Yeast Nutrient

[wineview]

I have always used Fermax Yeast nutrient if needed in my wine. I recently placed an order with LD Carlson online and ordered some yeast nutrient. To my surprise it was not Fermax and didn't look like it either. As some of you may know Fermax is beige in color with a very powdery consistency. The yeast nutrient I received is white and resembles salt. The package says it contains Food grade Urea and Diammonium Phosphate. Recommended dosage 1 tsp per gallon. Is this product for beer or wine?

Thanks
WV

 

[David Violante]

What you have there is DAP... While it’s a nutrient of sorts, it’s like junk food for yeast. It can be used in winemaking, but there are some other options as well like Fermaid O and Fermaid K. Using GoFerm to rehydrate your yeast is a good option as well. It’s a good idea to look at the nutrient requirements of your yeast, get an idea of the nutrients present in your must, and bridge the gap on a schedule that gets it all in prior to the 1/3 break.

There are some great posts here on YAN, nutrient requirements, and schedules of addition. It all depends on what you have, what you need, and how you prefer to get there.

 

[stickman]

The two components listed, DAP and urea, are examples of inorganic nitrogen sources. High quality yeast nutrients will contain additional components such as yeast extract, vitamins and minerals, and yeast hulls. Urea has been eliminated from most of the modern formulations.

You can look up ethyl carbamate and determine for yourself if you want to add additional urea to wine. The use of urea as a fermentation supplement is prohibited in the US. BATF has found that the use of urea is not considered acceptable in good commercial practice among wine producers and has rescinded the listing of urea as an authorized treatment (Federal Register, Vol. 55, No. 118, 24974-24982, 06/19/90).

I personally stick with the modern nutrient formulations that have removed urea, they may not necessarily be any better, but hopefully they are at least current with the latest information on the subject.

 

[Rembee]

Just to expand on this a little more so that there is no confusion.
In Fermaid O the nitrogen is organically derived in the form of autolyzed yeasts. In Fermaid K the source of nitrogen is DAP or diammonium phosphate which is a salt produced artificially.

Both will work but if your wanting to go Organic then Fermaid O is the way to go.
CellarScience Fermaid O is the one that I use with good results. The dosage is 1.5 grams per gallon.

Go-Ferm is more designed for yeast rehydration and works well in conjunction with Fermaid O when the staggered addition method is used during the fermentation.

 

[David Violante]

Just to expand on this a little more so that there is no confusion.
In Fermaid O the nitrogen is organically derived in the form of autolyzed yeasts. In Fermaid K the source of nitrogen is DAP or diammonium phosphate which is a salt produced artificially.

Both will work but if your wanting to go Organic then Fermaid O is the way to go.
CellarScience Fermaid O is the one that I use with good results. The dosage is 1.5 grams per gallon.

Go-Ferm is more designed for yeast rehydration and works well in conjunction with Fermaid O when the staggered addition method is used during the fermentation.

Agreed… I should have been a little more clear in my original post; thank you for expanding… Fermaid K also has many other micronutrients that are helpful in attaining a good nutrient environment for yeast (than straight DAP). I end up using a combination of GoFerm, O & K based on wine or mead and yeast nutrient needs. As @Rembee indicated, 1.5 g/gall is a good dosing.

 

[wineview]

Agreed… I should have been a little more clear in my original post; thank you for expanding… Fermaid K also has many other micronutrients that are helpful in attaining a good nutrient environment for yeast (than straight DAP). I end up using a combination of GoFerm, O & K based on wine or mead and yeast nutrient needs. As @Rembee indicated, 1.5 g/gall is a good dosing.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think I'm hearing, trash the DAP.

WV

 

[David Violante]

Well, there are definitely uses for DAP. It could be a part of your usual nutrient regimen and if I remember correctly may help in a close-to-stuck fermentation (if the other parameters of a stuck fermentation are fixed/addressed) so I wouldn’t toss it just yet (please correct me if I’m wrong here folks). I think it will come down to personal preference and experience.

I prefer to use Go Ferm, and Fermaid O & K at scheduled additions up to the 1/3 break, but that’s just my comfort level and experience (remember K has some DAP in it). You will get a bunch of different experiences here as well. There are a lot of ways up the mountainside, each with its own merits and based on local conditions and experiences.