Yeasts we Use for Wine Cider and Mead - Demystifying Yeast Selection

[@mikej9655]

You guys are the first stop if I need information! And the reason I got into brewing! Great channel!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@tomgrafstrom3019]

Hey you guys it's been a long time, the last time I left a message I was little bit drunk on the wine that you guys taught me how to make any how ,amazing that's all I can say ,thank you for everything you've done for me and you're doing everybody else, we love it

[@Dave_en]

The common questions I get asked by the youngsters who have heard about wine making for the first time are 1) how to make wine within 2-3 days? and 2) how to make 45% ABV wine? Many guys at our place are least interested in the art of wine making and rather want to get cheap booze without giving sincere efforts. Jokes apart, I have mostly used bread yeast due to difficulty in getting specialized wine yeast. Sometimes it flocculated nicely into cakes (especially in mead) and mostly it doesn't in the case of wines. It generally takes 2.5-3 months to fully clear the wine/mead.

[@Dave_en]

@@FunkyFyreMunky as Mr Brian told in the video, I agree with his views. I'm satisfied with 12-14% ABV and don't try to push limits. It has some undesirable characteristics and the result is unpredictable. We need lots of nutrients and energizers which will impart different taste in the wine. I provide organic/natural nutrients and let the wine ferment on its own. Also degassing twice a day till end of primary fermentation surely helps the yeasts. I have used 1.75kg of sugar and 6 Kgs of grapes for making 7litres of wine. Calculated the total sugar and miraculously the sweetness of wine vanished. I don't have hydrometer so could not estimate the actual ABV. I guess it's almost 14% if not more. Now it's left for clearing. Hope for the best.

[@82spoon82]

Let's talk about yeast baby. Let's talk about Rum and Mead, let's talk about all the good things...ok I will stop.

[@FunkyFyreMunky]

Wow, that's a blast from the 90's I wasn't expecting today! Thanks!

[@Jimjolnir]

Thanks, you saved me some time xD

[@michaelgf8840]

You two are awesome. I'm learning so much thru your channel. I've got the first cider gallon simmering now...with bread yeast.

[@angelscott4526]

How did that go? I started with safale and wonder how bread yeast would do as I am running low on safale. I use store juice for now. Thanks.

[@skillculator7408]

Great explanations....I typed in the question about yeasts and you answered it brilliantly

[@DukeTrout]

Thanks for putting all your insight into yeast varieties into one video! I’ve picked up bits and pieces of it from your other videos, but it’s nice to have it all in one place. Your insight into EC-1118 is particularly interesting to me. I made my very first mead batches earlier this year, using EC-1118. I made two, one gallon batches and started them in the garage. Up north. In winter. One gallon didn’t even get going. It moved two points of gravity in a month. The other did better (it was in a better, more insulated vessel) and moved about 40 points in the same month. I had thought the temperature in my garage at the time varied from mid-50s F to low 60s F. Then I took a temperature reading over where the brews were: 48 to 54 degrees. Ugh. No wonder they were slow. But the gallon that was actually fermenting TASTED AMAZING. I brought both brews inside after a month and they both got going better. The tasty one stayed really tasty - until near the end, when it went kinda...grapey. I only had raisins in the brew for nutrients, and that flavor really came forward. I’m hoping that conditioning will mature that flavor, but it remains to be seen. That other brew, that was stuck when it was out in the garage? It’s still fermenting, almost 4 months later. Hey, at least it’s close to done.

[@jackeljas4104]

The ec1118 I used. And said let work for 14 days and burned through all the sugars in 7 days and bubbler stopped on 7/8 day. And when I checked left me with .990 on sg. So yeah I had same results. Another great video. Keep them coming.

[@sempergumby2341]

My first batch of traditional just finished fermenting. OG was 1.123, FG was 1.001. Used Lalvin 71B. Yeah, a 14% yeast yielded 16.47% and it came out great despite the alcoholly new brew taste. Nothing a bit of time cant fix. Thank you for guiding me through it ya'll!

[@thedullohanvids]

I recently tasted my rendition of Vikings Blood. It's about 9 months old, made with both sweet and tart cherry juice, dried cherries and fresh, honey and the yeast I used was 71b. It was so good. I really loved it. By far the best mead I have made to date.

[@captainhennahead2323]

This was great! I'm using Kroger active dry for my first run, and so far everything looks good, but my future plans are to ferment dry, then backsweeten. I don't want to go higher abv than 14%, that's perfect for my plans. 71 Beast it shall be for me! Thanks you two!!

[@MrSweetbabyray]

Just throwing this out there because it was Mentioned for a second I live in north western pa in what's called the snow belt. The average outside temp in the winter is around 28 I've seen negative 35-40. My point in this Brian style ramble is the side room I ferment in gets quite cold as there is no heat in the room and a door that lets out what heat there is. So for me the temperature a yeast ferments is extremely important. Red Star premier cuvee is the best yeast I've seen for cold temps I'm talking primary at 50 degree s it doesn't blink and has never stalled once. The blessing/curse though is it is an 18 percent yeast so it will make rocket fuel

[@jesseamaya4413]

Exactly my concern with what I'm using. Lavin ec8111 I think. Has a temp tolerance of up to 95F? I think. Here in south TX it gets a little warm even in winter.

