The yeast used in wine making and beer making is similar in appearance and function. But there are different types of yeasts for wine making and beer making and each type will impart its own particular flavor to the finished product. Wine made with a beer yeast may have a slightly "beery" flavor as a result.
Most yeasts are sold in packets of dried yeast. This yeast will remain viable for a long time, but it will lose its vigor after awhile. Opened packets in which not all the yeast has been used may be stored in the refrigerator for a while, but it will only keep a few weeks to a few months stored like this.
The yeast should be introduced to the unfermented wine or beer only after it has been "started". Do this by dissolving the yeast in warm, not hot, water and adding some sugar. Stir the mix until all is dissolved. Allow this to stand in a warm place for a day or so. The yeast should start to ferment. The container should form a brown scum on the top. This scum should be removed and the fermenting starter added to the wine or beer.
Yeast converts the sugar in a wort (unfermented beer) or must (unfermentated wine) to carbon dioxide and alcohol. The bubbling of fermentation is the carbon dioxide escaping from the mix. About half the sugar is converted to alcohol, and about half is converted to carbon dioxide.
If you are out of yeast, some fermenting wine may be removed from its container and, with some sugar added, used as a starter for a fresh batch. Make sure you siphon your starter from the bottom of the fermenting wine, as most of the yeast is located here. Back to Home Wine Making Home Beer Making © 2012 Hobby Hobnob
1 comment:
Nice blog! I just bottled a gorgeous orange-chocolate dessert wine a few days ago, and am about to head over to my friendly neighborhood beer and wine making store to figure out what to make next. It's nice to read about someone else who "gets it!"
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