2 Yeast Strains per Batch?

[BonnieJoy]

Many commercial wineries ferment their grapes in multiple batches with different yeast strains and then blend those batchestogether before bottling. Say they want a fruit forward, full-bodied red. They might use GRE in one fermenter and RC212 in a second fermenter.
In another thread I read that some folks on this forumare using more than 1 yeast strain (such as RC212 & EC1118) in a single fermenter. From your experiences, have you noticed any increased complexity similar to the fruit-forward, big red example Igave above?


If you're not using different yeasts to encourage greater complexity, then what are the other advantages as you see it?


I just discovered howa awesome a dry red wine can be.So, I'm hopingthat youmore experienced winemakers could give me some tips.


Thanks,

 

[Dean]

Hi Bonnie,

Many of the local wineries here frequently use sometimes up to 5 different strains before they do the final blend. It's really quite cool with all the different things they do.

Regarding 2 strains in a single batch, what you will find is that 1 strain will overpower and usually choke out or kill the other strain. K1V-1116 will actually release an enzyme that kills other yeasts. EC-1118 also will overpower the RC212 strain, and the benefits of RC212 will be lost in that batch. Nature usually only allows 1 dominant strain.

 

[Wade E]

I would be afraid that H2S would be a problem with this as 1 strain would get stressed out and produce this sulfur smell. I can absolutely see doing side by side batches with different yeasts but dont recommend adding 2 yeasts in a single batch unless you are having problems already with 1 yeast.

 

[BonnieJoy]

Thanks Wade & Dean. You saved me from myself. I hadn't considered that 2 strains would fight each other, nor the increased risk of H2S.


This brings up one more question. Have you ever split a 16 - 18L kit between two primaries?


Thanks, Bonnie

 

[Dean]

I haven't as I use 10 gallon primaries. Mine are the garbage pail type, food grade, opaque plastic type with a loose fitting lid. I always have at least 1.5' of head space for foaming even with grape skin kits.

My other primaries are large bin type for crushed grapes.

However, if I were going to split a kit, I would mix it up to 23L and then split it to 11.5L each and doctor it up! That being said, I probably would only do that with a 10L kit as I think that premium kits are fine the way they are. Anything under 15L, however, I think could use the doctoring.

If I was to split a premium kit, it would be post fermentation, and it would most likely be different oak treatments, or post tannin additions.

 

[BonnieJoy]

OK - guess I need to wait until I can lay my hands on some more juice or grapes before going the route of 2> yeasts.
Will be starting 2 reds this week: WE 16L Cab Franc/Merlot; CC 18LMerlot. Sticking with the RC212 on the Cab, but am considering GREfor the Merlot to make it fruit forward. I'm excited about the CC kit because itcame withgrape skins.


You know, I think I'llblend a couple of gallons ofthese two after they come out of my oak barrels to get the complexity I was after.

 

[Wade E]

I think you will be amazed at the complexity you get with the grapeskin kits although they require a little more aging. I dont think Ill ever go back to kits without grape skins or at least raisins like Mosti since making skin kits.

Edited by: wade

 

[Dean]

Be careful with yeasts and kits as well. Most yeasts extract these complex flavors from crushed grapes and not just the processed juice from a kit. In a lot of cases you cannot take full wine techniques and apply them to kits and get the expected results as kits are highly processed. In some cases, you can get different results with some yeasts, but in a lot of cases, you get results that are no different than the yeast from the kit.

The most common mistake I see is that people do a colder ferment on white juice from a kit thinking that they will get the delicate fruit and flowery notes that a cool ferment will give with raw grape juice. On a kit, those notes have long been lost due to the processing of the juice, but may be added by the kit manufacturers using other means, like elderflowers, etc.

Good luck in your experiments! Keep us informed on the progress.