[@crawdaddct]

Yea, Going back and watching older videos. I have to say, I used Champagne yeast for close to 10 years. It definitely got the job done. Just had to make sure It all settled out, didn’t care for the aftertaste if it was in the wine. Switched to D47. Enjoyed it, but like you, I wasn’t going to keep my house cool enough to get consistent results. With nutrients and the hot Texas summer, I was able to push it to about 17%, 🤷🏼‍♂️. Wasn’t really trying too. I’ve started trying 71B. So far like it. Was impressed how fast it chewed through a mixed fruit mead. My D47 cherry mead I started before it is still conditioning and went way too dry, had to back sweeten. Thanks for the information and good videos.

[@jesseamaya4413]

That one comment nailed it square. Drink for flavor, not to get plastered. I aint wasting my time trying to make jet fuel, I want something that tastes good.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Exactly.

[@FunkyFyreMunky]

If I'm going for a quick, dry wine then I'll use lalvin EC1118. If I'm going for a standard 14% sweetened fruit wine I'll use Lalvin D47. If I'm making a rich, sweet dessert wine and don't mind waiting and tinkering a little (low attenuation, doesn't like honey very much so may need restarting for a mead but in my experience very worth the use) I'll use Gervin GV6 sauternes yeast. Cannot stress how good Gervin GV6 is for dessert wines. I did a lychee wine from tinned fruit and it was one of the best wines I've ever made... from tinned fruit! Especially good if you're in a cold area as it'll ferment as low as 5°C (41°F).

[@jsaucee1]

Can you share your lychee recipe?

[@FunkyFyreMunky]

@@jsaucee1 I can indeed. You'll need 6 x 500g tins of lychee in light syrup, the juice of 4 limes, Gervin GV6 sauternes yeast (that's what I used, sauternes yeast tends to give a floral aroma, but I reckon you could use Lalvin 71B or similar. You'll want tropical/floral esters), sugar and water. Seperate the fruit from the syrup and dump all of the syrup into the fermentation vessel (no sense in wasting fruit-infused sugar). Put 2/3 of the fruit into the fermentation vessel with the syrup. Keep 1/3 in a food bag and freeze. I used this for back-sweetening, rather than using sugar. Top the vessel off with water and sugar to 1.100 Specific gravity, or your desired ABV potential (sorry I don't have sugar quantities, but it's easy to add bit by bit and eyeball a hydrometer) and pitch your yeast. My wine fermented down to 0.998 S.G., I racked it off the fruit and lees onto the remainder of the lychees from the freezer in a "conditioning"/"secondary" demijohn, giving it a delicate fruit-sweetness rather than a sugary sweetness. The taste was strong lychees, slightly acidic with a beautiful aroma. Tangy, tropical lychee, floral notes and a faint peppery smell that mellows after aging. Enjoy!

[@bryanmoore7229]

Yous guys are on a roll! Thanks again for the video! 😊😎

[@jeffrichardsonoutdoorschan5324]

Hey Brian and Derrica! Recently started watching your channel and absolutely love what you guys are doing! I never realized how easy home brewing is based on how complicated everyone else makes it. You guys have inspired me to start my own home brews and possibly post some videos of my progress. Just started my first cider batch yesterday with pineapple. Thanks again for sharing!

[@trentwalters]

Great channel and amen on the yeast knowledge it’s an enjoyable experience not to get plastered

[@ryman9336]

I’ve got D47 fermented brews to 17 and 18% Much love from Long Island you guys rock!

[@wesleygoldstone4770]

Here in South Africa with the lockdown. Sale of alcohol is illegal. All brewing yeast been pulled off the shelves. I'm getting good results form bread yeast. I don't have a hyromiter anymore as my daughter dropped it. I'm guestimating that my cider is about 6-7% range. Judging from the kick compared to a 5% commercially bought beer. Anyway thank you for the videos. Loads of info on your channel.

[@wesleygoldstone4770]

By the way fermentation is only 8 days. Get to thirsty to wait longer.

[@chiho9158]

With all the stores being sold out of bakers yeast, for my very first batch of bread, I did the reverse. I ended up using two old (opened) packs of wine yeast from my fridge to make a no knead bread. I saved some of the hydrated yeast and made a dough starter (levain) to keep yeast alive and make more bread with.

[@arbitraryAstronaut]

first time checking in for a little while. gla to see both of you guys looking happy and healthy :) thanks for the videos!

[@jgarner3861]

Brian I'm diggin that tshirt...great message from a great man for homebrewers and life in general...

