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What Yeasts do you use?

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M

Maikiro

NewBee
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Aug 16, 2012
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Wakefield, United Kingdom
What Yeasts do you use?

What yeast depending on what you are making.

Plain Mead:
Melomel:
Cyser:

What have you found works best.
Not looking at bread yeast.
Also please include the maker of the yeast..

So far I've seen: Lalvin EC-1118, Vintners Harvest Yeast - SN9, Lalvin D47, Montrachet or Cote de Blanc., Lalvin Bourgorouge RC212, Lalvin 71B and K1-V1116

Thanks.
 
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I've only used Lalvin Yeasts (other than bread yeast) so far.

Melomel -- EC-1118, 71b
Cyser -- EC-1118
Plain -- D-47 (though this isn't very friendly to where I live)
Other Fruit -- K1V-1116
Other (Exotic) -- K1V-1116

My Exotics are: Coffee, Chocolate (one with nibs and the other with powder)
 
I like D-47 and K1V for cysers. Traditionals I've enjoyed D-47, K1V, D254, BA-11, and I'm trying DV10 now.

71B is nice for quicker meads and does well with "fresh" fruit flavors. I tend to prefer the "fermented" flavors, so I don't use 71B very often.

I've had good luck with RC-212, though it can be hard to keep fed.
 
D21 is my go to yeast. Below 70F it's supper clean and adds some acid so I don't have to add as much (if at all), 70-74F it produces very interesting esters that age out to back up the floral notes. I'm also currently using it in a lychee-raspberry melomel to induce a vibrantly acid wine (kind of like Mosel reisling or chablis).
71B is great for fruity melomels, just watch the lees (estas no bueno!).
D10 for really low temp ferments to get all the honey aroma.
BDX is good for bordeaux inspired melomels where you want some higher temps, and lots of red tannins.
D47 gives nice full bodied meads and some citrusy spice notes for sur lie, just don't go over 72F (the closer to 68F the safer).
EC 1118 is always usefull if things get stuck, or if you want to make some rocket fuel (20+abv).
I haven't tried many others, K1V is nice but I like D21 more, these are what I keep in stock.
 
I've really only messed with the Lalvin stuff too.

I like RC-212 for anything fruity, it's wonderful if you can keep it fed.
K1V-1116 has been consistently decent for cysers and ciders and just about anything else, it has replaced EC-1118 as my go-to yeast.
I still use EC-1118 if I'm doing a high-grav start or going for something high-alcohol.
D47 has been really nice for traditionals and metheglyns if I can keep it cool.
71B has also done some nice meads and fruit wines for me but I'm kind of lax when it comes to getting it off its lees, which is not good.

Oh, and bread yeast. I go through a lot of that for JAO-inspired variations.
 
When I was making fruit wines, it seemed that my go to was Montrachet by red star. It made a nice semi sweet at about 14% and kept the floral aroma.

Now I use D47 a lot, especially for cysers. But beginning to explore new options like Cotes Des Blancs by red star... used this one in a Dandelion mead. Suppose to keep it sweet and have floral notes.
 
I live in warm, sunny FL and do NOT ferment is a temp controlled environment (which means any type of temp regulated fridge/freezer) I only do my meads during the winter when the house temp is cool (for us folks in FL) upper 60's to lower 70's. Whats a good dry yeast to use for traditionals and cysers? I'm getting ready to make a few in the next week or so and want to see what you all think.

Cheers!
 
Lalvin 71B-1122 or Red Star Cote des Blancs, keep them at 65°F if possible but both will work warmer.
 
Kitzinger Reinhefe for mead. Treat like a white wine or you'll be drinking fusels for the next 2 years.
 
I like CY3079 and QA23 for traditional.
QA23 for melomel/metheglyn- this is a great yeast alone or in combination to preserve aromas. it was developed JUST to preserve aromas.
CY3079- is a slow fermenter but because it is less vigorous it seems to require less ageing.

Both of these are great for aromas. While everyone's tastes is linked to smell, it is more with some than others. If your sense of smell is weak, then I am not sure how good these yeast would be for you.

I live in Cincinnati on the 3rd floor so May-November I have to use 1116 or 1118. But honestly I try not ferment at all because those two blow off a lot of good aromas even though they are temp tolerant.

Generally speaking I like Lalvin yeast better because you can look up if the yeast is low, medium, or high in nutrition requirements. Red Star and other companies make it harder to find out that information. If it was not for the BOMM protocol I would not know about Wyeast 1388 but it appears to require VERY high nutrition requirements.
I plugged in the amount into the TiONSA protocol and worked backwards. Assuming 1 gram DAP= 2grams fermaid-K, the multiplication factor was 2.375 which is almost double the multiplication factor for "high" nitrogen requiring yeast.
 
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miss_rach said:
I live in warm, sunny FL and do NOT ferment is a temp controlled environment (which means any type of temp regulated fridge/freezer) I only do my meads during the winter when the house temp is cool (for us folks in FL) upper 60's to lower 70's. Whats a good dry yeast to use for traditionals and cysers? I'm getting ready to make a few in the next week or so and want to see what you all think.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

D21 is my warm weather yeast. K1V will work if you've got nothing else but I noticed it can get stinky at higher temps even when properly fed.
 
caduseus said:
If it was not for the BOMM protocol I would not know about Wyeast 1388 but it appears to require VERY high nutrition requirements.
Click to expand...

Anyone else into using ale yeasts? i have a ginger mead going with the 1388 so far so good, but this weekend ill be using Omega West Coast Ale IV OYL-050.... id like to know more about using ale yeasts....
 
I like RC212 for melomels, preserves the aroma very well. I'm thinking about making a blood-orange rhubarb melomel with the Vitner Harvest fruit base, from the thread below it sounds like QA23 might be a good option for that. I had been thinking about experimenting by using D47 with it, I know most people here just use it for trads, but I was considering seeing how it would go in a melomel.
 
My workhorse is K1V fermented cold. I love R2 for certain traditionals. I also love using White Labs Saison I for my hydromels.
 
HeidrunsGift said:
I like RC212 for melomels, preserves the aroma very well. I'm thinking about making a blood-orange rhubarb melomel with the Vitner Harvest fruit base, from the thread below it sounds like QA23 might be a good option for that. I had been thinking about experimenting by using D47 with it, I know most people here just use it for trads, but I was considering seeing how it would go in a melomel.
Click to expand...

For those interested in QA 23: http://www.eaton.com/EN/ecm/idcplg?...aveAs=0&Rendition=Primary&dDocName=PCT_868230.

Like i said before: it depends on your nose. Some people's taste buds are more linked to smell than others.

I have one friend who has a super-nose. Less aroma is better for him. Other friends have a weak nose and more aroma from this yeast is better.
For some this yeast would be a great asset but for others it could be overwhelming.
 
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