1st Peach Wine

[silverbullet07]

Going to begin a batch of Peach Wine using the colomafrozen concentrate peach juice soon. Just ordered the concentrates today.

Plan on keeping the water around 1 gal to a quart but will test ph, taste, smell and color as I mix to find a good balance.

Question, what would be a good fermentation temp for peach? thinking around 68-70 degrees. I had plan to use K1v-1116 but thinking about 71b now. Any thoughts on yeast? I also have EC1118 but do not see a benefit to it.

Is there any benefit to fermenting with a little sugar left vs fermenting dry and then back sweeting? Wondering what advantages vs non advantages to this. Any Taste benefits? Thought not having to make a simple sugar would be a benefit but it seems what most do.

I was thinking if I use 71b and the alch tolerance is 14% if I start the SG around 1.115 fermentation should stop around 1.015 - 1.010? Leaving some sugar for a semi sweet peach. Is there any benefit to do it this way vs fermenting dry and back sweeten?

 

[Scooter68]

I would start the ferment at a higher temp then lower it to the range you want AFTER fermentation starts.

 

[silverbullet07]

So I received my peach concentrate from colomafrozen today. I started preparing the must.

since this is my first peach, my first surprise was how sweet it is. I first but in 4 qts concentrate and 3 gal of water and the SG was about 1.110 or so. First juice I had that sweet.
I added another 1/2 gal just to get it to around 1.090

Funny thing I had already prepared a gal of 1:2 simple sugar I had planned to use. Thinking I would need to add a bunch of sugar like my others. LOL live and learn.

I added about 6 cups 1:2 simple sugar to add a little more volume and got the SG to 1.100.

For the 4 qts concentrate I added a little less then 4 gal water as @hounddawg recommended.

PH was at 3.59 so added some acid blend to get it to 3.45. I’ll be letting it set and will recheck again before pitching yeast.
I also doubled on the pectic enzyme and added tannin.

 

[Scooter68]

This is just my personal thing - Peach wine for me, is best with a lower ABV ( 12.5% or lower) and heavier on flavor. So if that ferment stops before it goes all the way dry - leave. As long as it gets below 1.015 it should be a nice wine. I've had some "discussions" where folks told me they prefer peach wine that is lighter on the palate. (Weak flavored - to me) but again if YOU like it that's what matters. Personally I like there to be no doubt that this is a country fruit wine and not a flavored grape wine. Just my 2 cents worth.

Your pH was at the upper end at 3.59 but still within a good range. I have always read that 3.4-3.6 is the best range for country fruit wines. Blueberry is the only one that pushes those numbers as I've had it hit 3.2 without adjustment and still ferment just fine. The other fruits I've used normally need a little acid addition to get down into that 3.4-3.6 range. I hate raising the pH because it takes at least 12-24 hours for the process to complete and you have to go slow or risk raising too much. So for me as long as it's above 3.25 and below 3.6, I tend to just let it be.

 

[silverbullet07]

I agree. It seems all our fruit wines we want bolder fruit flavor. We want to taste the fruit. I tested the PH again this morning and added more Acid Bled to get the PH to 3.3 Checked SG 1.096

Would you do 71B or K1-v1116 Yeast on this?

 

[Scooter68]

Never used or read enough about 71B I just been using K1-V1116 and EC 1118. They both seem to ferment well with higher ABV tolerance and low foaming. I have yet to use my newer wine yeast SN9 Mangrove Jack Wine Yeast but should be trying that out within the next month. It reported to great for 1) Fruit wines, 2) High ABV wines and 3) For restarting stuck ferments.

 

[silverbullet07]

I was looking at this profile chart. Lalvin Yeast Profiles, Chart and Ratings It gave EC 1118 the best ranking for Orchard Fruits. So I will just use it. That is a nice chart to go by.

 

[reeflections]

I was looking at this profile chart. Lalvin Yeast Profiles, Chart and Ratings It gave EC 1118 the best ranking for Orchard Fruits. So I will just use it. That is a nice chart to go by.

This chart has a lot of info for yeast: https://www.lallemandwine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Quick-Yeast-References-Chart_2018_LR.pdf

 

[silverbullet07]

This chart has a lot of info for yeast: https://www.lallemandwine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Quick-Yeast-References-Chart_2018_LR.pdf

I seen that but surprised it did not have K1-V1116 on it. I had been using this one Choosing Wine Yeast Strains
but noticed some things that was wrong.

 

[reeflections]

I seen that but surprised it did not have K1-V1116 on it.

Yeah, I noticed that too.

 

[reeflections]

I copied the info for the yeasts from this chart I have been using and have it hanging on the wall. It includes K1-V1116

https://winemakermag.com/resource/yeast-strains-chart

 

[JeffA]

I think 71b is a good choice for yeast. I personally like fermenting my wines dry and then back sweetening with the same juice I used to make the wine. The benefit from this? It is easier to ferment dry then control the amount of sweetness added to it rather then calculating a higher SG and hope the yeast behaves the way you expect it to. Remember that yeast is a living organism. They don't always do what the book says they will. And back sweetening with the same juice used for the wine will not only ad sweetness to your finished wine but will return some of the fruit flavor lost due to the fermentation process.