[@Queen_of_Hearts-Sharnell]

I personally think that Bob Ross and Jeff Lynne are the same person.

[@qdmc12]

Awesome, I've been waiting for someone [you] to do an in-depth discussion on the commons, with comparisons to bread yeast (namely Fleischmans). Thank you! Can't wait for the sugar video!

[@robertcaldwell7918]

Brian You guys do an exceptional explanation on making homemade wine and I'm from Kentucky common sense is a common sense and like I said from what I learned from You I know that I will be able to make a couple gallons and Thanks so much

[@GeorgeKhan]

I know this is 2 years old, but I wanted to comment about the "bread taste" around the 12 min mark. I recently used nutritional "deactivated" yeast and noticed that it has a distinct wholesome bread taste when eaten in powder uncooked form. It's also pretty delicious! But the odd thing is that nutritional yeast is Saccharomyces Cerevisiae grown on a medium made of glucose from sugarcane or beet molasses, not flour, meaning the distinct bread flavour comes from the yeast, not flour. It's also why baked goods made with baking soda instead of yeast do not have that "bread" taste. I think it is possible some people are simply more sensitive and can taste it from the small amount of yeast left in the brew, while most of us might not taste it at all.

[@robertlrosekranssr7409]

Thank you for making this video !! I’ve been anxiously waiting for this information !! As far as the bready taste.... perhaps it’s because of the CO2 “footy” (other gases) in there as well, that comes with Fleischmanns bread yeast I’ve noticed that the apple wine I’ve made with it has a small amount of “oh dears” I can pick up even after a month or so but the wine taste great, a little dry, but it’s good. Like Derica was saying in the banana wine video the nose and the taste buds are connected and the power of suggestion can be a struggle bus endeavor lol !! Thanks again guys !!

[@kenw7098]

Great video, the charts will be great to help people understand what the tolerance of the yeast maybe.

[@GaaraJunkie]

I have come across DCL dry yeast that is advertised to withstand humid & hot climates- it is also advertised to be used for baking & wine-making I will give it a shot to see if it holds true to what it’s advertised to work

[@guidohendriks7085]

First off, thank you for all your great video's, love what you're doing... keep up the good work. Because of yeast availablity issues in Europe and especially in the Netherlands, I was limited in choosing my yeast and only got the Bulldog brews mead yeast at one point. On the package is says that it has yeast and nutrient and that it is a high alcohol (nothing else). I've got a brew going only with wildflower honey, water and this yeast and it is already at 15%. Two weeks ago I started stepfeeding to see what it can do before I'm going to use it in another recipe. Just wondering if you've had some experience with this yeast as I can't find any real info on it like alcohol tolerance and taste (in relation with certain mead recipes). Thanks and all the best from Holland

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sorry, never even heard of that yeast. There's very little info on it out there too. Couldn't find anything more than you did.

[@Nugs0153]

Hey Brian & Derica, thanks for all your awesome info in your videos. I feel like I'm starting to maybe overload my brain a little bit with all of the research I've been doing on starting my first brew, and I was wondering if you could straighten something out for me. I'm looking to start with 1 gal of Mead with 2-2.5lbs of honey. I'm hoping for ~12% ABV in the end. Is 12% within the realm of reason with that amount of honey? What sort of gravity numbers should I expect and what sort of yeast should I use to attain that 12%?

[@muninrob]

An added note on a side effect of using yeast that leaves "whispies" in the bottle (red star bread yeast from personal experience) if you back sweeten them they tend to carbonate your result. P.S. TY for talking about fortifying during your danske mod review - I can finally NOT make every wine & mead come out "Sparkling" P.P.S. Looking forward to the sugars video - translating biology & chemistry notes into what it does for a brew is beyond my knowledge - other than my own experiments with making an "Artisanal" yeast.

[@bossalou]

I don't like K1V-1116 either. I used it for a batch blueberry wine. That particular batch of it is not my favorite at all even with aging. 71b is definitely my favorite thus far for meads and fruit wines, but I've had some good results with some of the Red Star wine yeasts as well. I just tried bread yeast for the first time for a cider and look forward to tasting it soon. (I kind of regret using it because I just ran out of bread yeast and can't find any to make bread now.) Thank you for the videos! They're very informative and helpful.

[@vandorn50]

Wait, did I miss Lallemand Nottingham Ale yeast? Watched it twice! haha Great job, you two. I've started my FIRST MEADS! Regular mead on April 25, 2020 (QuaranMead) and Raspberry Mead on April 27, 2020! Thanks for inspiring me. I've found another of my myriad callings!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yep we skipped that one!

[@vandorn50]

@@CitySteadingBrews Do you think it's similar to any other particular strain? I'm about to do Lalvin 71b. Should be an interesting adventure.

