5 replies to this topic

[Rebbuxton]

I'm finishing up my 2nd kit wine (never made wine before) and while drinking a bottle of the first kit my wife said that she was glad I had told her about "kit taste" because she definitely recognized the flavor in the wine. I couldn't taste it.

I first made Trinity Red then CC Showcase Amarone. Two very different wines but both kits came with EC1118 yeast packets.

I'm currently listening to a podcast on winemaking and one of the hosts said that different yeasts are better for different grapes (I knew that) and added that yeasts will bring out different flavors in the wine (didn't know that).

My questions are:

1. Is the yeast that goes with the kits (EC1118) a yeast that is very hardy and used in kits because of the variability of temp/environment by home winemakers but may not be the best yeast to use?

2. Are there better yeasts to use for individual grapes or kits than what comes with the kits and what's the best resource on this?

I live in Nashville, a pretty decent size town, and have access to a winemaking shop where I can easily experiment with different yeasts and then there's always the internet.

Thanks,

Reb

[tom sawyer]

They use EC1118 for kits because the concentration process used to produce the kit juices creates some cross-linked sugars that are tougher for a yeast to metabolize, and EC1118 does the best job of chewing these up. It also has modest nutrient requirements and the kits have nutrient levels that are proper for this yeast. i've tried a different yeast a couple of times and got away with it, but honestly it didn't make a huge difference and the potential down sides make it not worth the risk.

[croat]

I've never had to venture away from red star.
For this I say Red Star Premier Curvée - all around performer.



If you want to read more
http://winemakermag.com/guide/yeast

[JW Austin]

The question of switching yeast comes up on the forum periodically. The consensus opinion of the various gurus seems to be, don't do it. I believe no less an authority than Zac Brown advises against switching the yeast in kits. Of course, grape wine making is a different story. Here is what Tim Vandergrift had to say about this topic:

As for yeast, one can induce short-term changes in kit flavour--indeed, there are some strains that can produce immense changes in fruit character and aromatics. But these don't last. If I'm asking people to hold their wines for six months before trying them, and they actually fall apart in that period (after the short-term esters break down) I'm going backward.

Heh, there's a German strain that in the right kit smells like juicy fruit gum for the first three months. Then it smells like a teenager's gym socks. Better yeast? Not for me.

[croat]

And for the few kits I made with Lavin - never noticed any difference in taste over Red Star.

[Wineau]

Tim has an article on this in the latest Winemaker magazine.