Other How do you pitch your yeast?

[dmulligan]

I am still trying to figure out why my wine kits rarely finish as low as they are supposed to according to instructions. For me, they have most often been finishing at 0.998 to 1.000 when the instructions say 0.992. Needless to say most of my wines turn out a little sweet tasting.

The last batch of WE port kits which came with 2 packets of yeast to combat their finishing gravity problem. If pitching 2x as much yeast can help that perhaps I have a yeast pitching problem?

My LHBS instructs customers to sprinkle the yeast packet on top of the must rather than using warm water and risking killing the yeast with high temperature shear. Is this making a smaller or weaker colony of yeast than other methods might?

 

[Rocky]

DM, I hydrate my yeast according to the directions on the back of the packet and I have never had a probelm with killing the yeast. You need to keep the water temperature in the 90's (about body temperature). I don't measure the temperature but just run the water over my hand until I do not sense either hot or cold. That should make it about 98.6 F.

 

[dralarms]

I hydrate my yeast also, and if its a hard to make wine, I'll add 1/2 tsp sugar every 20 min. Until I've got a good sized head going. Then I pour it over the must also I do not stir until 24 hours later

 

[SarahRides]

I usually just pitch it dry, unless it's something that may be a little finicky (like blueberry), then I'll do a starter.

 

[Flem]

I, too, sprinkle mine over the top of the must. I've never had a problem (yet) with finishing dry.

 

[dmulligan]

Presumably the way I pitch yeast is not the problem then. I keep my must warm enough and some batches finish low enough but not others. The fermentation always starts as soon as expected and progresses rapidly and just stops a little early.

I guess I have some more detective work to do.

Thank you all for your answers.

David

 

[Midwest Vintner]

I usually just pitch it dry, unless it's something that may be a little finicky (like blueberry), then I'll do a starter.

I'm this same way with certain fruits.

 

[ibglowin]

Mostly underhanded......

[DRUM ROLL]

I always rehydrate @104F for 10 min in chlorine free water and a little must. I am talking Kit wine here.

For fresh grapes I use GO-Ferm. Not taking any chances when I have to drive to Timbuktu to get the fruit and I am using something other than EC1118 which would ferment dirt I think if it could......

 

[robie]

If your wine finishes at .98 to 1.00, it is not likely you would taste any sweetness. This is technically dry.

Also, after you degas your wine, check the SG again and you may find that the SG is lower than before. This is because the CO2 and other floaty stuff in the gas-filled wine can cause the hydrometer to float a little higher. Make sure you are compensating for the temperature of the must/wine when you take the SG reading.

There are a lot of articles on the internet about why one should pre-hydrate the yeast properly. A lot of it has to do with the yeasts' cellular wall structure getting opened up properly when re-hydrated. All this has an effect on the effectiveness of the yeast multiplying efficiently and in greatest number.

I almost always do a yeast starter, which includes re-hydrating in 104F water and one step further - adding grape juice then must slowly into the starter for the first 30 to 45 minutes. Once this is done, and after the starter solution reaches very close to the same temperature as my must, I pour it into the must. I tend to do this at about 10PM. By next morning I already have a nice layer of foam in my fermenter.

Simply sprinkling the yeast on top will work very well in the vast majority of cases, but I just always want to be sure.

I don't like the idea of having to wait 72 hours to find out if my yeast are even viable. One nice thing about doing a yeast hydrating or starter is once you pour it into the must, there is no doubt the yeast are viable. If after the first 15 minutes of hydration, if the hydration solution is not bubbling, the yeast are not viable.

Besides, watching the starter go is pretty cool. It is like looking down at a fireworks display from outer space.

 

[tonyt]

I usually follow the instructions. If it says rehydrate I rehydrate if it says it's a sprinkle I speinkle. Most kit instructions now suggest sprinkle.

 

[tonyt]

Mostly underhanded......

Fast pitch or slow pitch? Hahaha

 

[robie]

I usually follow the instructions. If it says rehydrate I rehydrate if it says it's a sprinkle I speinkle. Most kit instructions now suggest sprinkle.

That's really the bottom line. If you do it the way the kit maker recommends, it is hard to go wrong, especially since if you follow their instructions, they guaranty the kit to turn out.

Fresh/frozen and some fruit wines are sometimes another story.

 

[cpfan]

I am still trying to figure out why my wine kits rarely finish as low as they are supposed to according to instructions. For me, they have most often been finishing at 0.998 to 1.000 when the instructions say 0.992. Needless to say most of my wines turn out a little sweet tasting.

It might help to know what specific kits you are making. (I know you mentined a WE port, but ....).

I don't recall any instructions that mention going down to .992 (.995 or lower yeah). OTOH, I regularly mention that Vineco and Winexpert kits consistently reach .992 for me.

Have you calibrated your hydrometer? Check it in plain water and make sure it reads 1.000. I have seen hydrometers that are out by .005.

Steve