# Yeast on top of Oak Chips



## LCTitan (Oct 3, 2011)

The recipe I made this weekend called for two bags of oak chips to be stirred in under the water. I did that but as you can imagine some of them floated back to the top (wood). I then pitched the yeast at 75 degrees. Much of the yeast landed on top of the well hydrated oak chips. Is it normal to pitch on top the the oak and will this affect the fermentation?


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## PCharles (Oct 3, 2011)

*Pitching Yeast*

I like to rehydrate yeast before adding it. This way, when adding the yeast, it is in liquid form. I would not recommend pitching the yeast on top of the floading oak. The yeast would not likely rehydrate properly and may not function as a healthy yeast cell. I'd go ahead and mix it in. 

Here is a link that discusses the process of yeast rehydration.
http://www.grapestompers.com/rehydrate_yeast.asp

With a little bit of luck, your yeast will take off as it is. I'd go ahead and mix it now. 

Paul


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## cpfan (Oct 3, 2011)

LCTitan said:


> The recipe I made this weekend called for two bags of oak chips to be stirred in under the water. I did that but as you can imagine some of them floated back to the top (wood). I then pitched the yeast at 75 degrees. Much of the yeast landed on top of the well hydrated oak chips. Is it normal to pitch on top the the oak and will this affect the fermentation?


Sounds like you are making a kit. Which kit? This is standard procedue for many kits, and I have done this countless times. Don't worry it will work.

You could stir the oak (and yeast) under. But stir gently especially the first day.

If not a kit, where did you get the recipe?

Steve


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## LCTitan (Oct 3, 2011)

I'm making this kit. The directions for the kit said not to stir in the yeast. I followed what they had me do and hope for the best. The yeast were hydrating well though as I saturated the oak chips quite well and seems to have transfer over to the yeast well enough. Here is the kit.

Vintners Reserve Mezza Luna White


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## PCharles (Oct 3, 2011)

*Starting Yeast*

LC, I'm sure in a 1-3 days you'll be telling us your kit is fermenting away just fine. The first kits I made I did just as you did, any yes it is a good idea to follow the instructions. However, I don't pitch the yeast on top like that any more. Even if you read the instructions on the yeast pack, they tell you to hydrate before hand. The wine you are adding the yeast to is at a temperature much lower then recommended, wich is between 100 and 110 if I'm not mistaking. IMO yeast on top of hydrated oak is far from optimal. 

Like I said, I'm feel certain it will for fine for you and we'll be hearing from you in a day or two that your yeast are working away just fine. 

It seems to be the case that we often get varried opionions when making wine. Certainly I'm no expert and face the same frustrations myself. I'm making my first wine from grapes now. I'm doing what is called malolactic fermentation on this red wine. I'm using White Labs prehydrated MLF product. I wish I could say instructions regarding MFL from White Labs and other sources were consistent, but they are not. Next year I plan to use a unhydrated product that has clearer instructions. 

Best regards,
Paul


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## LCTitan (Oct 3, 2011)

You are correct about hydrating dry yeast. Whenever I brew beer and use dry yeast I hydrate before pitching. This being my first wine kit I thought I would follow the script closely and then make changes to the process next time around. I'm sure I will be learning alot as I go just as I did with brewing my beer batches. I am finding this forum to be a great source of information. Thanks guys! I'm sure many more questions will be coming down the road.

I will be overjoyed if I see the Airlock Bubling away within the next 24 hours. The Airlock was sure smelling good already before I left for work this morning and that's without any visable activity.


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## cpfan (Oct 3, 2011)

LCTitan...

Don't go by visual signs. Go by specific gravity instead. Primary Fermenters tend not to seal that well, and thus the air lock may not bubble.

Steve


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## LCTitan (Oct 4, 2011)

You may correct Steve. Given the way the room is smelling something has to be going on in there. At 8:00AM it will be 48 hours so I'll see how things are progressing when I get home tonight. Keeping the temp near 75 with the help of my brew belt.


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## LCTitan (Oct 4, 2011)

*Update*

Opened up the fermentor tonight to witness fermentation gone wild. Everything is good even though there is no activity in the airlock. Good call Steve!


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## cpfan (Oct 4, 2011)

LCTitan said:


> Opened up the fermentor tonight to witness fermentation gone wild. Everything is good even though there is no activity in the airlock. Good call Steve!



Just read my signature.

BTW, do you have a hydrometer? Your next question (guessing here) will require specific gravity readings.

Steve


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## PCharles (Oct 5, 2011)

*Fermentation*

OK LC! 

I'm glad to hear your wait is over and fermentation has begun. Continue to follow your kit instuctions. 

Best regards,

Paul


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## LCTitan (Oct 5, 2011)

I have a hydrometer and my SG for this kit was 1.088. With all the batches of beer I made the airlock always bubbled away nicely. You are correct though the only true way to verify fermentation is happening or has been completed is by use of a hydrometer. Thanks again!


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## cpfan (Oct 5, 2011)

LCTitan said:


> I have a hydrometer and my SG for this kit was 1.088. With all the batches of beer I made the airlock always bubbled away nicely. You are correct though the only true way to verify fermentation is happening or has been completed is by use of a hydrometer. Thanks again!


Beer yeasts tend to foam much more than wine yeasts. I don't know if that means that they are producing a lot more CO2.

Steve


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## LCTitan (Oct 11, 2011)

I racked to the secondary after 8 days and gravity was at the suggested level. Fermentation is continuing nicely. The directions stated that you should have about a liter of space left after the transfer but I ended up with almost a full carboy after avoiding most of the sediment at the bottom. I will need to remove quite a bit before the next step especially knowing I have to add the F-pack. Any problem in having the Carboy almost full at this point other than to have to remove quite a bit before the next step?


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