Dumb question about yeast

[hector]

Say. Another dumb question about yeast. If I make 6 gallons or 1 gallon - do I still use the same amount of yeast? Do I need to add more yeast for more, or does it matter? Wine yeast comes in packets, correct? So if I'm making less, should I just use part of the packet?

Most Yeast Manufacturers recommend : 25 Gramm Yeast for 100 Liters of Must

I would use 1 Gramm Yeast for 1 Gallon Must .

Hector

 

[sjo]

Hello there,

I'm completely new at home wine making, but I've been reading a lot about it lately and find it to be completely fascinating.

I ought to preface my question by stating that I have not yet bought a wine making kit. I've picked out a 1-gallon kit that I'm planning on buying soon (that is, when my next pay check comes in...).

In the mean time, however, I wanted to see if I could make wine the science-experiment way with 3 cans of frozen grape juice concentrate, sugar, and (*gasp*) baker's yeast. So please, just bear with me on this.

The question...

The instructions that I found to make wine told me to hydrate the yeast before adding it to the juice. Though I THOUGHT that I correctly followed the instructions to hydrate the yeast, I must have done something wrong, because after 12 hours, nothing really happened. The instructions said that if nothing happened, I ought to try adding more yeast.

So I opened up another packet, hydrated it -- correctly, this time; I could tell a difference from the first attempt -- and added it to the grape juice. Immediately it started fizzing and bubbling.

However, just under a week later, it's almost completely stopped bubbling, and I don't hear it fizzing any more. I thought this bubbling thing was supposed to take 2-3 weeks?

Is it possible that: a) I "over-yeasted" - I should have started from scratch with the new yeast, or b) it doesn't take as long with only a gallon (as opposed to some of those 6 gallon kits)?

Like I said, I know this is only the science-experiment way of doing it, but I DO plan on buying the kit soon. Besides, I think that knowing why mine has stopped fizzing after only a few days will perhaps help when I DO have the kit.

Thanks so much!!

3 cans of concentrate and 1 week of bubbling, sounds to me like you have wine. It is not uncommon to finish in a week. I just checked a Wine expert kit at the 5 day mark to see if it was ready to rack (less than 1.01) and found it pretty much completed at .994.
Scott

 

[arcticsid]

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=6

No dumb questions in here Super.

Click on the above link. I just posted this link for Yooper, he had already seen it.

A bunch of good stuff there. I hope it helps you.

 

[arcticsid]

Srry Seth, I disagree, make a starter using the entire sachet of yeast. The stuff is cheap.Why risk a stuck ferment because you want to save 75 cents!!!

 

[Tom]

Yep use the whole packet. You will soon be making 5 gallons so stock up.. Tis a lot of work for only 4 bottles when making 1 gallon. and its a long wait to bottle/drink

 

[IQwine]

yep.... 1 gallon is same work as 5-6 gallon....

so I make 5-6 gallons over..... and over .......and over

 

[arcticsid]

....and over.....and....... LOL

 

[Tom]

yep.... 1 gallon is same work as 5-6 gallon....

so I make 5-6 gallons over..... and over .......and over

I think you are STUTTERING !!!!!

 

[IQwine]

I haven't stuttered in weeks... hic ....hic ......hic

 

[arcticsid]

burp...............

me fever!

 

[seth8530]

Srry Seth, I disagree, make a starter using the entire sachet of yeast. The stuff is cheap.Why risk a stuck ferment because you want to save 75 cents!!!

I have had bad expierences with using a whole sachet of yeast in one gallon of must. Maybe i just had a bad XP but the thing tasted so dang yeasty and i dont like yeasty alcohol lol. But maybe i just had a bad xp.