Bravo Yeast- Any experience?

[Cap Puncher]

I am planning a split fermentation in a couple weeks and wanted to know people experience with Bravo (renaissance) yeast (another no sulfide yeast). I’m planning a cab sav starting with Biodiva (T. delbrueckii) followed by Avante in one fermentor and Biodiva followed by Bravo in another. Any experience with Bravo? It is a high glycerol strain like D254.

 

[CDrew]

Not tried, but it's been on my radar since I started using Avante in 2018. Did you find a place to get small quantities of Bravo or are you buying a 500gm brick?

 

[Cap Puncher]

Not tried, but it's been on my radar since I started using Avante in 2018. Did you find a place to get small quantities of Bravo or are you buying a 500gm brick?

Bosagrape sells Bravo in 50 gram packs for $12 Canadian. I did a order from them for a bunch of stuff and it was less than $20 Canadian for shipping for everything. Got it in 4 days (in WI). They do have one cheaper T. delbueckii yeast Zymaflore Alpha in 50g for $21 Canadian as well. I got a Biodiva 125g from them for half price because it was 2 months "expired". I linked the website below.

Bosagrape

 

[Donz]

Just wondering how your experience was with Bravo? I have been using Avante for a few years now and would like to use Bravo this year as well. How did your wines turn out using Bravo?

I have always ordered from Bosagrape, love that place!

Thanks
Don

 

[MiBor]

I used the exact combination of yeasts that you ask about in my las year's Super Tuscan field blend. I started with Biodiva and let it do its thing until gravity was down to 12-13 brix, if I remember correctly, than I inoculated with Bravo and let it finish the job. It was a trouble free fermentation. I used 3 additions of Fermaid-O to feed the yeast at about 22, 17 and 11 brix. I did a sequential MLF with CH16 which finished in about 6 weeks at 72F. The wine is still in the barrel but at the last tasting it was really good with great body and silky smooth, with dark fruit notes and good complexity, probably as a result of the Biodiva yeast.
This year I plan on making a Cab using the same yeast which I vacuum packed and stored in the freezer (I bought the 500g bricks).

 

[Donz]

Sounds like it's working out well for you! I placed my order yesterday for Bravo and Avante through Bosagrape. I will be fermenting them separately and then blend at press time, this has always worked well for me in the past. I really like the fact that these yeasts consume a good amount of malic acid during ferment. I don't even bother doing MLF, just let my barrels complete that over aging time. All of my barrels have been exposed to VP41 from previous years.

 

[Cap Puncher]

Sounds like it's working out well for you! I placed my order yesterday for Bravo and Avante through Bosagrape. I will be fermenting them separately and then blend at press time, this has always worked well for me in the past. I really like the fact that these yeasts consume a good amount of malic acid during ferment. I don't even bother doing MLF, just let my barrels complete that over aging time. All of my barrels have been exposed to VP41 from previous years.

I used the Biodiva/bravo on a Red Mountain Merlot from wine grapes direct. I also used it on rattlesnake hills cab and did a Biodiva/Avante and a Biodiva/Bravo split fermentation (yes I’m a glutton for punishment).

The cab sav is fantastic already after being 2 month in the barrel. It went 12 days to get to SG 1.000. I pressed early due to a slight green tannin taste in the seeds. It is very nice and has the best aroma I’ve had on a red in a long time. I co-inoculated 24 hrs alpha MLB post both Avante/ Bravo additions. I think I added after about a 4 Brix drop. I added fermaid O after cap rise with Biodiva and added fermaid K after 1/3 Brix drop.

I did have an issue with a stuck ferment on the Merlot. I did about the same protocol but the fermentation was much slower. I expected this since there was a thread on this site about how slow the Red Mountain Merlot from WGD ferments (probably due lack of nutrients). It fermented 18 day. I made the mistake of using a refactometer the whole fermentation and using a converting spreadsheet instead of a hydrometer. After 18 days I thought I was totally dry. I pressed in my garage with my neighbor but it was on 50F. I measured the Specific gravity with a hydrometer and was at 1.002. I think everything got cold shocked and it wasn’t the yeasts fault. I racked of gross lees and let it sit for two weeks. Still 1.002 ( on 2 hydrometers). I added Reskue and did a restart protocol with Bravo (the renaissance yeast ppl said it should work) and some fermaid O. And got it down to 0.999. After 6 weeks still the same at 75-77F. I didn’t want to add more nutrients in case they aren’t used up and promote spoilage. I tested it and the residual sugar is 2%. I don’t think this was Bravo’s fault.

