# What type of yeast to use.



## harmony24 (Dec 31, 2012)

I just started a batch of strawberry Vinters harvest. It is a 3 gallon batch. I have lavlin type yeasts. A k1 v1116, rc 212 and a71b-1122. Which do you guys think would be the best for this type of wine.


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 1, 2013)

71B-1122 would be my choice, some of the characteristics are the ability to produce fruity yet fresh character in wine that would live long after fermentation.
I use this yeast on my fruit wines and Melomel.


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## ColdClimateWines (Jan 1, 2013)

I think u need to consider your acid levels. A strawberry Melomel to my thought is low acid. 71 b is a high converter of malic acid. I am not sure of the m acid in honey or strawberry but I would think u might be headed towards a flabby end product. With your fruit I would look for a profile that does not reduce acid. Humbly submitted on the new year.
Tom


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## ColdClimateWines (Jan 1, 2013)

I misspoke in my previous post. I apologize and use the excuse of overindulgence. I meant to state that strawberry is a fruit with out much acid - low acid , high ph relative. Whether a wine or Melomel I would consider a yeast that leaves acid alone yet still preserves esters, and varietal flavors. 
Tom


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 1, 2013)

Tom,
I've seen a bunch of Strawberry mead recipes that called for 71B-1122, I don't think that the fact that it converts malic is a big concern with a berry mead.
Here is a good read on making mead and melomel, and a few recipes that all call for using Lalvin 71B-1122, click here, I do understand that it is also a personal preference, but a good portion of the strawberry mead/melomel recipes that I've come across all call for this yeast. some call for Liquid mead yeast, but I've seen a bunch of posts stating problems with the Liquid mead yeasts.


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## harmony24 (Jan 1, 2013)

But which one would be be better for wine? I'm not making mead or anything else


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## ColdClimateWines (Jan 1, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> Tom,
> I've seen a bunch of Strawberry mead recipes that called for 71B-1122, I don't think that the fact that it converts malic is a big concern with a berry mead.
> Here is a good read on making mead and melomel, and a few recipes that all call for using Lalvin 71B-1122, click here, I do understand that it is also a personal preference, but a good portion of the strawberry mead/melomel recipes that I've come across all call for this yeast. some call for Liquid mead yeast, but I've seen a bunch of posts stating problems with the Liquid mead yeasts.



I agree with you and have made melomels following recipes that call for that particular yeast. Often, I found as a newbie I followed recipes. Than began experimenting and trying to understand the chemistry. Often having good results and terrible ones from the experiments. My thoughts are that the yeast in someone's recipient is due to the availability, or the familiarity. I make more wine and cider than melomels. We use a base of around ten yeasts but I am playing with around another 5 at a given time. As I get more experience it seems to me it is important, at least with Adirondack Coast fruit , that I have to pay careful attention to the acids, the Ph and what the yeast profile is to those factors. 

As you say though many Melomel and Meade recipes call for that yeast and it has made many a drinkable batch and no doubt will continue. The strawberry wine being made from the kit, is there a Ph or acid profile?


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## harmony24 (Jan 1, 2013)

It is a fruit base. Vinters harvest. Juice and whole strawberries in a 96 oz can. Place in a fermentation bag and add water and remaining ingredients. If I had some 1118 I would use that.


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 1, 2013)

Tom, Like you, I have been experimenting with yeasts, even blending yeasts, my hat is off to you for taking the time to find what works best!

Yeast is such an important part of the wine making and brewing process, I cringe when hear people say that the type of yeast doesn't matter!
After talking to a few professional winemakers, it became apparent that I needed to start paying more attention to yeasts, I've been researching various yeasts and using different yeasts in identical recipes to see if there was a difference.

The biggest indicator of the impact a specific yeast can have on a wine was on a batch of Amarone. 
I made a batch with 71B -1122 trying to bring out the fruit and at the same time trying to tame the acidity associated with Amarone, the result so far is one of the best wines that I've tasted, my wife absolutely enjoys it as well. 
It is a real pleasant wine, very much full bodied, rich full mouth feel, with a nice amount of fruit and a delicate sweetness that was brought out after oaking it with medium toasted french oak chips, long lasting, just a great wine.
Being the data freak that i am, I logged everything that I did, no matter how minute, in the Brew Trax program. 
I decided that I wanted to make another batch, I knew this would go fast once we start to drink it.
This time I decided to try a more traditional Amarone and use a yeast that was developed for big bold red wines such as Brunello, so I purchased Lalvin BM45. At the last minute I decided that I wanted to blend the two yeasts, I wanted to recreate at least in part the first batch while testing the more traditional yeast.
This batch of Amarone is much, and I emphasize - Much more of a traditional Amarone, it tastes almost identical to a $65.00 bottle of Amarone that I bought recently (i'll never spend that much on a bottle again) as a treat to go with a nice dinner, with the exception that it has a minor fruit and sweetness.

