going, you would have to do regular water changes to keep the alcholol concentrations down. But, then you have to wait for the system to pressurize again before you get bubbles.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

I add unflavored gelatine to mine. It lasts about a month.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

really a month! can you post your co2 mixture, plus what kind of jelli is that, can you give the specific product name, of and are you using 2 liter bottle


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## playaslk (Jul 4, 2006)

I only get a week or so out of my mix. Perhaps its the yeast i am using. i got it from a grocery store in little packets (fleishmans or something like that). It got to be such a pain, I went to pressurized, but now I am trying to set up another tank and have ta do it all over. PIA


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## bencozzy (Jun 2, 2006)

http://aquariumboard.com/forums/689-post3.html

now for the regular sugar mix i started to add molasses ive been told it extends time to exhaustion to 3-4weeks, im also adding molasses to my jello mix to see if it does anything, my jello mix last 5 weeks w/o molasses.

well for my jello i add the jello sugar and molasses(optional) i also add my baking soda here then the 2 cups hot water and so on wait for it to harden takes 1 to 2 days then add 1/16 of a teaspoon of baking soda and the yeast. and i also do the aerobic trick to the yeast but dont add sugar to it.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

baking soda is optional too right,?


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## bencozzy (Jun 2, 2006)

yes the baking sodas optional but i fill it helps keep co2 out put more consistent when its added.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

i just bought this Rasberry Gelatin Desert yesterday to put on my DIY mixture, is that the right one?


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

I believe the Flavor is pretty unimportant, unless you really want a certain color.
It's just that you get the mix right. I used two-six ounce packs of Jell-o in mine. You can even over load the sugar in the jell-o if you want but not to much.
And make sure that you let the jell-o sit in the fridge to "set-up" or else it will mess up the whole thing. I would not vary more than one hour either way.
I also found that letting the jello sit out and acclimate to room temp before adding the yeast/water is a good idea, It's something with the yeast getting cold that shortens it's life or something. :: shrugs :: I just know it works better to let it set out. lol

hope this helps
-moo


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## Rmax (Jul 24, 2006)

*Protein powder/ ammonium sulfate*



Piscesgirl said:


> If you add just a bit of protein powder (athletic drink mixes), and yeast nutrient (ammonium sulfate), it super charges the mix. In fact, be careful and only add maybe 1/4 tsp of the protein powder.


I have some protein powder on hand, and I'm thinking of trying it...but it's got some wierdd stuff in it...like cayenne pepper and seaweed, stuff like that, although in fairly small amounts. Would those kinds of things bug the yeast? Also, any ideas on where to get ammonium sulfate?

Thanks,

Rus


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

why what does the Protien will do if you put some on the mixture,?


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## wiste (Feb 10, 2006)

> any ideas on where to get ammonium sulfate?


If you have a shop locally that caters to home brewers they will have yeast nutrient.


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

Here's a couple of recipes with gelatine.
This one's from a guy in our aquarium club.

1 1 liter bottle cleaned well 
1 3oz pkg of Wallyworld brand Strawberry bannana gelatin 
1 3oz pkg of Wallyworld brand Orange gelatin 
1.5 cups sugar 
1/3 package of fleishmans active dry yeast package

I nukined half the water for 5 minutes in our microwave. Mixed the jello packets in the hot water really well, dumped in the sugar mixed it till there wasn't any sugar visible. Poured it in the container all the way up to the curve in the neck. and put it in the fridge. Then the next day I mixed 1/3 package of the yeast in with a little warm water. I read it needed to be in the neighborhood of 105-112 degrees, don't ask me where I read it but I did somewhere. Then I added a Tbsp of sugar to the yeast mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes just to make sure it was active. You'll know it's active because it will double in size in that time. Pour'd it in and almost had instant bubbles. This 1 liter bottle has lasted me almost 2 months now. great DIY project.

Here's the one that lasted around a month for me
for a 2 liter pop bottle you'll need 
2 cups sugar 
1/2 tsp yeast 
1/2 tsp baking soda (Optional) 
2 packs unflavored gelatine or

Make sure the bottle and your other equipment (e.g. funnel) are clean.

Dissolve the unflavored gelatine in 2 cups of cold water, then bring to a boil strirring until gelatine is dissolved. 
Then pour into the 2 liter pop bottle and fill to about half way with cold water. 
Add the sugar and baking soda and shake untill it's dissolved well. 
Fill with cold water until it's about an inch below where the top of the bottle starts to curve and shake again. 
Refrigerate until the gelatine sets.

Add warm water up to the point the bottle starts to curve, then add the yeast. swirl around to mix. (or you could do this in a cup and stir, then pour into the bottle). The solution should be at least 3 inches below the top of the bottle.

It's ready to cap and hook to the tank.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

so 2 pack of gelatin, so thats 8 cup serving for total, or 4 cup serving?


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

I used 2 packs of unflavored knox gelatine in a 2 liter coke bottle.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

how long the Protien mix method will last?

Its 2 days from now but my gelatine mixture is still not set its still liquid, i just put 1 pack (4 cup serving) of strawberry gelatine into it


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## Rmax (Jul 24, 2006)

Fill with cold water until it's about an inch below where the top of the bottle starts to curve and shake again. 
Refrigerate until the gelatine sets. 


Pardon me if I seem dense, but I've been using liquid DIY CO2 recipes all this time...does the gelatine stay solid once the mix is going, or does it liquify at room temperature? (Just wondering how easy it is to dump out once CO2 production drops.)

Thanks,
Rus


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## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

The yeast and water turn the jell-o into a gummy kind of mush. It comes out just as easy as water.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

i found out that you need 2 packs of 4 cup serving on a 2 liter bottle, if you only put 1 pack like what i did the gelatine will not set.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

did somebody try to mix a protien powder into a Jello mixture, Protien will enhance co2 and Jello will prolong co2 production, so if this 2 combined what would be the result, hmmm anyone try to mix them up?


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## Rmax (Jul 24, 2006)

Moo said:


> The yeast and water turn the jell-o into a gummy kind of mush. It comes out just as easy as water.


Nice to know. I just may try that out...replacing several bottles of CO2 mixture every week or two gets tedious...and sugar is cheap in bulk, but it does add up...
thanks!


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

Jello should have protein in it already. That's what gelatine is made of.

Here's a pic of the bottle shortly after it was first set up (3/5/06). You can see the bottom is still gelled. The yeast works its way down over time.









and here it is on 3/17/06


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

I just hit upon this by accident, but I think there's a citrate deficiency in all yeast formulas. Try adding a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice to the mix.

I used orange peels soaked for a week in water, plus sugar and yeast added after a week when the peels were removed. Holy crap! Never seen anything like it.

A bit of niacin wouldn't hurt, too, as the precursor to NAD.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle


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## bigred35 (Apr 25, 2012)

i have also used unflavored gelatine just picked it up in the store.. white box..cheap brand dont recall... it has like 30 little packets in the box or something.. 

i used a 3litter bottle for my set up..it worked ok for my testing i was doing on the tank.. changed over to a c02 system a week ago...


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