# Montrachet red star yeast for peach?



## Bnew17 (Jun 28, 2013)

The only yeast i have is montrachet red star yeast. Will it work for peach wine? I just didnt want to get an online order together just to get yeast if what i have will work.


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## Downwards (Jun 28, 2013)

If you use this one, give it a good nutrient feed. This is the one I used when I made a really stinky peach wine. I have read that it has a high nutrient need, and then I think that's what caused the funk for me. In all other ways I think it would be perfect- seems to make for just the flavors that you would want in a peach. I will be using lalvin 71B in mine that I'm about to start.


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 28, 2013)

i have used the montrachet for peach and for mango. did not get any funky smell, the peach came in at about 12 % abv, the mango came in at about 15%...remember with peach are mango, prepare for tons and tons of lees.
I lost about 30 percent on peach, and about 40 percent on mango.


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## Bnew17 (Jun 28, 2013)

What yeast do yall prefer? Cote de blancs or lavlin?


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## wineforfun (Jun 28, 2013)

I use Lavlin products whenever possible. Have had some issues with Montrachet. Not everytime, but a couple.


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## vernsgal (Jun 28, 2013)

I use the Lalvin but I've also picked up a few Vintners Harvest ones


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## Bnew17 (Jun 28, 2013)

Im a novice i should say. I am looking to have a sweet wine


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## vernsgal (Jun 28, 2013)

Jack Keller has a post on different wine yeasts

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 28, 2013)

you can back sweeten your wine, regardless of what yeast you use.
tons of threads here on how to sweeten your wine after fermentation is over.


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## Deezil (Jun 28, 2013)

Montrachet would work (it's yeast) but I dont think its 'ideal'.
Never used it myself so I cant say much on what it could contribute good/bad to a peach wine.

71B-1122, D-47, K1V-1116
All decent yeasts for Peach IMO

Most people focus on keeping a yeast from stressing, when that's only half of the game. ABV Tolerance, H2S creation, SO2 Tolerance, pH/TA tolerance, nutrient needs.... This is all tied to keeping the yeast from stressing and its about 90% of the conversations you'll find on the forum about yeast.

People tend to overlook the sensory impact the yeast has on the wine - the changes it brings to flavor, mouthfeel/body, and aromas. While keeping the yeast stressfree is important for the fermentation itself, 90% of a wines life (& the whole reason we make it) is in the flavors, textures and aromas we sense when the bottle comes 'of-age'.

I know I might be 'over your head' here, but I mention all of this simply so that when you get to the point where you can choose a yeast for a wine-must and it fits the fermentation parameters correctly, that you dont think "I'm done learning about that". 

Once you can toss a yeast in a must and nail it on the "ABV Tolerance, H2S creation, SO2 Tolerance, pH/TA tolerance, nutrient needs", then its time to start learning about yeasts for their "flavor, mouthfeel/body, and aromas". 

When you can match fermentation parameters & the sensory impact of a yeast on the wine, to the wine you're making - then you're REALLY gettin somewhere. Thats when the real fun (and notes) starts !



jamesngalveston said:


> I lost about 30 percent on peach, and about 40 percent on mango.



These are awfully high percentages, probably related to your early-tossing of the lees. You shouldn't lose more than 15-20% on any given batch, solids-excluded.

I lost about 17-18% on my first batch of wine, Peach, when I didnt know to/how-to conserve lees.

Patience is key.
Rack the lees to a separate container/carboy/jug and allow it to settle.
Recover the wine.
Example here


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## ShawnDTurner (Jun 28, 2013)

D47 or Cotes de Blanc..............You are looking to preserve the delicate flavors and aromas in the peach. Montrachet is a Bull in a China shop!


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## Downwards (Jun 28, 2013)

Actually yes, Cotes de Blanc is actually the yeast I was thinking of that sounds like it goes with the peach- flavor wise. But Montrachet is what I used to use almost exclusively when I first started just because I could find it at the LHB spot reliably. Floral and fruity qualities as I'm reading on the Keller link, with Cotes de Blanc.. 

I really like the Lalvin yeasts though since I've discovered them. I pretty much only use 71B, and K1V-1116. Still use Pasteur Red on my elderberries though. I typically choose 71B for meads and any fruit that I want to tame the tartness with and 1116 for everything else. I know that's a very simplistic approach, but I'm a newbie and there is so much else that is still complex, it's nice to simplify that way with the yeast. When I buy yeast I buy 10 of each mail order and just pick up the Pasteur Red locally as needed. Easy!


