Yeast round table article

[winemaker81]

WineMakerMag posted a free article that is a yeast selection round table discussion between 4 professionals, 2 in the yeast production industry. I found it interesting. It both confirmed a few ideas I use and give me a few new ideas.

https://winemakermag.com/article/1497-selecting-yeast-roundtable

 

[bearpaw8491]

Great read Bryan, thanks for posting.

 

[winemaker81]

I like WineMakerMag as it's written for a non-academic audience. I read technical articles on other sites, and since I have a general sciences background I understand most of what I read, although in some articles I'm spending more time searching on terms than I am reading the article. Some of that is fine, as I am learning, but sometimes it just gets old and I want to read an article that a winemaker with a moderate background can mostly understand.

 

[bearpaw8491]

I used to subscribe WM many years ago and always found the articles informative. Believe I may still have a few old hard copies that I've kept for continuing reference thru the years. I regularly refer to the "WINEMAKER'S ANSWER BOOK" by the Wine Wizard.

 

[meridaen]

"If a yeast is known for strong tropical aromas of pineapple and guava, you may not want to pair that with Cabernet Sauvignon."

Not sure you have to worry too much about any strain of yeast imparting strong tropical aromas of pineapple and guava, or anything else for that matter

 

[zappoid]

I wonder what means in simple english autolysis capacity?

 

[winemaker81]

I wonder what means in simple english autolysis capacity?

My understanding is that autolysis is the breakdown of cells via enzymes released by those cells, e.g., self-destruction of formerly living materials. The yeast hulls are now dead, release enzymes during their decomposition, which speeds up and affects the decomposition.

My take is that "autolysis capacity" is how much a yeast strain destroys itself after death. When doing sur lie / battonage, a higher capacity appears to be a good thing, as the wine gets more flavoring from the process.

Does that make sense? In my experience, biology, chemistry & physics don't exactly lend themselves towards simple English. On the plus side, researching and understanding the science keeps my grey cells active!

 

[zappoid]

My understanding is that autolysis is the breakdown of cells via enzymes released by those cells, e.g., self-destruction of formerly living materials. The yeast hulls are now dead, release enzymes during their decomposition, which speeds up and affects the decomposition.

My take is that "autolysis capacity" is how much a yeast strain destroys itself after death. When doing sur lie / battonage, a higher capacity appears to be a good thing, as the wine gets more flavoring from the process.

Does that make sense? In my experience, biology, chemistry & physics don't exactly lend themselves towards simple English. On the plus side, researching and understanding the science keeps my grey cells active!

Thank you. It is always not too early to get prepared to new season.
Regarding sur lee: most of protocols are saying to do it after first rack, after removing gross lees, but some saying leave gross lees. There should be difference in handling.

 

[winemaker81]

Regarding sur lee: most of protocols are saying to do it after first rack, after removing gross lees, but some saying leave gross lees. There should be difference in handling.

I'm divided on this subject. Folks on this forum are doing Extended Maceration, up to 8 weeks, with no problem. This is wine resting on the gross lees. In Burgundy it's done up to 90 days. So obviously it's ok to leaves reds on the gross lees -- note that it's not just the gross lees, it's also the pomace.

For whites? They are more delicate and are more likely to pick up off flavors & aromas from the gross lees, so I'm not willing to leave them on gross lees. There is less gross lees in white wines, but it's still there.

Numerous sources I've read state that gross lees drop between 24 and 72 hours after the end of fermentation. My take is that to practice sur lie, I'd watch the SG until I believe fermentation has ended, wait 3 days, then rack. After that everything is supposedly fine lees, and can be left in the wine until bottling.

There are MANY sources, and they often conflict, so I have to make judgment calls on what I believe, and tend to go more with a middle ground -- I don't ignore the more extreme views, but I am more skeptical. I might chance a small carboy on an experiment, but I tend to be conservative.

 

[zappoid]

I'm divided on this subject.

Thank you for pointing out. I almost missed this difference (reds and whites).

 

[zappoid]

WineMakerMag posted a free article that is a yeast selection round table discussion between 4 professionals, 2 in the yeast production industry. I found it interesting. It both confirmed a few ideas I use and give me a few new ideas.

https://winemakermag.com/article/1497-selecting-yeast-roundtable

Good article. But still unclear:
1. I read a lot of recommendations about to have proper nutrition for the yeast. But how I learn is it enough or poor. To add unneeded nutritions means to add nutritions for spoilage bacteria.
2. This is new idea for me: to add MLF bacteria in 2-3 days after starting AF. But experts also warn about unwanted consequences. How to know what will happen with the whole batch! These year I did my first wines with no MLF and I want to try with, but now I'm not sure.