Yeast

[DeniseHogemann]

I have been reading here and other places on how to proceed with adding yeast. Some say to rehydrate it in warm water. Others say to sprinkle it on top of your must. My question is if you sprinkle it on top do you stir shortly after?this is how the kit I did did it. They had me stir 10 minutes after. And how do you prefer to do it?

 

[UBB]

On the kit wines I just follow the directions. With my fruit wines I like to hydrate the yeast in some must in a quart jar and I keep adding it to multiply the starter yeast.

 

[Wade E]

Best way is to make a yeast starter. This ensures that the yeast is viable. That being said with wine I usually just sprinkle and leave it alone if its just juice but punch the cap down twice daily if there is fruit or oak in it. With beer it is imperative to make a good yeast starter!

 

[cpfan]

Denise:

Personally I just sprinkle the yeast on the surface, and don't stir it in. I mostly make kits, and make sure that the temperature is good (about 24C).

It is necessary to stir if there a grape skin kit or a kit where something is floating (like an oak teabag). But I stir gently and don't start till the 2nd or 3rd day.

Steve

 

[djrockinsteve]

Denise it's up to you what you prefer. At least I believe you should rehydrate your yeast first, then add after 15 minutes to your must and stir it in. If you have a high acid or an awkward must then do a starter batch. Get it going well then add.

The people who make wine kits have spent a lot of time and testing on their kits and that is how they prefer you make the kit. It is best to follow their directions but after you have gotten some experience you can alter the recipe as long as you know what you are doing.

 

[North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not]

What I like to do is start my yeast before adding. Just take a quart jar and put a few ounces of luke warm water in it(75 deg. F). Sprinkle the packet of yeast in and let it sit about ten minutes. By this point you should know if its good or a no go with that yeast. If after ten to fifteen minutes everything is looking good, take a SANATIZED cup and scoop out about a one cup sample of your must and add it to the quart jar. Check again after another ten minutes. I like to do this because it lets you introduce your yeast to the particular must you are using it with. Yeast is a living thing, so letting it adapt to its new enviroment a bit seems a fitting way to ensure a quality fermentation rather than shocking it with a straight dump in method.