[@SaintSolo]

Love you guys whoop whoop

[@jeffberridge176]

I was glad you covered the Lalvin K1, as it’s what I’m experimenting with right now - the pack DOES say 16% by the way. EC is 18%. Nonetheless, I’m really hoping I have a better experience than you did - I got it for the same reason as you. I am grateful to be able humble my expectations now knowing it may not turn out fantastic

[@WithoutTheBitter]

as some one who bought a 5 pack of k1-v1116 recently and then afterwards thought"i wonder if CS has a video about yeast....DANG IT!!!! I guess ill just go with the "smoke em if you got em" mentality for now lol. thanks for the vid

[@ernierobinson499]

You two have been super helpful. I only wish I Had found you before I dumped the first batch. After watching several of you videos I know now ..... patience my precious. 🤣

[@MrDonkeyblow]

Ok so I did your way of the sweet red from store bought juice until I got to the yeast and I found out I had no bread yeast (I use red star) and I only had champagne yeast so I stopped the fermentation at 13% percent and I had an amazing red wine like almost the best red wine I ever had

[@gammaraygaming3306]

I've had no problems with ec 1118, it's the only yeast i use now. I got a wine up to 19% (totally by accident, lol) ONCE. But my brews usually top out at 12-15% I want them to go dry, that way I can back sweeten easier. 🍷

[@CitySteadingBrews]

As I said, may have been a bad batch. I've bought precisely one batch of it in recent years.

[@FunkyFyreMunky]

I managed to get EC 1118 up to the low 20's range precisely once by purposefully step-feeding both sugar and fruit, occasional dilution with water, re-pitching, near-constant degassing, temperature control and voodoo chants. It wasn't worth it as a wine, but whack in a metric butt-load of sugar and some brandy and it made a killer port.

[@acidmuffins9606]

Made mead and man I love this stuff, I used the resin, bread yeast (same brand), black tea with orange peel, and man I got a nice mead definitely was worth the investment 🥃

[@brianrenko9848]

Can’t wait for the sugar video!!

[@AtrusOranis]

I know on your one of your wine videos (I think it was the "Bread Yeast vs D47") you mentioned to not use the "Rapid Rise" yeast, as it would give a lot more carbonation. However, if you wanted to make a soda (gigerale/gingerbeer) would that be a better yeast BECAUSE of the excess bubbling and lower alcohol content?

[@artiejohnson40]

Hey guys, new to the channel and brand new to the hobby... I have ordered all my equipment/supplies and have a simple recipe that I'm going to try! The recipe calls for 11# of sugar to about 5 1/2 gallons of water with mashed fruit making about 6 gallons of liquid! My question is... Should I add more sugar up front so I don't have to back sweeten at the end to get a semi sweet or sweet wine?? The the guy that does the recipe uses Red Star Premier Classique!!! He always has to back sweeten to get semi or sweet... Can I add more sugar to start with or should I use a different yeast to get a semi sweet or sweet wine? Awesome channel, very informative! Thank you

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You should follow the recipe.

[@arnoldjeandre9293]

Hey, I really enjoy your videos, super informative. I am still extremely new to brewing but what is your take on making your own yeast?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You can cultivate yeast but you cannot make yeast. We are working on methods to do it. If you are new to brewing I do not recommend it yet!

[@slowwound2656]

I get great results from ec-1118. I've had 18% happen 3 times, more often than not it gets to about 16 or 17%. That's over a 4 year period. I used to use d47, before that.

[@christinanaidu4127]

Hi Brian and Derica! I'm just getting into brewing with more known commercial yeasts like Lalvin (I previously used chinese rice wine yeast and bread yeast as those are the only ones locally available but they didn't work well for me). The temperature in my house can get up to 30 celsius and I'm currently using 71B. My question is: When fermentation stops, do I need to be worried about leaving my wine out at this temperature? Or does the yeast fermentation temperature influence what temperature I can leave my wine to be in for conditioning/bottling/ageing? When do I need to worry about it going bad? Should I eventually put it in a fridge that's around 10 celcius? (the fridge is the only cool spot in my house.) Thanks!

[@Onager-xv3gz]

"Yeast can't read." Having said that, how much variance do you expect most yeast (say Fleischmann's or 71Beast) to have if there is enough sugar to allow them to go completely dry? i.e. 71B expects 15% but usually falls between ___% and ___%. I'm learning so much from you two and Brian has answered so many questions already that I feel obligated to sign up for the VIP club!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We welcome new VIP club members! To answer you though... it really depends on the conditions. I'd say 1-2% in either direction though is pretty fair to expect.

[@susanjimenez6629]

I am curious about your thoughts using yeast at higher altitudes. I am at just over 5000 feet. I know when I bake bread I have to reduce the amount of yeast I use by almost half or it will rise sky high. I am in hour 16 of my fermentation and I still have to skim the foam off of it every 20-25 minutes or the foam will spew out of my airlock. I used D45 yeast, a little over half a package. There is about 2 1/2 inches of headspace. This is a one gallon container. This airlock bubbles about once every 2 sec.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

When you brew, the colony of yeast increases by thousands of times, so adding a little more or less won't really affect that. You simply have an active fermentation. That's a good thing believe it or not. It will slow down.

