RC-212 Yeast Substitution In Kits.

[Kross]

It looks like I'm hitting up a LHBS next time I am in the city. Anywhere I've looked either doesn't have any stock, or doesn't have an online store. Amazon has none to offer, either.

I think you can find all these at MoreWine - Winemaking Supplies to Make Your Own Wine at Home. That were I got all my yeast.

 

[vinny]

I found a Canadian source that actually has stock!

I have EC-1118, KV1, and RC212.

Any opinions on which yeasts I should have on hand? I have BM4x4, D254, BM45 D47, and 71B in the cart. Any other strong choices I should drop in there.

I like to be able to make things on a whim and living remote has gotten me used to stocking up. As much as I am making the variety doesn't concern me. I'll get through it.

 

[VinesnBines]

I have liked BM4X4 for reds, kits and grapes. I've not had any problems with stuck fermentations or H2S. Since it is a blend of BM45, you can go with just the BM 4X4. I've been using D254 for whites and reds; I've been blending it with D47 for whites and it works. Right now I'm fermenting two batches of Vidal from my grapes. One batch is with D47. It fermented dry in 3.5 days - I pitched on Tuesday night at 1.085 ish and Saturday morning it was 0.995 The other batch is with Cotes de Blanc and on Saturday morning was still 1.016. I like Cote de Blanc for light fruits and dandelion wines.
I always keep EC1118 for stuck fermentations and for high gravity stuff like my hard lemonade.

 

[winemaker81]

I like QA23 for whites. Also Red Star Cote des Blancs and Pasteur Red.

 

[vinny]

I added Cote des blanks, QA23, and took BM45 off the list. I should be good for a while, now.

 

[winemaker81]

I have easy availability to yeast, so I rarely buy much in advance. Knowing others don't have that benefit makes me appreciate what I have.

 

[Bmd2k1]

anyone have a good online source for BM 4x4 in 9g packs? I've only been able to find it in much larger amounts.


Cheers!

 

[BarrelMonkey]

anyone have a good online source for BM 4x4 in 9g packs? I've only been able to find it in much larger amounts.


Cheers!

Morewinemaking.com is your friend... BM 4X4 Dry Wine Yeast | MoreWine

I bought BM4x4 from them last year for my elderberry wine, it worked out well

 

[sour_grapes]

anyone have a good online source for BM 4x4 in 9g packs? I've only been able to find it in much larger amounts.


Cheers!

You can get small packets at MoreWine: BM 4X4 Dry Wine Yeast | MoreWine

ETA: @BarrelMonkey beat me by mere moments!

 

[Bmd2k1]

Boom! Thanks...just ordered the 80g pack. Last time I looked there only the 500g was available.

Looking forward to giving it a whirl

Cheers!

 

[winemaker81]

Last time I looked there only the 500g was available.

500 g is a LOT of yeast -- if you know others, it may be worth it to buy a large packet and divvy it up.

On the plus side, I have enough Avante for a decade or so .....

 

[Bmd2k1]

500 g is a LOT of yeast -- if you know others, it may be worth it to buy a large packet and divvy it up.

On the plus side, I have enough Avante for a decade or so .....

That's on my list of yeasts to try too! Have ya done any tests on same kit using RC212, BM4x4 and Avante?

 

[winemaker81]

That's on my list of yeasts to try too! Have ya done any tests on same kit using RC212, BM4x4 and Avante?

I have performed no yeast qualitative comparisons. I intended to do it last fall, as I used RC-212 and Avante for separate batches of both Grenache and Tempranillo, but ended up just pressing everything together.

This fall we're probably doing 8 lugs of Cabernet Sauvignon. We ferment in 4 lug batches, so we'll use Avante (got a LOT of it) and another TBD yeast in the second fermenter. I like the idea of filling a 19 liter carboy from each batch for clearing, and blending whatever is left from each batch. After clearing, save 4 liters each from the reserved wine, and blend the remainder into the main batch. This gives me 4 liters (5 bottles) from each yeast, with the blend going into barrels.

We're probably making 8 lugs of Cabernet Franc as well, so do the same thing. This enables long term testing of the 2 different yeast strains in 2 different grapes.

Gotta remember to do it at pressing time. It's a LONG day and it's easy to forget.

 

[Bmd2k1]

For those that use BM 4x4 -- does ur protocol vary at all from when ya use RC212? If so, what do you do different?

Cheers!

 

[CDrew]

This fall we're probably doing 8 lugs of Cabernet Sauvignon. We ferment in 4 lug batches, so we'll use Avante (got a LOT of it) and another TBD yeast in the second fermenter. I like the idea of filling a 19 liter carboy from each batch for clearing, and blending whatever is left from each batch. After clearing, save 4 liters each from the reserved wine, and blend the remainder into the main batch. This gives me 4 liters (5 bottles) from each yeast, with the blend going into barrels.

We're probably making 8 lugs of Cabernet Franc as well, so do the same thing. This enables long term testing of the 2 different yeast strains in 2 different grapes.

You might consider Bravo in your experiments. I have come to rely on it as much as Avante at this point. Very nice results with the same assurance on no H2S. But the no H2S yeasts from Renaissance are the way forward for home wine makers (in my opinion).

 

[winemaker81]

You might consider Bravo in your experiments. I have come to rely on it as much as Avante at this point. Very nice results with the same assurance on no H2S. But the no H2S yeasts from Renaissance are the way forward for home wine makers (in my opinion).

Bravo is high on my list. The problem is the amount/cost. Some of the Renaissance yeast are only available in 500 g packages. I purchased Avante a couple of years ago, and was happy to re-sell (at cost) about 1/3 of it, and recently sold a bit more. I've still got 170 g left.

I purchased from Lodi Wine Labs -- 500 g yeast was $49, the S&H $16. I looked at buying "carboy" or "barrel" amount -- including S&H, the "barrel" package was $30. I emailed, asking the amount in the "barrel", but received no reply.

I figured the "barrel" was 225 liters, so at 6 g/19 liter carboy that's the equivalent of 12 packets, e.g., 72 g. Based upon the the cost per 6 g packet from the 500 g was $0.78 USD, while the cost for the "barrel" was $2.50 each. Yow ...

<shrug> I figured that if I threw away half, I was still ahead, so I purchased 500 g.

I'm going to start a new thread regarding bulk yeast purchases.