Riesling yeast?

[aryoung1980]

What is your favorite yeast for making Riesling? What is your preferred fermentation temperature?

I'm leaning towards the Wyeast 4783 Sweet Wine. However the price tag is deterring me since dry yeast is so affordable and I'd need more than one smack pack of the Wyeast for 5 gallons.


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[sour_grapes]

I don't have any experience, but have you seen this resource: http://www.lallemandwine.us/cellar/riesling.php ?

 

[Deezil]

R-HST & W15 both were fantastic for me; I ended up blending the two.

Purchased them from MoreWine

 

[cpfan]

What is your favorite yeast for making Riesling? What is your preferred fermentation temperature?

I'm leaning towards the Wyeast 4783 Sweet Wine. However the price tag is deterring me since dry yeast is so affordable and I'd need more than one smack pack of the Wyeast for 5 gallons.


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Why do you think that you would need more than one package? Fine print on package says good for 6 gallons.

Hover over the bottom of the picture at this site.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/wyeast-4783-sweet-white-wine-yeast.html

Steve

 

[aryoung1980]

I know from using Wyeast for brewing beer that one smack pack isn't an optimal pitching rate for 5 gallons of moderate strength beer. The yeast will stress when under pitched and create unwanted esters.

Along with a less than desirable amount of yeast, it is almost impossible to obtain a package so fresh that is 100% viable.

Considering that one smack pack isn't enough for a 1.056 wort, I am highly skeptical that one smack pack of wine yeast would be suitable for six gallons of 1.080-1.090 must.

I understand that they are different strains of yeast and will perform differently. However, Wyeast business practices do not change between beer and wine. If one is low, I'd bet the other is too.

I'd rather play it safe and pitch an optimal amount, or a slight over pitch, of yeast.


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[JohnT]

I made some dry Riesling last fall and it turned out quite yummy. I used D47 yeast. Perhaps not traditional, but it did produce a very tasty wine with all of the usual Riesling nuances.

 

[aryoung1980]

What temperature did you ferment at with the D47?


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[chitownwine]

Been using q23 for most of my aromatic whites with good results. Try to ferment a little cooler like 65.

 

[aryoung1980]

I was thinking lower temps myself for a white wine


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[Deezil]

Lower temps, 65-68F -ish, are better at retaining the aromatics in the wines and keeps the heat generated from the fermentation from changing the flavors in the wine, as much. Pretty much the standard with white wines

As JohnT hinted at, you'll usually find too that the yeasts used for white wines have clean profiles and don't leave a whole lot of impact on the flavor and aroma of the wine.. Granted, all strains have some impact, but strains of yeast isolated for white wines are generally less intrusive than those isolated for reds. They try to help the varietal shine.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I have put one pack into a 8 gallon batch without any trouble

 

[aryoung1980]

I'm not doubting one pack would work. My experience has shown me that making a starter or using two packs is better with liquid yeast.


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[JohnT]

What temperature did you ferment at with the D47?

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Well, let me take a question that is easy to answer and make it very complicated.

I am a big fan of Riesling. In fact, Riesling accounts for 90% of my family's vineyard in Hungary. What I truly LOVE about this grape is that there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter vintage. The resulting wines are by far some of the most diverse wines going.

Let me explain. Riesling is a grape that does very well in cold climates, but can also thrive in much warmer climates as well. Riesling can be found from the northern portions of Germany, to the southern parts of Hungary. Climates that are as different as Georgia and Maine.

Although fermentation temps can control your final result, Rieslings in northern climates tend to be sweeter and fruitier for another reason. In colder climates, Riesling vines will produce a much lower sugar content than in warmer climates. In some cases, the must simply does not reach high temps before the yeast dies off. These colder climate grapes also tend to be much more acidic. Sugar is added in many cases to offset that acid. This too accounts for that more "cold weather" taste of Rieslings from colder climates.

My family produces an olasriesling. This is a dry, crisp, light white Riesling from the much warmer climate of lake balaton. In this style, I let the grapes COOOOOOK! I need to check my records, but I think that my must peaked out at around 92 or 94 degrees. It was damn yummy when I last racked/filtered.

Update: I do remember that the brix on this was 22% and the TA was a firm .70.

 

[big-al]

I am trying an experiment with a Riesling that I scored from Amazon. It is a Chateau Classico 6 Week Wine Kit, 40 Pound Box that I paid $43 for. It only took a gallon and half of water for 23L. According to the Lallemand's grape & yeast pairing, they rate BM4x4 (my favorite yeast ) a 4 for white wine.
I have had great success with this yeast on Reds, produces a fruit forward wine.
so what the heck why not give it a try on a white wine

I will be pitching later today and give feedback in the future.