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## Turock (Jun 29, 2013)

Montrachet works beautifully on peach because it has a fruit profile to its flavor and peach needs all the help it can get to enhance flavor. Even tho peach is a malic fruit, and most people prefere to metabolize the malic on these fruits, be aware that reducing the malic may make the wine flabby tasting. Other's who've used 71B can speak to this better than I can because we've never wanted to take the chance using it since the Montrachet takes the wine to exactly where we want it.

Regarding the stinkiness of the ferment. As was said by Deezil, it seems you're stressing the yeast because of lack of nutrient. You should always pitch nutrient in 2 or 3 batches instead of all at once. This keeps the yeast fed. When they run out of nutrient, they get stressed. Our peach ferment smells very good. Be sure to do a cool ferment--about 70 to 72 degrees--so you don't blow off the volatiles. Adjust the PH pre-ferment to around 3.3


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## Turock (Jun 29, 2013)

Don't use D47 on fruit. Believe me, we've been there and all I can say is that it preserves color very well but that's IT!!! D47 tamps down the flavor in fruit wines. You'll regret using it if you go that way.


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## ShawnDTurner (Jun 29, 2013)

I ve used d47 many times and would highly recommend it. The commerical wine industry uses quite exclusively on chards to preserve fruity profiles taste and aromas. Cheers


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## Downwards (Jun 29, 2013)

I love threads like this! Kind of makes me feel like there are lots of right answers, lol.


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## Turock (Jun 30, 2013)

Look what you just said--D47 on CHARD. But it does nothing for the flavor on FRUIT. If you insist on using it, that's your choice. But it tamped down the flavor on strawberry when we used it and we were very disappointed in it.


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## ShawnDTurner (Jun 30, 2013)

Grapes are fruit! Downwards......experiment and find out for yourself and share your results. We all learn and grow from each others experiences.......Cheers!


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## jamesngalveston (Jun 30, 2013)

Turok, I like the idea of adding nutrient in several batches, instead of one, makes real good sense..thanks for the tip.


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## Turock (Jul 1, 2013)

I'm not the only one who thinks D47 is a mistake on fruit. Others, in another forum, reported the same results as we had. If it lowers the flavor on strawberry, then it will not be very good for the delicate flavor of peach. I never discourage experimentation---but when I've had a poor result with something, there's no way I will recommend it to someone else. Especially new winemakers who haven't used many different cultures.


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## ShawnDTurner (Jul 2, 2013)

I and others appreciate you sharing your opinions and experience. Cheers


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## Bnew17 (Jul 26, 2013)

About how long do you leave the fruit in the primary before taking it out? Also can i add bentonite at this point?


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## saramc (Jul 26, 2013)

Bnew17 said:


> About how long do you leave the fruit in the primary before taking it out? Also can i add bentonite at this point?



My peaches made it nine days before I pulled them, at 72F, which was same day my OG dropped by 2/3, so it was getting put under airlock too. You can add bentonite pre, intra, post-ferment. Just remember the churning action of the ferment circulates this clay around so if you add it post ferment you need to stir it up at least twice daily for a few days, otherwise it just sinks like the clay it is. Day 3 is great for 'intra' because the yeast are typically well established and the ferment is starting to roll and bubble.


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## Turock (Jul 27, 2013)

We let the fruit remain in the vat thru the entire ferment, usually 5-6 days. 

When adding bentonite to the primary, wait until the 3rd day to allow the pectinase to work. Bentonite inactivates enzymes, which is why you don't want to add it earlier. If you failed to add it to the primary, you can still do it in the secondary.


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## Gowers Choice (Jul 28, 2013)

Just started my batch of peach using Cotes de Blanc. It's thumping away at two bubbles a second. We'll see how it tastes around Thanksgiving.


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 28, 2013)

thats a good yeast for peaches, imo...i would make sure that you feed it some nutrient about 1'/2 in to ferment and again torwards the end..that yeast loves nutrients (nitrogen)..i used it on a test batch of mango and it was pretty good, almost stopped during ferment, added more nutrient and kick up again...keep your eye on it, and if it slows to a crawl give it some nutrient.


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