That said.. I am fairly new as well, and I think that a lot of people will use EC-1118 because it may come with a kit they have made, or a LHBS will give new wine makers that particular yeast because it is fool proof, it can ferment a brick...lol

Any way, to answer *harmony24* question, I would still use the 71B-1122 yeast.
Tom


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## joeswine (Jan 1, 2013)

*yeast?*

Okay, let us first take a look when making, it is a frugal and correct? 

Now let us take a look at the characteristics of these you have suggested that you want to use . 

 lalvin- 1116 – is one of of few yeast his action recommended for wines wines made from concentrates poor nutrient balance benefit from the capacity of 1116 to adapt to difficult fermentation conditions . restarts stuck fermentation. Also syntactic good for for once range of temperatures from 50° to 95° passing the characteristics and deal with choice one . 

 lalvin- 1122 – . This yeast the temperature range a 59° to 86°in addition to reducing Rounder, smoother, or aromatic wines that tend to mature quickly, it does not extract the good deal of phenols from the musts. So the maceration time is further decreased . . It has the ability to produce sufficient esters and higher alcohols , , making it an excellent choice for fermenting concentrates . not not quite what I? 

 LALVIN- 212 –nowhere long the line does this yeast do anything for you for what you are making. , this one's out of the running A 
 LALVIN- DC-10 – otherwise known as EPERNAY. it is Fermentation kinetics are strong over a wide temperature range is relatively low oxygen and nitrogen the man's.is someone of the most widely used strings in Champaign is known for clean fermentations that respect varietal character while avoiding bitter sensory conditions associated with many other strings . is highly recommended for both printing white and red varietals, mead and cider product production , and maand many, Barry vegetil and herb. . It is a fast fermenter with an 18% alcohol tolerance , is famous for its ability to ferment under stressful conditions of low pH, hi total and his low foaming with low volatile acid,. so you see your good choices out there if you cannot find DC-10 no with the first one , just my opinion . I


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 1, 2013)

Joe, Thanks for the detailed reply,
I wish you were near me harmony24, I have a rather large amount of Lalvin DV10 that I would share with you!
I agree lalvin 71b-1122


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## SBWs (Jan 1, 2013)

I'd use the K1V-1116 or maybe the 71B-1122, you will most likely have to add some acid blend and the 71B-1122 will reduce the malic acid part of the acid blend which is a good thing because malic is bitter. Strawberry dominate acid is citric so you may want to get some citric acid or lemon juice for after fermentation to raise the acid if need be. Fermentation will lower citric acid a lot of times.

Here is something I wrote on another post awhile back on fruit wines and yeast:

I make mostly fruit wines and in my opinion if I only had one yeast then Lalvin K1V-1116 would be the one I'd pick for fruit wines. That being said, I use different yeast for different fruits all the time. This is what I've found in my short time making wine. I've used Lalvin 71B-1122 for any fruit high in Malic acid (Blackberries Apples etc.), it helps reduce the malic acid. Lalvin K1V-1116 is the only one I use for Blueberry because blueberry is sometimes hard to start and I've never had a problem with this one starting any fruit wine. Red Star Cote des Blancs for Raspberry and Peach, I like what it does with the flavor. When using Cote des Blancs I add yeast nutrients as directed in the beginning and then add an additional teaspoon per 3 gallons at around 1.030 specific gravity. The last Red Star Montrachet is a catch all type yeast I sometimes use. To me it doesn't mess with the flavor of the fruit. I've used it with mixed berry fruit wines like a Blackberry Elderberry mix with good results. Hope this helps a little.


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## Dabillskid (Nov 9, 2017)

Pumpkinman said:


> Tom, Like you, I have been experimenting with yeasts, even blending yeasts, my hat is off to you for taking the time to find what works best!
> 
> Yeast is such an important part of the wine making and brewing process, I cringe when hear people say that the type of yeast doesn't matter!
> After talking to a few professional winemakers, it became apparent that I needed to start paying more attention to yeasts, I've been researching various yeasts and using different yeasts in identical recipes to see if there was a difference.
> ...




Pumpkin did you MLF. I️ am essentially doing exactly this with 10 g of amarone but didn’t MLF.


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