[@susanjimenez6629]

Thanks, you are right it calmed down.

[@susanjimenez6629]

@@CitySteadingBrews My second batch again is very active. From my research, thinking it is not necessarily the amount of yeast (just like you said above) but the rate at which the yeast consume sugars is faster at higher elevations. At least with bread, does this translate to making wine? From King Arthur Baking Co. Yeast Breads "Decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by 25%, and make water/flour adjustments as necessary to get a dough with the correct texture. Make sure your bowl has plenty of room for the dough to rise in. Since rising times are much shorter at higher altitudes, you have a number of options to help its flavor."

[@bludrgn2000]

Maybe my results are different. I love 1116 for a large part of my meads. Many of which are now 20+ years old. I have had a pyment finish at 22% with 1116 without any additions - all be it step fed. However, I do like 71b for anything with malic acid as a flavour component ( mostly apples and pears).

[@learningaswegocitygonecoun6805]

We live in the Pacific Northwest and D47 has been awesome for me. Get Darica a sweater before she read this... we keep out house between 62°F - 66°F. 🙂

[@fredturner7079]

Moral of the story: don't mess with Mother Nature!

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

Yeasts demystified. Thank you!

[@TheMonker2]

Great video...but I do have one question... Years ago, I was making soda and carbonating it with yeast. I read somewhere that yeast also has a tolerance for pressure. Therefore, to prevent bottle bombs, you can use an ale yeast(?) which has a low pressure tolerance and you will lower the possibility for bottle bombs. But, I do not remember which yeast was recommended, or even if it was ale yeast. I am wondering if there is any documentation available on the pressure tolerance of various yeasts. I would think this would be useful info for all brewing, not just soda. BTW, I bought the Fleischman bread yeast (the same you use) from the King Arthur baking catalog maybe 7-8 years ago. It came in a large pressure sealed "brick", but was the same yeast you buy in a jar. I kept it stored in the freezer and opened it just recently and it still alive and active. Therefore, I store my BREAD YEAST in the freezer and it seems to last forever. I had an open "brick" that I stored frozen for maybe five years. I have not done this with brewing yeast so I do not know how it would react...it may be more fragile and die when frozen.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Not sure where the info came from but it’s not true.

[@TheMonker2]

@@CitySteadingBrews You're right...I looked back at some very old Emails. Back, in 2005, I sent an Email to a Homebrew supply store asking some questions...I asked about Ale yeast becoming INACTIVE when stored in the fridge...so it is not just "slow", but not active. They said, "2)Ale yeast becomes inactive at LOW temps. It may be safer for that reason." Still not sure what I used, maybe one of those you listed here.

[@mikecinardo4323]

Is there any issue mixing yeasts? I ran out of 1118 and only had ale yeast left, so I mixed the two before realizing I probably shouldn't have done that.

[@justferfunny]

My meads with the ec-1118 taste straight up like alcohol, almost brandy like. D47 isn't quite as sharp but still, nothing but alcohol. Going on 40 days. minimal bubbling, no airlock activity.

[@johndeeregreen4592]

I used D47 for years when I lived in the mountains of Nevada -- the lows even in the summer rarely top 40 degrees. I moved to Indiana a few years ago and D47 just doesn't like the hot, humid temps in the summer. I switched to 71b, EC-1118, and K1V-1116; with the former 2 making up the lion's share of what I brew with.

[@johndeeregreen4592]

And, just for the record, you probably did get a bad batch of EC-1118. I have had it go a little over 20% several times -- step feeding and patience. Just pitching and forgetting, I have several gallons of wine at just over 18% that was done with it, as well. Several times, I have had it get to 18% in just a matter of 4 days.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Probably. Many of our audience reported a bad batch.

[@Helliconia54]

we got 14.8ABV using Tandaco, bread yeast(here in Australia) in elderberry wine. NO off flavours. Using it in our mead.(fermenting as i type)

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yup, nothing really wrong with bread yeast as ling as you know it's limitations.

[@daedaluslv2032]

Started my own yeast (took 7 days at ~22c) and started a juice batch with the yeast. Gonna store sediment afterwards for a second batch etc.

[@KonsuiKoyojutsu]

As a Sourdough baker... I have been considering trying my starter for a brew. For the sake of science!

[@roychavez1033]

First timer here, I’m making a batch of mead (started 4/24/20) and noticed that the bubbling coming from the airlock has drastically decreased, was bubbling once every couple of seconds now it’s bubbling once every ten-ish minutes. So my question is, is that normal? Should I start racking and go to secondary?

[@jsaucee1]

That can be normal. What did you make? Recipe? Do not go to secondary yet!!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You might want to watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqSylWyojLeWibc

[@sethmullins8346]

I use anything that's made for making alcohol yeast wise I use montrachet or premier blanc from red star because they were cheap

[@PostalDude654141]

I've come across WYEAST, but they seem to have only liquid yeast (at least at my store), are there reasons to use liquid yeast over dry yeast?

