WineXpert WE SE Chardonnay Ferm Temp

[NoSnob]

I pitched the yeast yesterday on a WE SE Sonoma Dry Creek Valley (Unwooded) Chardonnay. My question is about the proper fermentation temperature.
In the last several months I have made their SE Mosel Valley Gewurztraminer and kept the room temp for both fermentation and aging in glass around 66-70. It turned out great! Winemaker mag recommends lower temps for whites, in the mid-60s F. They're not talking about kits though. However, the WE instructions (and I think they're consistent for both whites and reds) call for a temp of 72-75 F.

What do you recommend here? Thanks

NS

 

[cpfan]

I pitched the yeast yesterday on a WE SE Sonoma Dry Creek Valley (Unwooded) Chardonnay. My question is about the proper fermentation temperature.
In the last several months I have made their SE Mosel Valley Gewurztraminer and kept the room temp for both fermentation and aging in glass around 66-70. It turned out great! Winemaker mag recommends lower temps for whites, in the mid-60s F. They're not talking about kits though. However, the WE instructions (and I think they're consistent for both whites and reds) call for a temp of 72-75 F.

What do you recommend here? Thanks

NS

Personally I go with the 72-75F until the wine is clear. Certainly degassing will be much easier at that temperature.

Steve

 

[robie]

The yeast strain utilized is a big factor in the proper temperature range.

The yeast supplied with a kit are probably higher temperature loving yeast. If you try to lower the temperature too much below the yeasts' proper temperature range, you can easily end up with a stuck fermentation.

For commercial white wines, if they want to keep the temperature lower, so they can preserve fruit flavors and such, they will likely utilize a yeast, which likes lower temperatures, like D47, which has an operating range of the upper 50's F to the upper 60's F.

All this aside, for a white, you typically will always want the lower end of the desired temperature range for the yeast. An example of what I am trying to say is - if the range for the yeast is 72F to 85F, stick as close to 72F as possible.

 

[NoSnob]

Thanks Steve. I hadn't thought about its effect on degassing. That's why I appreciate all you guys experience!
NS

 

[NoSnob]

Robie it looks like I need to warm things up a bit. Right now the door to my tiny winery is closed & no heat gets in. All I have to do to get it to around 72 is to open the door!
Thanks

NS

 

[robie]

Use a brew belt. They work great (and the flies won't get in).

Here in Colorado, the opposite happens when the door is opened.
I do my cold stabilization in the garage, no frig or freezer required!!