The aroma and taste of the Merlot is great. I think it will be very good I just have to be careful because of the residual sugar.

I will still use Bravo with no hesitation. The renaissance yeast ppl told me to ferment at 75-77fF to maximize glycerol and minimize VA. The said higher temps don’t add more glycerol and only risk higher amounts of VA (I’m sure brief temp spikes are fine)

Lastly Bravo doesn’t eat up Malic (at least not much), Avante definitely does.

 

[Donz]

Thanks for the feedback on your experience. I will keep a close watch on the Bravo ferment for sure and keep the temp correct as well.

 

[CDrew]

Anyone else have problems getting Bravo yeast this year? I ordered in August from Lodi Wine Labs, and they have been unable to get it from the distributer. There was a shipping problem that has delayed things and other sources like The Beverage People also don't have any either. But lesson learned and will order earlier next year.

 

[Donz]

I had no problem at all from Bosagrape. Always a good experience ordering form them.

 

[Cap Puncher]

I had no problem at all from Bosagrape. Always a good experience ordering form them.

I didn’t have a problem, but that was in May. They sell it in 50g ($12 Canadian)100g ($22.5 Canadian), 500g. They repackage the 50 and 100g. 500g is the original package. Their phone number is 1-866-554-7273.

 

[CDrew]

Finally, today the Bravo brick I ordered came in to Lodi wine labs. So I have 500 gm which should be enough for several years. I'm going to use it in Primitivo this next weekend. It's going to take a couple of years to really understand what it does for you, but looking forward to it.

 

[Donz]

That's a lot of yeast! May expire before you get to use it all. Mine came in 50 gram packs.

 

[CDrew]

That's a lot of yeast! May expire before you get to use it all. Mine came in 50 gram packs.

Yes, but I'll get minimum two years of use out of it, and will share with my local wine making friends so it will work out OK. I buy bricks of Avante for the same reason. Plus, at the end of this year, I'll know if it has any real advantage over Avante. I'm serious about this co-op idea so we always have on hand the varieties that we need. I wish I'd had the Bravo on hand when I started the Syrah on Sunday. but the Avante tolerates heat better so maybe it's just as well. We get a bit of a temperature break this weekend, so a good time to try the Bravo.

And cost wise, 500 gm is $50, so not that much more than 100gm from Bosagrape with shipping figured in.

 

[Cap Puncher]

My neighbor and I just did blend trials with the cab sav and merlot we did in May. As stated above both had Biodiva and Bravo (the cab was split into Biodiva and Avante as well). I'm truly excited about the blends we did! I'm trying Bravo again on a Livermore cab sav (in my freezer) later this fall.

 

[CDrew]

I can report initial favorable impressions of Bravo. Yesterday I picked about 350 pounds of Primitivo at 27 brix!!! Watered back with acidulated water to 24.5 brix (I was aiming for 25 so not too bad). Anyway, Sulfited to 30ppm, EX-V fror about 10 hours then pitched the Bravo about 10 pm last night. At 7am I had the start of a cap, and at the noon punch down had a firm cap and a very active fermentation. Garage temperature is about 70F. Anyway, a very favorable start.

 

[wood1954]

I vacuum seal my large package of Avante and freeze it, so far so good

 

[Donz]

I can report initial favorable impressions of Bravo. Yesterday I picked about 350 pounds of Primitivo at 27 brix!!! Watered back with acidulated water to 24.5 brix (I was aiming for 25 so not too bad). Anyway, Sulfited to 30ppm, EX-V fror about 10 hours then pitched the Bravo about 10 pm last night. At 7am I had the start of a cap, and at the noon punch down had a firm cap and a very active fermentation. Garage temperature is about 70F. Anyway, a very favorable start.

View attachment 78920View attachment 78921

Looking good!

 

[CDrew]

Looking good!

Thanks. It's zooming through fermentation. I will measure brix tonight. I've been step feeding this with Fermaid O and it's been very consistent and so far, no heat spike. The temp has been steady at 79F.

 

[Cap Puncher]

Thanks. It's zooming through fermentation. I will measure brix tonight. I've been step feeding this with Fermaid O and it's been very consistent and so far, no heat spike. The temp has been steady at 79F.

Nice, based on what the renaissance people told me you should be optimizing glycerol production with that temperature! I can’t wait to start my batch later this fall.