[@jhiller7]

Hi, can I take the yeast of my last batch, add flour and therefore make more yeast for my future batches? I’ve read about yeast washing, but I was curious if I can make even more out of it with it. Thanks in advance!

[@colinkingrealtor]

Hoping that this may be useful to someone out there. The wife and I did an experiment with yeast to try and find something that would give us better results than the Lavin EC1118 which we had used up to this point. We thought we had had pretty good results till we went back and tried some of our previous attempts and noticed a funky(not in a good way)/off taste and lack of flavor. Pretty sure this yeast is way too aggressive for our taste. So, we ended up doing an experiment with three different yeast using the same juice. We racked them all yesterday after 11 days of primary. Below is our take on them up to this point. Hoping this can help a few people out especially those that are just getting into this like myself. Started - 6/13 Racked - 6/24 Original gravity 1.050 Finished gravity 1.000 Juice - Kirkland brand from Costco Yeast -Half a pack of each Mangrove Jack Kviek M12 - Seemed very well balanced, not to dry and not too sweet, very middle of the road. SafeCider AB-1 - Turned out Dry and Crisp. Was not overly dry but was the driest of the bunch. I think this would be one that would be good to add berries and/or spices Mangrove Jack Cider Yeast M02 - A nice funky taste that reminded me of a natural ferment but not nearly as strong. Definitely had a pleasant dry taste and seemed fruit forward.

[@trevorlowran1473]

iv been finding the RC212 works great on the sweet concord. im about try try it on more i think

[@rayc5255]

Best Apple-Blueberry mead to date used Active Dry. Knocking socks off, great clarity, color, heavenly flavor, all the things 💯🎯. Racked x2. 13.67 ABV. Gonna hafta try that 71B tho.

[@rayc5255]

Also hafta add...did a tour of local Cider joints 2 weeks ago, made purchases at each one for comparison purposes. Best part so far is acquiring 2 x 1/2 gallon growler jugs. Preferring our own brews inspired by CSB it's not even close.

[@BomboSbronzo]

Hi, i was wondering if could be viable to use mother yeast (i hope it's the right terminology) for meed?

[@darinf.8010]

What do you think about kveik yeast? I have heard that is the miracle yeast. Would it be good for mead?

[@jasonbrinkman52]

Storage question about yeast. Should you store your extra packets in the freezer? They are unopened, just more than I need right now laying around. Want them to last as long as possible. Thank you!!!!!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We keep in the fridge but I know many do the freezer.

[@angelscott4526]

I am trying new yeasts right now and this video was insightful showing there isn't a ton of difference when the goal isn't to push for high abv. My question is about bread yeast. I always have it around because I bake a lot of pizza at home. For fermentation is there a difference between Quick Rise and Active Dry?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

One has nutrients added... we prefer active dry.

[@angelscott4526]

@@CitySteadingBrews I did not know Quick Rise has nutrient. Makes sense though. I prefer slower fermentations as I think it is better for longevity of the yeast. Keep em happy. Don't know if fast fermentation means difference in flavor. More experiments needed!

[@DrNickamoto]

Anyone ever try white labs yeast? I have 5 gallons of traditional mead fermenting with white labs WLP720 and it went from 1.100 to 1.025 in 2 weeks and tasted pretty good in that amount of time as well.

[@thenightcook1134]

was about to buy some D47 but then I watched this video and immediately deleted it from my cart and added 71b(it was cheaper too!). I've been using EC-1118 because, like you've said, every online guide and recipe says to use it and I've been wanting to try a new yeast to see how well it does.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I much prefer 71B to D47 for our climate and zone.

[@PoppaLongroach]

great vid! ive recently been experimenting with wild yeast using the sour dough bread starter method. placed 4 starter jars in diff places. 3 took and used them in 3 diff runs of identical mash bills and 3 completly diff end results lol was fun to tinker with. washed my fav of the 3 n got it in the fridge for later experiment. great channel guys keep the info comin!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I've been hesitant to use sourdough starter in a brew. There's lots of beasties in there and the flour... how did you get around that?

[@PoppaLongroach]

i grind all my own grains n used gound white dent corn, and the honest answer to that is i got lucky lol. i also have diff end product than u do which is important note. my normal yeast has been D.A.D.Y but been wanting to broaden my scope lol

[@Taven03]

I am new to brewing in general but I am curious how many people have tried reusing yeast. I did some research and it seems to be mainly a thing big brewing companies do to save money but as this is a homebrew channel. I am curious what has been your experience? is it hard to reuse yeast? does it taste different?

[@Barcodum]

I’ve heard that you can also use dead yeast as another source of nutrients. If so, what’s the process? I have yeast from my last beer brew that is very active. Can I take a tablespoon (yes I have that much; my wife decided she wanted to use it for bread and so cultivated it) and kill that in hot water to add to a brew for nutrients?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

That's the gist, or get yeast hulls.

