Stuck Ferment

[alcodemon]

I started a birdwatchers sugar recipe 23 days ago using 8 kg sugar, 70 gr bakers yeast, 1 small jar of tomato paste and the juice of a medium lemon in 26 litres of water. Fermented at around 20-23 deg C.

The OG was 1.125. I did hydrometer checks on 2 days and it sits on 1.030.

I tried some of the remedies I found in this forum and there still is no activity in the fermenter.
eg: Still tasted a little sweet. Yesterday I added a teaspoon of bicarb soda. Added some brewers yeast that I mixed with boiling water for nutrient. Added about 1 tablespoon of fresh bakers yeast. Gave the top of the wash a gentle stir.

Put a heat belt on the fermenter and the temp is now around 27 deg C.

If there is nothing more I can do, would it be ok to distill as it is and hope for the best?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[noobsauce]

You tried to go way beyond what bakers yeast is good for..most try for about the 10-11% range i believe. Bakers can go to about 13 or so but thats stressing it alot and kills it pretty quick. Imo you should dilute your wash down and try to repitch. from your measurements you are at 12.55% ABV already with another 5 or so to go. Seems like you should add i believe about 10 liters to get you back to about 9% or so....Then you have alittle room for it to finish then.

[olddog]

8kg of sugar is far too much for a 26lt wash 4-5kg is more than enough.

[alcodemon]

Well, I have learned by my mistakes.

Have tried to rescue the wash with remedies from this forum. Even threw in a pack of Aeroplane Jelly to see what happens.

NOTHING !

Anyhow, couldn't wait for it to clear naturally so I poured the whole lot into the still (super reflux) and started the boil.

In the end I got about 3 1/2 litres of spirit at 88 per cent. Not good, but not too bad.

Had a very slight smell of peppermint (as the wife called it).

It's going through the filter right now and may still be acceptable.....I hope.

If not, it'll be served to relatives .

Cheers

[Dnderhead]

yes way to much sugar, it is hard to rescue, as yeast do not like alcohol.Alcohol is a waste product of yeast and they don't like being in their own waste
any more than you.Even if it ferments that high it will stress the yeast and yeast start dieing and that causes off flavors.
with wine they keep it racked off all lees that removes dead yeast and makes cleaner product.we do not have to go that far just keep alcohol low
enough that it does not stress the yeast. that is yeast run out of "food" before they start dieing.

if you had to live in your own waste you whould die also.