ssteufelhund said:
No, the Montrachet should take 6-9 months whereas the Champaigne yeast will take a year or so. I've never had fully fermented mead in a month. The two batches I did last Nov. were made with wine yeast but are finally about done. The one is still rather cloudy but the other one is a beautiful amber/redish color and very clear. Both were done with the same recipe, same yeast batch and same honey producer. Both have been racked 3 times.
Shund,
I've read a few of your posts and I'm seeing that you're operating under some notions about fermentation that are not entirely accurate. Generally only weak, unhealthy fermentations will take more than a month. I alluded to this in another post you made in the past couple of days related to your method of rehydrating your yeast and the way you prepare your must.
The preponderance of my fermentations last two weeks, three at the outside. If they run longer than that I know I've done something wrong. There are exceptions such as low temperature fermentations (60 degrees F and below) for specific applications and very specific yeasts. A quick word on the two yeasts you mentioned in your post below.
From LeSaffre:
Red Star Montrachet
(Davis 522) is a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and has been derived from the collection of the University of California. This strain has been widely used in the U.S. since 1963. It is a strong fermenter with good ethanol tolerance, and will readily ferment grape musts and fruit juices to dryness. This strain also has good tolerance to free sulfur dioxide. This strain is recommended for full bodied reds and whites. It is not recommended for grapes that have recently been dusted with sulfur, because of a tendency to produce hydrogen sulfide in the presence of higher concentrations of sulfur compounds. Montrachet is noted for low volatile acidity, good flavor complexity, and intense color.
Red Star Pasteur Champagne
(Davis 595), a strain of Saccharomyces bayanus, has been derived from a pure culture slant of the Institut Pasteur in Paris. This strain has been widely used in the U.S. since 1968. It is a strong fermenter with good ethanol tolerance, and will readily ferment grape musts and fruit juices to dryness. This strain also has good tolerance to free sulfur dioxide. This strain is recommended for all white wines, some reds and for fruit juices. Although this yeast is somewhat flocculant, it is not commonly used for sparkling wine. Pasteur Champagne has been recommended, by several sources, for restarting stuck fermentations.
Preparation/Rehydration:
Red Star Active Dry Wine Yeast may be used with or without prior rehydration. For best results, add 1 kg. dry yeast to 5-10 liters of water or must at 36°- 39°C (97°- 102°F). After 10-20 minutes, the yeast is ready to use. Yeast activity will be reduced with higher or lower temperatures, or by prolonged soaking. Temper rehydrated yeast by adding small amounts of cool juice prior to inoculating. Warm, freshly rehydrated yeast may not survive inoculation into juice that is significantly colder. Ferments best between 15-30 deg. C, (59-86 deg. F).
The upper and lower temperature range are the extremes at which the yeast will ferment. Generally mead fermentations need to be conducted at 70 degrees or lower and if the temperature climbs to 75 or above for a very short time it won't affect the overall fermentation other than to speed it up. If the temperatures are sustained above 75 and into 80 degrees over time, the flavor of the mead will definitely be altered and it will take a very long time for the volatile fusels and higher alcohols to mellow out if they ever do. The upper fermentation ranges you see are generally related to red wine fermentations which generally tend to run higher on the temperature scale. However, temperature control is key and for every 1 degree brix drop in your must there is a 2.3 degree F increase in temperature. The temperature can build up very quickly and kill off the yeast living in the must when the temperature rises above 100 degrees F.
It's been my experience that Montrachet has a very pronounced "burnt-plastic" flavor in meads that are fermented at temperatures above 75 degrees F, and less pronounced when fermented at 70 degrees or less. You'll also very likely have fusel flavors due to volatilization during both fermentation and aging. These fusels will give your mead a rocket fuel flavor. I've had OK meads with Pasteur Champagne and Premier Cuvee. I like the results I get from the Lallemand yeasts much better though, and I find that I have more vigorous, healthy and rapid fermentations when following proper rehydration and Staggered Nutrient Addition schedules coupled with daily aeration and agitation throughout the fermentation.
Oskaar