[@paulmorson2268]

Hi guys - great video as always! Please can you give me a bit of advice? I've got 2 brews on the go, both traditionals - the first using K1-V1116 and the second D47. I tried to do the "mead maths" and started them at c1.150 and 1.120 respectively which I realise now may be a little high. After nearly 2 months at around 65 degrees f both are now only around the 1.082 mark. The airlocks are still bubbling, but slowly, and there are plenty of visible tiny bubbles rising to the surface. Should I intervene and, if so, how? Or leave them alone and let them run... Or rather walk...? Thanks!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

No reason to intervene. Still fermenting.

[@paulmorson2268]

CS Brews cool, thanks!

[@MichaelDaly-x9l]

I had pineapple fermenting in a glass 1.3 gallon and it was very active and going into airlock. Is it ok that I moved to a 2 gallon during primary. There’s a lot of headspace. After about 5 days when not so active I plan on moving back to the 1.3 or 1 gallon.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

No need to keep moving it until fermentation is done.

[@jakkul26]

I think "bready" means yeasty. Some breads do have a "yeasty" aroma and taste. In my experience bread yeast does impart some yeasty offness to wines sometimes. It's not entirely psychosomatic. It will settle out or age out. I think the imperfect floculation and impatience are the main contributors to people having this experience.

[@joaopgsousa]

Hi. I finished my first mead. I used M05 mead yeast from Mansgrove. Fermentation stopped at 12ABV. Two months after I bascksweetned until 1030 and two weeks after didn't fermented more. Has kept the gravity os 1030. Is this normal. With any yeast finalization shouldn't have fermented more? Can I back sweeten the othe half of the batch and bottle directly without waiting again for fermentation check. Is 12%ABV the yeast limitation?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It’s possible it won’t ferment more, or it could start up any time. Adding more honey shouldn’t be an issue but I would pasteurize to be safe. What were your gravity readings at start and finish on this? M05 is supposed to be 18%.

[@GabrielSayeghJr]

I know this is an older video, but just wondering about 2 things: first, do you have any thoughts on trying liquid yeast strains v. dry ones? Second, you mention a lot about not getting yeast closer to the stated tolerance levels from the manufacturer, is it possible they are using the more complicated formula to calculate ABV? I ask because I have been brewing 'big' beers in the 8-10% range and finding the adjusted formula on brewersfriend.com to be more accurate than the old school (OG-FG)*131.25 formula. Appreciate your content greatly!

[@alexcarney5734]

2 Questions: Can you combine yeasts to get the benefits from two different types? Also can you guys make a moscow mule mead? I'm in the process of making one and i want to see how you to would make one. Thanks!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Combined yeast doesn't work that way most times. One colony will starve out the other. Moscow mule would be like our ginger mead: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHukeIB5g5qrjaMsi=yh6_8tfEiO013YrE

[@greybuckleton]

Little fun fact, lager yeasts are one of the few different strains used in brewing. Saccharomyces pastorianus.

[@Wonster00]

8:45 mark...I agree, I haven't been able to get D-47 to get above 10% range either.

[@AlesinS10]

Hi Brian and Derica! Have you ever heard of "chicha"? It is a fermented pineapple-peel drink popular in Latin America. It's done without adding any yeast -- just sugar. Would you ever consider giving it a try? I've tried it a couple of times and can help you with the translation of recipes, should need be.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

That’s tepache! Chicha is corn beer made by chewing it and spitting the mashed up corn into the wort.

[@ziadkadi]

E491 is the only yeast i have access to, any precautions please for 🍷?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sorry, I have no experience using that yeast.

[@2threetom2]

Brian and Derica, First, thank you for this video. My question is, you guys seem to use a lot of Lalvin yeasts. I don't think I've seen you guys use any wine yeast from Red Star, such as Premier Blanc, Cuvee, Cotes de Blanc, etc. I was curious if this is intentional (as in, there is a reason you don't use Red Star), or you just never got around to trying Red Star wine yeasts. Thoughts? Truly interested in your response. P.S. I've used your methods and recipes to make some amazing meads and wines in the last year. So glad I found your channel.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

No real reason. I will say that in most cases, they are similar from what I hear. For instance Red Star Premier Cuvee is reportedly the exact same strain as EC-1118 just marketed via a different name. As a result, I've never felt a need to try them. Also, for whatever reason, Lalvin was what I could get easier locally at first so I just stuck with them.

