# Rc-212 and nutrient



## sdelli (Apr 28, 2013)

I am getting ready to use RC-212 in a couple batches of wine. I notice that on their website it recommends using a nutrient with this strain. Has anyone done this? If so, can you recommend a nutrient to use?

Thanks


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## djrockinsteve (Apr 28, 2013)

You should use yeast nutrient with all of your musts. It's vitamins to the yeast. You may add all at once or split it half then half later on. When not that important enough to worry about. 

Your local wine making supply store will carry it. Add 1 teaspoon per gallon. Very inexpensive. 

When your wine reaches 1.000 it is good to add a yeast energizer. Just 1 teaspoon per 6 gallons. It's like a red bull for the yeast giving them extra get up and go to finish off all of the sugars and finish fermentation. 

Both come as a dry powder and last awhile. Mine sometimes is over a year old and I do use a lot over the year.


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## ibglowin (Apr 28, 2013)

Remember that yeast nutrients are not required for any wine "kit". They will already have been added upfront. Anything from fresh fruit as well as most juice buckets etc will require a nutrient addition plan.


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## Norske (Apr 28, 2013)

I use yeast nutrient in ALL of our berry wines. We Use Goferm at a rate of 1.25 gram for each gram of yeast. The recommended protocol is to heat 20-25ml of "tap water" not distilled water, to around 110F, add in the required amount of goferm, stir, once the temp drops to 104F, then add your yeast, stir, wait 15-20 minutes, then add 50% by volume of your must, stir and let sit for 15-30 minutes. 
If your yeast nutrient temp is more than 18F higher than your must temp, then add small amounts of your must to your starter every 15-30 minutes until the temp difference is no greater than 18F.
There are instructions when you purchase it so you can follow the recommendations. We purchase ours from Scott Labs, but for small amounts, you can find it available at morewine.
We also add Fermaid O at the first 1 degree brix drop, and then add fermaid K at 1/3 brix reduction.
This protocol has worked well for me.


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## sdelli (Apr 29, 2013)

ibglowin said:


> Remember that yeast nutrients are not required for any wine "kit". They will already have been added upfront. Anything from fresh fruit as well as most juice buckets etc will require a nutrient addition plan.



Wow! I didn't know that.... So if I use a different yeast strain other then what the kit comes with I will not have to worry about yeast nutrients for it because the kits already have them in it?


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## ibglowin (Apr 29, 2013)

If only it were that easy. Some yeast have HIGHER nutrient demands than others so.......

You will have to do a little homework and see what (if any) difference in nutrient demands between the supplied yeast and substituted yeast. Could be no difference or you could need to add a small amount more.


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## Bacci (Apr 29, 2013)

I substituted RC212 with a CC Arg Malbec kit that I recently did and added 1 1/2 tsp of Fermaid at the beginning. The fermentation went slower than most all the EC1118 i've done in the past, but it was steady and took the entire 10-12 days to finish at .994 SG

One noticable difference was the aroma, it wasn't pleasant. Not quite rotten eggs but didn't smell good (could have been the 1# of black currants). Sample was fine and the nose has come around. At 2 months of bulk aging, don't know that it was worth changing to RC212, but color is excellent, so far.


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## ibglowin (Apr 29, 2013)

Not surprised. RC212 is much slower fermentation wise than EC1118.


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## sdelli (Apr 29, 2013)

I ordered a Cellar Craft kit of Sangiovese and am going to use BM45 yeast strain with it. Going to use both nutrients Go Ferm and Fermaid with it. Let you know how it goes.... I did order a few RC 212 strains but have not used them since I read it is mostly used with Pinot Noir. I do have some Chilian Malbec juice coming in a couple weeks.... Any suggestions ona goog strain to use on it?


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## Bacci (Apr 29, 2013)

Pasteur Red would be my choice of the most common strains, unless you can get some BDX. I would lean toward adding more Fermaid to the kits/ juices, maybe less of a problem with off aromas.


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## JohnT (May 6, 2013)

I would recomend RC212. This yeast is a lot less prone to yeast breakdown (then Pasteur Red) and (IMHO) yields a much better flavor profile. 

I would not go with EC 1118 unless you experience a stuck fermentation. EC1118 is a champagne yeast is acts much like a bull in a china shop when it comes to fermentation.


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