71-b

Squatchy · May 28, 2015

I have made a few batches with this yeast. I wonder if my experiences are similar to yours. It does fine but starts to smell after the fermentation is over or very close to over. I tried a taste of my oldest batch with 71-B (5 months) and it taste much better than it had.

Do you have similar results or am I doing something wrong? My second oldest 71-B batch has started tasting better than before as well.

If I were to try and describe what it smells like I would say "open up a new pouch of dried apricots" and that's pretty close.

I'm just about finished with a Pomegranate wine that I used 71-B. I have used only Fermaid -O this time and it smells better. Although it has started smelling a little bit sour in the past day or so.

Kansas Mead · May 29, 2015

Mead will smell different over time. In my experience 71-b is a clean fermenting yeast and to date I have had few issues with the yeast. Any time I use yeast I check the date on the pack to make sure it is good to use. Do you think your yeast is bad?

Squatchy · May 29, 2015

No, it's date was good and I rehydrated it and saw proof before I pitched

valverij · May 29, 2015

Also remember that 71-B is heavy on the esters, specifically isoamyl acetate, which, according to Wikipedia, produces aromas similar to bananas and pears. The combination of those scents with the fact that the mead is young could explain the "bag of apricots" smells that you're seeing.

Fact sheet on 71B: https://www.fulkersonwinery.com/usr/Media/Yeast Media/Lalvin 71B_Yeast.pdf
Wiki entry on isoamyl acetate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoamyl_acetate

Interesting side note, Wikipedia says that isoamyl acetate is also released as a pheromone by a honey bee's sting.

Squatchy · May 29, 2015

Thanks for the links.

One thing I have read and it seems to hold true is never throw anything away. I haven't made anything that was even more than just a slight bit "off". Not enough to worry about. My 71-b batches have been the ones that initially caused me to wonder. And as I said they have gotten better over time.

I did make a cyser that had way to many cloves in it. It tasted pretty bad at first. I did just tuck it away to see what would happen. It was my first 3 gallon batch, and only one JOAM before that. I bough some Mulling spices at Whole Foods and tossed it in. I bet it had 30 cloves. I didn't know any better. After a few months, to my suprise, it was much better. I called that recipe "Clover Dose"

I will probably make another of the same but with 5-6 cloves when fall rolls around.

Chevette Girl · Jun 2, 2015

And don't forget to rack anything with 71B off the lees as it tends to start breaking down much sooner than most other yeasts. I'm not positive but I think that's what the funk in one of my second-run batches is - autolysed 71B.

Squatchy · Jun 2, 2015

Chevette Girl said:
And don't forget to rack anything with 71B off the lees as it tends to start breaking down much sooner than most other yeasts. I'm not positive but I think that's what the funk in one of my second-run batches is - autolysed 71B.

Yep! I racked it off the first groos lees as soon as things slowed down to a crawl.

mannye · Jun 2, 2015

71B seems to have a very wide temperature range. In the past I've noticed that yeasts with this kind of profile tend to get smellier the higher the temps go. This could be exactly what someone wants or, if you're not aware, exactly the problem. Maybe keeping fermentation temps to the lower end of the tolerance will help? 50 to 86F is a wide range. If it were me, I would use the lower range to preserve honey character and the higher temps to add character to generic honey.

Search

71-b

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron

Kansas Mead

Worker Bee

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron

valverij

Got Mead? Patron

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron

mannye

Administrator