 

[Scooter68]

71b is not on most lists of recommended yeasts for country wines and according to the spec sheet, I would never use it for my wines. Just doesn't offer the attributes I want. My first wine yeast came with my country wine starter kit - Montrachet. I soon gave it up because while rated as a good one for fruit wines, it is also prone to produce problems if nutrient needs are not met perfectly or the yeast becomes stressed. It was the first an only yeast that gave me the burnt rubber (H S 2) So I stopped using it as it also was a big foam producing yeast.
A newcomer for me is SN9 by Mangrove Jack (Formerly packaged for/by Vintner's harvest. It gets high marks for country fruit wines.

The standout for country fruit wines is pretty consistently including K1-V1116, EC-1118, and SN9.

Here are a few of the sites I just checked out:

https://winemakermag.com/wine-wizard/959-i-make-mostly-sweet-fruit-wines-what-is-the-best-yeast
https://winemakermag.com/article/857-country-wine-yeast-tips-from-the-pros
https://www.midwestsupplies.com/blogs/bottled-knowledge/what-yeasts-make-fruit-wine
https://northeastwinemaking.com/pages/winemaking-yeast-guide

 

[Rembee]

@Scooter68, 71B or aka, 71B-1122 is on your pointed out "Country Wine Tips from a Pro"
As written from Dominic Rivard,

"I experiment a fair amount with different strains of yeast and over the years I have narrowed my wine production to the following strains:

Lallemand 71B: This is a great all around yeast for most off-dry fruit wines. It really helps bring out the fresh fruitiness in most berry and some tree fruit wines"

https://winemakermag.com/article/857-country-wine-yeast-tips-from-the-pros
71B makes an excellent country wine. It is my go to yeast for most of my country wines. It also has a alcohol tolerance of 14%.
IMHO, EC-1118 should only be used if one is looking for a high ABV or if one has a stuck fermentation. It is a very fast fermenting yeast which takes away a lot of the fruit flavors that we strive to achieve in our country wines.
Your making statements that are not entirely accurate but more so based strictly on your own opinion and preferences.
I can see where a new wine maker would become very confused about what is the best yeast to use. IMHO, the best yeast is the one that brings your wine to the flavor profile to which is an individuals preference and liking.
This is all part of the hobby. Trying different strains of yeast for country wines is a learning process that will give us the experience needed throughout this journey of wine making.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this, to each his own.
For new, novice and yes, experienced wine makers, we should all think outside the box once in awhile and try new things with our wines. We do ourselves a grave injustice when we don't try the many different types of yeast available to us, to gain experience in what different strains of yeast accomplish.
Sorry for the rant lol

 

[Chuck Rairdan]

Had excellent results with a peach wine using 71B and aged on the lees and oak for several months with batonage. Turned out like a very peachy butter style dry chardonnay. I'm not even a big chard fan, but I plan on doing this one again.

 

[Chuck Rairdan]

Had excellent results with a peach wine using 71B and aged on the lees and oak for several months with batonage. Turned out like a very peachy butter style dry chardonnay. I'm not even a big chard fan, but I plan on doing this one again.

Oh, and added some spicy Peruvian ginger with the oak which provided a nice added note.

 

[hounddawg]

when i started using store bought yeasts i bought 10 of everything i could find, for a few years now only EC-1118 & K1V-1116 are the only 2 i use, i do country wines only, fruits and berries, and i like them sweet, ,, but everyone only has to please themselves,, unless married
Dawg

 

[silverbullet07]

I pitched the yeast Friday morning and it appears to not be doing anything. I pitched it along with a blackberry I’m doing. Blackberry is foaming good. @hounddawg, should the peach concentrate be foaming? I’m using EC-1118 yeast on it.

This morning peach had a little foam. Blackberry has lots of foam.

 

[hounddawg]

on my peach using EC-1118 it is very low foam and a very gentle ferment,
Dawg

 

[Steve Wargo]

@Scooter68, 71B or aka, 71B-1122 is on your pointed out "Country Wine Tips from a Pro"
As written from Dominic Rivard,

"I experiment a fair amount with different strains of yeast and over the years I have narrowed my wine production to the following strains:

Lallemand 71B: This is a great all around yeast for most off-dry fruit wines. It really helps bring out the fresh fruitiness in most berry and some tree fruit wines"

https://winemakermag.com/article/857-country-wine-yeast-tips-from-the-pros
71B makes an excellent country wine. It is my go to yeast for most of my country wines. It also has a alcohol tolerance of 14%.
IMHO, EC-1118 should only be used if one is looking for a high ABV or if one has a stuck fermentation. It is a very fast fermenting yeast which takes away a lot of the fruit flavors that we strive to achieve in our country wines.
Your making statements that are not entirely accurate but more so based strictly on your own opinion and preferences.
I can see where a new wine maker would become very confused about what is the best yeast to use. IMHO, the best yeast is the one that brings your wine to the flavor profile to which is an individuals preference and liking.
This is all part of the hobby. Trying different strains of yeast for country wines is a learning process that will give us the experience needed throughout this journey of wine making.
I guess what I'm trying to say is this, to each his own.
For new, novice and yes, experienced wine makers, we should all think outside the box once in awhile and try new things with our wines. We do ourselves a grave injustice when we don't try the many different types of yeast available to us, to gain experience in what different strains of yeast accomplish.
Sorry for the rant lol

71B is an excellent yeast to make fruit-forward tasting wines. I don't deny EC1118 yeast is good for a stuck fermentation. EC1118 is very good for making a very dry wine or used for the process of making a dry sparkling wine.