got myself some alcotec turbo yeast

[Greenfuz]

which is supposed to make you some 18-20% alcohol in 48 hours

I'm gonna throw it in 25 gallons of sugar and water and get completely wasted for an entire week for like $15

I shall name it home brewtal

[spacelordmother]

What could go wrong?

[Iommic Pope]

Sounds like science, right there.

[Ugly Nora]

In before the alcohol poisoning.

[Mudfuzz]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os33ljB76zQ[/youtube]

[Jwar]

I haven't drank in 5 years, but when I did you could buy real alcohol for around 15 bucks. Granted it'd be cheap shit, but that sounds awful sir. Just awful.

[culturejam]

I'll be curious to see how this turns out. As a hobby brewer myself, I find fermentation fascinating.

Just sugar and water is often called "sugar wine". I've never tasted it, but I can't imagine it's very good. However, if you just want something to mix with, it should be fine.

Before you try the big 25-gallon batch, I would suggest doing a 1- or 2-gallon test. Any typical brewer's yeast will get you in the 10-12% range in most cases. The trick is add more sugar once the first fermentation slows down. This will kickstart another fermentation cycle and get you over 10%.

Actually, I would first suggest you try making a hard cider. Just get a gallon of apple juice, pour out about 8 ounces to make some head space in the bottle, add a couple cups of plain old cane sugar, and you're good to go. You'll end up with an apple wine at about 8%. It will be relatively dry (not sweet) and will get you hammered.

Anyway, good luck with the brewing.

[culturejam]

Forgot to add: the "turbo" yeast is not cultivated for the great flavors it introduces. It's been optimized for quick fermentation and has a high tolerance to alcohol (so it can keep going to a higher ABV). It's used mainly by people who intend to distill the brew into a liquor. Distillation removes the nasty flavors, as well as a host of bad compounds that give you monster headaches, and concentrates the alcohol.

So I would guess your planned brew is going to taste like garbage. I would suggest adding some citrus at the end to help mask the off flavors. But yeah, it's gonna get your drunk. And it will be totally safe to consume. The wive's tales about people going blind from homebrew are unfounded and inaccurate. People went blind (and even died) from homemade liquor during prohibition because some of the less scrupulous moonshiners cut the liquor with things like turpentine, and some used old lead-lined radiators as a condenser during distillation. Homemade beer and wine is perfectly safe.

[Bellyheart]

Are you saying I can make cider by pouring some aj out, pouring cane sugar in, and letting it sit?

[culturejam]

Are you saying I can make cider by pouring some aj out, pouring cane sugar in, and letting it sit?

You also need yeast. The bread yeast at your local grocery store will work, but it will not taste as good as if you use wine or beer yeast.

You don't even need add any sugar, but if you don't the ABV will be like 5%.

Keep in mind that fermentation yields alcohol and a lot of CO2, so you will need to keep the cap on the top loose enough to allow the gas to escape. If you don't allow the gas to vent, it could cause the bottle to explode. Some people put a ballon over the mouth of the bottle, but you need to make sure it's a big enough balloon to hold all the gas. If not, it will go flying off and then air will get in and make the wine taste worse.

[KaosCill8r]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os33ljB76zQ[/youtube]

Fuck! I've been there before. I remember it well. It was 1985, I was 14 and stole a bottle of white rum from the oldies booze cabinet. It had been there since the mid 60s. Drank most of the bottle. Passed out in bed. Woke up at about 5.30 am and there was chunder everywhere. In my hair, my clothes, on my pillow, all over the bed at least an inch thick and all down the sides of my bed. It had even glued my eyelids shut. Was in my nose. Don't remember enjoying it as much as the dude in this song. Fuck alcohol. Use hard drugs instead.