how long will yeast live in co2 system?

Answer 1

Usualy three to four weeks if CO2 is being continualy released into the tank. After that it is best to get a new batch going.

Answer 2

Some great answers here.
In practice, 3-4 weeks. Winemakers yeast can last longer, as it is intended for use in a high alcohol situation. (Understand that it's the alcohol produced in the reaction that eventually kills the yeast.)
Technically, I have found my bottles still have a little pressure after quite some time. The Co2 produced is minimal though.

Remember this is a labor intensive technique. I could only keep it up for a few months, then it all got too much.

Answer 3

its an interesting question because it depends on the variety of yeast being used. when the idea of growing yeast in a pop bottle first came about i tried using bread yeast. it unfortuneatly is very explosive in its production of co2 .lots of fizz but stops after 2-3 days one side effect was it sometimes would blow the yeast mix into the tank (disasterous results)
next was beer yeast (it was readily available) but it didn't last a whole lot longer.
I found out the Hagen brand Co2 system had tested something like 200 yeasts looking for something with a long steady production time and they settled on champain yeast as the best suited.
properly started it produces a steady stream for about a month

Answer 4

I'm assuming you mean a DIY Yeast generator. It depends on how much yeast you put in to start the batch, the type of sugar, the ph of the water, and the ammount of water the solution is in.

Typically 10 days to 3 weeks with a minimum 2 liter bottle. I prefer one gallon Gatorade containers.

The formula I use is 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of yeast, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (arm & hammer). & a few drops of lemon juice, and a b-vitamin / brewers yeast pill from gnc. (doubt that the yeast is active, but the yeast can eat it). Sometimes I'll substitute 1 of the cups of sugar for a can of frozen grape juice concentrate if its on sale. Any more than 2 cups is probably impractical for most diy containers.

The main thing that will kill yeast is alcohol. Baking yeast dies at a pretty low alcohol concentration. The more water you have, the higher % of the sugar the yeast will be able to consume before succumbing to alcohol poisoning. Thats why larger containers with more liquid are preferred.

How 'hot' you start your batch will go a long way towards determining how long it lasts. If you let the yeast activate too long, or if you put a whole teaspoon in, you will unleash too many live yeast at once, and consume the majority of the fuel in the first few days.

Yeast likes an acidic water, but fermentation can bring water down to about ph 1.9 quickly, below the threshold of yeast. So, its best to buffer with just a little bit of baking soda to ease the slide. If your water is too basic to start the yeast reaction after adding baking soda, add a few drops of lemon juice.

I've tried geletan mixes to extend the life of the concoction, but I'm never sure if they work.

Be sure to sterelize when you refill. Bacteria will out-compete the yeast & kill them off if you don't keep your jugs really clean.

Also be sure you can see the output of your diffuser. I made the mistake of venting mine into my magnum 350 filters. I had way too much going & caused a shock to my tank by dropping the ph to like 5.8 from overproduction of co2 & lack of water hardness.

Room temperature plays into yeast activity a great deal, especially in winter time. Simply put, they do not produce co2 very well below 58 degrees (its summer, so I forget the exact number), signifigantly lower temps can kill yeast. If your house varys in temperature, the co2 production will vary with it, consuming more or less sugar as the temperature changes. I keep my bottles in buckets with water surrounding the buckets and old aquarium heaters set on 70 degrees. If you want to turbo charge your yeast, set it around 80 degrees & watch the bubbles fly & the sugar dissapear in about 3 days time.

Answer 5

Like ash said it last about 3-4 weeks
read through the following
http://fishlesscycling.com/articles/co2_discussion.html
http://fishlesscycling.com/forum/index.php?topic=211.0


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB