just a quick yeast q

[bill]

i have some youngs yeast that states to use 1tsp . i had a pack of youngs wine yeast (5g) there wasnt a lot left in it so i did an experiment.

i havnt started my first 3 wines nor my ciders with a yeast starter and just dropped the yeast in. all worked.

this time on starting my wine #2 i made a yeast starter using 1/4 tsp of the red wine yeast and some must ( juice /acid /sugar etc) im not sure if my ingredients can be classed as a must , waited for it to rehydrate and then pitched it .. all working away happily..

so q is , if i make a starter using 1/4tsp is there any point using more in the future as it will multiply.

or was this because the youngs red wine yeast ( 5g sachet ) is better quality then the general yeast ( in a tub )

just seems a waste using 1tsp if 1/4 will do .

would using more than needed effect the taste at all ..

billy

[goldseal]

1/4 tsp is about 1.25g, which should be sufficient for a gallon.

I would strongly recommend rehydrating the yeast, and mkaing a starter (a bit of grape huice, a bit of water, a bit of sugar, a bit of acid and nutrient - there is a thread in the Tutorials section).

This does two things: it establishes the viability of the yeast, and it allows the yeast colony to multiply. When you add the starter to your must, you'll have a large, healthy colony which can get to work immediately.

I'd be tempted to make up a starter from a full sachet of yeast, and build it up to almost a full bottle (maybe 500ml). You could then add maybe 125ml to your must. Tope the bottle back up to 500ml with starter liquid (juice + water + sugar) and the colony will multiply again. In theory you could carry on indefinitely.

The reason NOT to carry on indefinitely is that you could have some other bugs in the starter, which will also multiply over time.

[bill]

yes , iv progressed into making starters now anyway as it seems the correct way to do it .

billy