# Chemistry question: Will sugar water alone ferment with yeast?



## abefroman

Chemistry question: Will sugar water alone ferment with yeast?

Or does it need some sort of organic carbon based material, and if so how does that come into play?


----------



## onetoomany

in parts of alaska alcohol is illegal..and they make what they call "home brew" out of water, sugar and yeast


----------



## Tom

Basic answer = yes
Sugar water will become alcohol thru yeast. It will have no taste thou.


----------



## JohnT

Tom said:


> Basic answer = yes
> Sugar water will become alcohol thru yeast. It will have no taste thou.



agree with above. You can ferment sugar into alcohol but you probably do not want to drink it.


----------



## cpfan

sugar + water + Turbo Yeast will definitely work, as I have done it. Due to certain taste and smell factors, it is best to treat the result with activated carbon. BTW, makes a decent 20% neutral spirit (aka vodka).

Steve


----------



## Wade E

Yes and like Cpfan said Turbo east is designed to do just this although it produces lots of unwanted flavors due to all the nutrients that the turbo east has in it. Ive done this many time using wine yeast and nutrient and much more normal levels, its called a sugar wash.


----------



## frohe

abefroman said:


> Chemistry question: Will sugar water alone ferment with yeast?



Yeast and sugar suspended in water will make alcohol. How you flavor your wines is up to how you wanna do it. Make a cheap wine using Kool-Aid as flavoring or go with fresh fruits. Flavoring is flavoring.


----------



## Luc

abefroman said:


> Chemistry question: Will sugar water alone ferment with yeast?
> 
> Or does it need some sort of organic carbon based material, and if so how does that come into play?



NO IT WONT !!!!

Yeats need different things to ferment happily besides sugar.

It needs nutrients. 
Without nutrients the yeast firstly can not multiply to start a healthy yeast colony. And further (even worse) the yeast will starve from mal-nutrition.

It needs acid.
Without acid it will form many off-odeurs and other nasty smelling and tasting stuff.

Tutbo Yeast like mentioned is not only yeast it is a complete balanced package for a fast fermentation, and even that will give off-odeurs and flavors. That's why you should filter any 'water-wine' made with turbo yeast over a carbon filter.

Luc


----------



## grapeman

Even filtered with a carbon snake or other carbon filter, it will still have some pretty nasty side effects. They make flavorings for turning the alcobase to bourbon, whiskey and brandies, etc. They aren't the real thing but are cheap. They will also give you a nasty headache if you drink much of them. I have even used flavorings you can buy at your lhbs. I made some of that stuff for a while and decided to stick with just good wine. You also need to be careful about you alcobase freezing. It turns to a slushy mush and then you need to drain off the unfrozen alcohol to be able to drink it and that can be even stonger- like 40% or 80 proof. Nasty stuff.


----------



## ellijaywinemaker

Well I make this as a base I use corn sugar, nutrient, yeast that's it when it is done I run through a carbon snake and walla it's done. And I don't think it tastes bad at all pretty good in my opinion. And like was said above you can use cool aid for a cheap and fast wine. So I think it is worth your time. I make mine around 18%.


----------



## willyjr

Hey this goes for the with person that said. (No it wont) .
I fermented water with suger and yeast for 3 weeks and I had
A gravity reading of 1.010 for shits and giggles. I dumped. Sum of it in a bottle and started drinking it it tasted fine to me and I got
Quite the buzz. So yes you can fleishmans natural. Yeast caries. The right
Nutrients.


----------



## wpt-me

As I said in the seven day thread. Kilju anyone ??


----------



## Brew and Wine Supply

The blunt answer to your question is YES. We deal a lot in a subject that can not be discussed on this forum and that is the basic recipe to begin with. See our web site for more information....


----------

