Yeast

[thunda_600]

Is there a tub of yeast that i can buy so i dont have to keep buying the sachets every time i want to make a batch of wine, i noticed a lot of the recipes say 1tsp of yeast so there must a good yeast in a tub i can buy ?

[fatbloke]

Is there a tub of yeast that i can buy so i dont have to keep buying the sachets every time i want to make a batch of wine, i noticed a lot of the recipes say 1tsp of yeast so there must a good yeast in a tub i can buy ?

I seem to recall that one of the "big boys" - Ritchies or Youngs or somebody like that does a "general purpose" yeast in a tub.

I also seem to recall reading here abouts that it's quite mediocre, producing "average" wines.

That's not to be disparaging of their product.

Personally I use mainly Lalvin yeasts (some of it has come from the US, some of it from Bob (lockwood1959) when he has some "in stock").

Some of the members here swear by the Gervin yeasts (some HBS stock them).

I'd suggest that you think about what it is that you make most of, and then stock up with some of the yeast you use most frequently.

For example, I make mainly meads etc, so I always have both 71B and D47, but if I'm making something with "Red" fruit, I try to keep a few packs of RC212. That said, if I screw up somewhere and get a stuck ferment, rather than going for the old favourite of EC-1118, which is a champagne yeast, I prefer to go for K1V-1116. Mainly because I don't want any of the "champagne characteristics", and that K1V is more likely to retain much more of the original fruitiness. Yes, I'm happy to admit that I've found that when using the K1V, it often produces a wine that is "rough as hell" when young, but it does seem to age beautifully.

I understand that I'd be able to do similarly, with the Gervin yeasts, but having not used them I couldn't tell you which is which, without spending some time digging around the net.

Young's do various sachets as well, but rather than having numbers like the lalvin and Gervin yeasts they name them by the type of product that they're used for.

dunno if any of that is any help or not

regards

JtFB

p.s. oh and against buying yeasts "by the tub", would you use a whole tub before it "goes off"/out of date, baring in mind that a 5gramme sachet is usually enough for 5 gallons so if I comes in 100gramme tubs that's 20 batches of 1 to 5 gallons.

[thunda_600]

Thanks fatbloke its made me rethink about the yeast, i will do some more research and probably just buy in a few sachets for red and whites.

[fatbloke]

Thanks fatbloke its made me rethink about the yeast, i will do some more research and probably just buy in a few sachets for red and whites.

As I say, it's just a case of working out what it is that you like to make regularly i.e. red or white, normal or stronger (higher alcohol etc) and then taking it from there.

As far as I remember the sachets have "use by" dates on them so you can just keep a few of the usual candidates and then just get anything else you might want to have for "specials".

If you google for lalvin yeasts there's a nice data sheet on them - from memory it's quite extensive listing ones that are only available in bulk as well as the ones that are sold in the 5g sachets (aimed specifically home wine makers ???).

That'd give you an idea of what to keep as "stock" and then you should be able to work out the equivalents of other brands etc.

I'd say that if you read up on :-

EC-1118
K1V-1116
D47
71B-1122
RC 212

then that should cover most of your bases.

Here's the link to "their" quick reference chart. Though as I said you'd have to "weed" it as it's quite extensive, covering pretty much, all of the yeasts that they do.

regards

JtFB

[thunda_600]

Thats fatbloke thats a great help its appreciated