I read about a method of generating small amounts of C02 using yeast cultures. I've been using it for a while now, and it works pretty good I think. Dunno if it's actually making a difference, but it's definitely generating C02 and the air seems fresher now, indicating an increase in photosynthesis. Anybody else tried making a yeast culture? I'm curious what other peoples experiences were. Is it worth the effort to incubate a couple more cultures to increase the CO2, or is it spit in the wind?
I just set up two cups with a packet of yeast in each one. Maybe thats why my plants wont grow. 3 weeks old and they only have the 2nd set of leaves.
Generating CO2 that way won't help unless you have a sealed environment, fans to exhaust excess CO2 during lights off, and a ppm meter to indicate that you're using the right amt.
My understanding is that there isn't enough C02 generated to be a concern. If you were to use enough bottles to be a possible problem, it just wouldn't be practical. 1 packet of yeast + 1 cup sugar to 2L of water. The sugar has to be replenished every week or the culture will starve.
I don't really agree here. Thus I use a sealed grow and CO2 system, I don't agree. 1) Any CO2 boosting technique is helpful, tho it might be more difficult if you use active venting. 2) It is certainly not required to exaust your "excess CO2" during the night. In fact, I keep boosting at 1500 PPM even at night and I also boost the veg room in the same manner. A study found that CO2 boost to early cuttings and during the night can be somewhat helpful, I can try to locate the study if you want. Many growers belive wrongly that plants take in CO2 during the day and that process gets completely reversed during the night so that the plants then start consuming O2 during the night. This is a widespread falsehood. Truth is, the foliage takes in CO2 during the day to produce chlorophil, that process gets slowed down considerable during the night since there is no production of chloriphil in the dark, however, it has been demonstrated that some plants, such as certain strains of weed, can store in some nutrients and chemicals during the day to use during the night and keep producing chlorophil, thus still needing some levels of CO2 at night. But, the idea that the plant produce CO2 and turns it into O2 during the day and that it reverses itself to intake O2 at night and turn it into CO2 IS COMPLETELY FALSE. The stomatas take in CO2 all day, this process occurs at night as well but it slows down considerably, depanding on the species or strain. But the roots do need O2, they need it all day and all night. However, no needs to bring in any O2 because the top part of the plant produces sufficient O2 to provide for the roots needs. 3) With conventional home made CO2 boosts, you are not likely to ever exceed your 1500 PPM maximum, especially if you have active venting in your grow, so CO2 PPM metering is not a must. Unless you have a sealed grow and you use CO2 tanks as I do. However, i would recommend borrowing a CO2 sniffer from your grow shop or from an other grower from time to time just to get an idea of what your CO2 levels are but that is not a need. For greater sucess, i would recommend placing your ghetto CO2 contraption far away from your exaust port and as close as possible to your fresh air intake port.
LOL, Ghetto C02 Contraption. Hehe To give an indication of the amount of C02 I'm generating: My yeast culture is 2/3 full in a 2L bottle. My uncle makes homebrewed beer in a big vat, about 50 to 100 gallons, and C02 has never been a concern. My grow room is sealed too, so I'm sure that helps the concentration a bit. It would be interesting to find out exactly how much I'm producing though.
Remember CO2 is heavier than air hence sinks to the bottom of the room. Obviously a good fan wil circulate it.
Good point Buffoonman. What I'm doing right now is I have one tube feeding into the bottle, with an air stone, to oxygenate the culture, and I have another tube exiting the bottle and the other end of the exit tube is placed precariously at the top of my mother plant, resting on a branch or two, so the C02 is being fed directly to the top of the plant. The air pump bubbles in the bottle, and the CO2 is forced out the exit tube. Much like a waterbong, but in reverse. Of course, I also have a circulation fan, regardless of th CO2.
I thought about it but came to the conclusion that you would get more co2 from setting a cup of soda next to the plants than you would with yeast.....I am going to start using dry ice, much more co2 is produced and it is very cheap....melt away a couple pounds a day or more if you want.
Dry ice is cheap? Not anywhere I've ever lived. Setting ANY CO2 source next to a plant won't do shit unless you have a sealed environment. CO2 augmentation speeds up the growing process by maybe 5% as opposed to excellent flo-thru which is WAY cheaper. In most cases you'd be better off taking the money you'd spend for dry ice/yeast/etc. and buying pot on the street with it.
Dry ice cost 80cents a pound where i am at, that is $1.60 a day and if i buy bulk it cheaper 5$ for a 10lb block..melt that down 3 times a month comes to 15$......and my room is closed off, not sealed but little to no airflow gets in when fans are off. put it up high and let it melt away..the co2 drops right on top of the plants and sits around them. i guess it all adds up but i could see some benefits.
I just googled dry ice, and found out that dry ice sublimates ("melts" or changes from solid to gas) at minus 100F. That's one hundred degrees below zero. And you've got this cascading down on your plants? What are you using to heat the CO2 170 dregree's from where it's emitted to the plant tops?
I don't think that dry ice is a good idea. Yeast grows on it's own, and keeps producing C02. You don't have to keep buying yeast, although you have to feed it sugar. Sugar is pretty cheap. Even for a 5 Gallon culture you wold use about 1lb of sugar a week to keep it thriving.
i would melt it at the ceiling of my room then let it drop over the lights. that is a very good point about the temp though. I havent tried it yet so i dont know how it reacts temp wise, just givn some input.
yeah, me too. I've got an igloo water cooler that seals up tight. some water always stays below the spigot so I'll put some yeast and sugar in there, maybe mountain dew and yeast?
I read about doing the yeast culture too, but I have one simple and stupid question...will any yeast work? I've got a packet for makin bread, is that a usable item?
^yup that works so could a can of cola a day enrich a cabinet sufficiently? like if you tubed it and hung the tube above the canopy?
Yes, bread yeast will work, but brewers yeast is better and cheaper. You can buy a 1lb can for about $10 to $15 CAD. Although, you don't need much yeast as long as you keep it alive. A single packet of bread yeast will grow into as large of a culture as you want, as long as you provide it with sugar and oxygen. I used bread yeast. I gave up on the C02 thing though, because it made my grow room smell like stale beer and booze makes me gag, especially beer. Also I wasn't noticing any significant improvement. I think I needed more than just 2L. Probably a 4 to 8L culture would be good for a 64 cubic foot closet. To know for sure, I would have to get a C02 meter to measure the ppm. I may try again for a small clone chamber.
