Nutrients questions

I feel like I should already know this, but I don't .....
I have been making wine as long as I have been a member here and I have always used yeast nutrient and yeast energizer.
Every now and then I see someone post about using Go-Ferm, Ferm K, Ferm O, or Ferm Max. If I am understanding correctly this is also a nutrient.

Could someone explain the difference of the two?

Thank you in advance... I did a search here and couldn't find the answers. I also checked the wine making dictionary and could find anything on Ferm.

I'm not an expert, but this is the place I found my info. Other places have it too, but these guys make the stuff.

http://www.scottlab.com/products-18.aspx

Found other places for info....hope that this helps and doesn't confuse more, lot's 'o info here.

http://www.lallemandwine.com/products/catalogue/?range=6

You should probably also take a look at this thread:
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38704

Thanks Ceeaton! Some great information on both links.
I'm wondering if the difference is simply a matter of brand or if there is more to it? I'm thinking there is more to it since the two products look very different. :/

sour_grapes said:

You should probably also take a look at this thread:
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38704

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Thanks Paul!!! This might be what I'm looking for. I read the first three pages and I think I am going to need to re-read it again tomorrow when I'm not so sleepy.

Angelina said:

Thanks Paul!!! This might be what I'm looking for. I read the first three pages and I think I am going to need to re-read it again tomorrow when I'm not so sleepy.

Click to expand...

I have been using Go-Ferm, and Ferm K, and getting alot better results !!

vacuumpumpman said:

I have been using Go-Ferm, and Ferm K, and getting alot better results !!

Click to expand...

How have the results been better Steve? Proccess, aroma, notes ect...
When I recently fermented the Chilean juice I got from Presque Isle, I used the recommended pre-packaged yeast/nutrients that I also got from Presque Isle. They had Go ferm in them and I did notice my juice reacted differently, like a volcano, but I'm still early in the game with these. They are in their first 3 months of aging, at 3 months time I will do some bench testing and blending trials.

Angelina,

I've been using Go-Ferm when rehydrating my yeast and Fermaid O at the onset of fermentation and at 1/3 sugar depletion. I've not had a ferment (out of 6) that has not gone dry (.990 to .992), had no SO2 problems or funky smells.

But I am in the same boat as you are, just hitting maybe 4 months on a few of my wines. They taste good but I really don't have anything to compare them to, except the first batch which is good but rather light in body (white grape/raspberry).

"They had Go ferm in them and I did notice my juice reacted differently, like a volcano, but I'm still early in the game with these. "...
Angelina: Just my 1 cent here and slightly off topic, but often if you add any kind of powder after fermentation has begun you want to dissolve it first in water because what happens is that all the CO2 that is dissolved or absorbed in the liquid will "nucleate" around the granular surface of the particles or powder and nucleation enables gases to collect with less energy than they would otherwise need and when they collect they have enough energy to rocket out of the liquid. That can be a problem even if there is a great deal of headroom in say a bucket but it can be a disaster if you are fermenting in a glass carboy with a narrow neck because what happens is the neck acts to rifle the gas. And that gas by the way, pushes ahead of it all kinds of fruit and other particulates that can then paint your ceiling...so the problem of eruptions has nothing to do with the kind of nutrient you are adding but everything to do with whether what you are adding is a liquid (no problem) or a powder or crystals. Anything with defined sharp edges will tend to nucleate the CO2 and indeed one method of degasing wine is to drop in stainless steel micro screws or silicon screws that you have sanitized.

Thanks Craig and Bernard! This is great information. Bernard, I appreciate you taking the time to break down the process. It is one thing be able to make wine by simply follow directions. Add x, then add y, wait till sg falls, rack and then add z ect.... It is quite another to know what you are adding and why you are adding it. That is the transition I am currently trying to make. So all in all this is a good start to getting a deeper understanding of things we do to our grapes/fruit to get the finished wine we hopefully desire.

When you understand the why's, let me know. I'm currently getting confused on another post. I better go read that thread that Paul had listed earlier.

sour_grapes said:

You should probably also take a look at this thread:
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38704

Click to expand...

Craig this is a great read if you want to know about Fermaid! I read some of it twice, real slowwwww.... I got the just of it, plus some. Tomorrow if I have some time I'm going to download and print off some of the files within the thread and start a reference binder that I can refer to as needed. It is a lot to take in at one time but it seems to be so much better of a product then what I have been using.

vacuumpumpman said:

I have been using Go-Ferm, and Ferm K, and getting alot better results !!

Click to expand...

Thanks Steve, I appreciate your phone call tonight and giving me some of your insight on Fermaid, and the knowledge you have on Apple wine

Angelina said:

Craig this is a great read if you want to know about Fermaid! I read some of it twice, real slowwwww.... I got the just of it, plus some. Tomorrow if I have some time I'm going to download and print off some of the files within the thread and start a reference binder that I can refer to as needed. It is a lot to take in at one time but it seems to be so much better of a product then what I have been using.

Click to expand...

Great idea (reference binder). I have about 10 unused binders about 10 feet away from me here at work, and work is slow today, and I can see a three hole punch...time to get busy.