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In which case everything is as it should be. Keep the demijohm comfy and warm and it'll keep going for a while yet - even if apparently slowly. My latest was started two days after yours and it's down to one bubble every 11 seconds.

how come 28 seconds seems to take so long when watching it plop ...

Help ..... well its stopped fermenting all together and it a little clearer at the top than the bottom but ... Its still very sweet ...

Try adding a bit more nutrient (water is notoriously low in those) and see if the yeast gees itself up. If you added one spoonful at the start, add another now.

Will do ... thanks for your help

Right well my water has stopped, cleared and is alcoholic... but ... its still sweet in fact sweet enough to spoil it for me ... Soooooooo more advice needed please ... how can I make I another batch drier?

Yep - mine was a bit sweet this time too - maybe the cold weather? It still disappeared! However, tips to make it drier ...

Try a yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance (although specific yeast strains tend to be a bit more expensive). You can get Turbo yeast which will produce up to 20% alcohol in a few days, or you can try something like Sauternes yeast.

Try making a yeast starter instead of sprinkling the dry stuff into the demijohn.

Try increasing the amount of yeast nutrient at the outset (two teaspoons instead of one).

If you only used one 5mg B1 tablet, try increasing that to two.

Try less sugar (although that defeats the object).

How old was your yeast? It can sometimes give up the ghost if it's getting on a bit.

Possibly the amount of acid needs to be upped, depending upon what kind of water you have in your area (if it's limey, it would neutralise some of the acid).

Also, Rule No. 4003B - you don't care after the third glass.

Don't give up ...

oh great plenty to try there .. thanks lovely ... the yeast was quite new as I got it when I was given some damsons last year and made damson wine ... first foray into brewing for years ...

Can you use any yeast?

I've managed to find some demi johns now (well they're sort of like demi johns) and want to have a go at this.

Could I use baking yeast.

So if I make up-

1 gallon water
3 lbs sugar
Citric acid (how much?)
Yeast (how much?)
a half level teaspoon of marmite (can I use vegimite?)

Will I have alcoholic water in tenish days?

Have I got the ingredients right?

Also how many litres is a gallon please

1 gallon = 4.5 litresish.



Yeast produces two things from sugar - alcohol and carbon dioxide. Beer and wine yeast strains have been doctored over the years to be heavy on the alcohol side and bakers yeasts have been doctored the other way. So, if you use bakers yeast, you'll get some alcohol, but not as much, and your "water" may smell like bread. Bakers yeast will certainly give up the ghost before it's fermented out 3 lbs of sugar, so the result would be very sweet.

You've missed the yeast nutrient (usually something like diammonium phosphate) which you can most easily find at a homebrew shop, so you may as well get some proper wine yeast while you're there. Nutrient is a "probably necessary" ingredient - you're fermenting just water and sugar, after all.

Citric acid = 1 level teaspoon (or use the juice of half a lemon)

It has to be over to someone else on the Vegimite front. It tastes a lot like Marmite, but I don't know how it's made. It's the Vitamin B1 content which is important.

Thank you.

I'll have to get shopping again for brewers yeast and nutrient now. I'll see if I can get what I need online as I live in the middle of nowhere and don't have a car during the week.

Can't wait to get started

MKG...I have started another batch and added double the yeast and B1... its fermenting much better and for longer than the first lot so I have high hopes that this one will not be so sweet. thanks for your help.

Alcoholic Water? I think I might try that one.

Well mine has turned out pretty well. Slightly sweet (but only slightly) and rather like, er rocket fuel. It tastes very strong and goes to your head somewhat.