Yeast Nutrient

[u01dtj6]

Hey,


I'm a bit of a 'newbie' in homebrewing. But, I have a question for you guys who are experienced.


Should I add Yeast Nutrient to every batch of wine I make? Or is this only reserved to flower country wines? (probably a very silly question - but my dad showed me how to make apple wine from concentrate and didn't use nutrient - whereas he showed me to do Tea and Sultana wine and used it then!)


Any comments would be appreciated!

 

[vcasey]

Feeding your yeast will help to keep them happy and healthy and led to a nice fermentation without off smells and tastes. Most of the time.
VC

 

[JimCook]

Wine manufacturers want the kits that you make to ferment to dryness so you are happy and consequently they are happy. Because of this, they kick up the nitrogen (YANC rating) of the kits to provide plenty of nitrogen to start fermentation. As the yeast head down to from let's say the 1.090 to the 1.045 range, however, the nitrogen will be depleted. Can you run clean fermentations without adding any yeast nutrient - yes, especially with yeast like EC-1118 that is supplied with most kits.




If you are making country wines or wine from grapes where the nitrogen levels may start lower, yeast nutrient will help to give the yeast a nitrogen-rich environment in which to do their business.


Depending on what kind of yeast you are using and what the starting nitrogen levels are, using yeast nutrient may help to ensure that your yeasts are happily fermenting and like Vcasey states, not producing any off smells or tastes.


- Jim