[@raidinggnome5231]

Is it ok to use a higher tolerance yeast to purposefully make brews lower than that tolerance? If all I have is Lalvin D47 (expected 15%), but I want to make a brew of 8 or 10%, I assume I have 2 options (if the yeast does what I want): 1. Add only enough sugar to hit the preferred ABV when dry (pasturize if backsweetening) 2. Pasturize at the preferred ABV (probably would have to check gravity multiple times a day to avoid going too far over) Would doing this cause any weird flavours or unexpected issues? Aside from different yeast being preferred for certain flavours, I'm just curious if I could bulk purchase a higher tolerance yeast instead of having different yeasts at different tolerances. I'm really new to this, and it's a lot easier to buy a lot of one than trying to buy a few of different ones especially when my first brews will likely be tests.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Absolutely. Just because a yeas CAN go to higher abv doesn’t mean it HAS to. No side effects that I know of.

[@danditiello4846]

Question about step feeding. We have bad water were we live and limited storage for water. We distill our water and we are thinking of slowly filling a carboy. What will happen if more water and sugar are added to a brew that has already started over 5 days( 3 or so Liters per day). Concerned about the yeast flipping from using oxygen to sugar and back again.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Nah, it's fine. You can add it all at once too.

[@cristophermoreno5291]

What yeast is perfect for making rose wine. I’m looking to try my hand at such a method

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Well there is no perfect yeast but it largely depends on exactly what recipe you are using. We did a rose wine but added one nasty ingredient and didn’t like it much. You could follow that and leave out the lime leaves kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5itoKylhtx4pMk

[@deehalahan1725]

RC212 is the only one available to me in Sweden or EC-1118. My house is often at 16 to 18 degree centigrade unless a hot summer. Which should I use for mead?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I'd go with EC-1118 as it has a lower temperature requirement than RC212.

[@kylepage9770]

Sorry for the late comment. This came up in a post I made in one of my Facebook groups and there were very conflicting answers. I have a pear tree in my back yard that is begging me to make a cider/wine. Since it is home grown and I know exactly what the plant is treated with (nothing) and I would like a rather low ABV brew I would like to try a wild fermentation. The point of contention was on exactly what could be done to the wild yeast before the colony was no longer viable. I know that if you thoroughly wash the fruit much of the yeast would be removed but would a simple rinse remove it? Secondly, i do not have a grinder nor a press so one of the suggestions was to freeze the fruit. I know that yeast goes dormant in low temps and is killed with heat. My question is, would freezing kill the yeast as well? Thanks in advance.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Okay, first, do a light brushing of the fruit. Get the dirt off, bugs, etc. Anything else will not harm you and can hurt the yeast. A light rinse is fine, but nothing more. Second... chop that fruit up into bite-sized pieces, put it on sheet trays and freeze it, but only for about 2 days. That's not nearly enough time to harm the yeast, but it's enough to make big ice crystals that will break the cell walls. If you want, put them all in a pot and mash them as they defrost with a potato masher. That's about all you really need to do.

[@kylepage9770]

CS Brews Great. Thanks again!

[@leifd731]

What did you mean by "it doesn't attenuate as well" when you spoke of bread yeast?

[@repetern]

attenuate: reduce the force, effect, or value of.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It doesn’t drop out of solution cleanly and pack at the bottom as well as other yeast.

[@leifd731]

@@CitySteadingBrews Thank you!

[@muninrob]

@@CitySteadingBrews I can verify that one - I can also verify that even 7 generations later Red Star bread yeast does not want to come out of solution - it's taking 3-5 cold crashes & racks to get something moderately clear (drinkable after 2 though)

[@Kurruk007]

@@leifd731 Additionally I've noticed that you have to be more careful when moving the vessel around (say before racking). Even when you're careful you might notice that the brew that was pretty much clear starts to get a bit foggy down the bottom. This is the reason I started moving the carboy/demijohn to the designated racking location and leave it there for a day, to ensure it's settled. I also even have a bit of leverage (like 5-10 degrees) to angle it and lose less brew in the process.

[@jasonwoods556]

Hi Brian and Derica, I have a yeasty question. So I made a mead about 3 week ago, gallon batch, OG: 1.072 and now the gravity is 1.054 which would translate to just shy of 3% ABV, I Started with 3.7 lbs of honey. So I'm thinking it stalled. I'm thinking of just pitching some fresh yeast in there and seeing what happens since it should've got further in that time, the yeast has an 18% tolerance supposedly, anything else I should do? Or any other info that would help you help me? Thanks for all the awesome videos!!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

How large is your batch size?

[@jasonwoods556]

@@CitySteadingBrews just shy of a gallon

[@noxcarakus]

Rc 212 worked pretty well for my cranberry-cherry mead, ended up 16-16.5% and could really taste the cranberry. The cherry not so much.

[@vanissaberg5824]

I've heard of reusing the leftover yeast sludge from the primary fermentation keeping it in the fridge and using it for the next batch and just keeping a live colony going sorta like a sour dough bread starter. Since yeast is a living organism I'd imagine over time it'd evolve to be more resilient in your personal home climate. I wonder if anyone here has any experience with this method and if it was any good? I've been doing this with my ginger bug wild yeast starter for my ginger ales sodas and I've never had it go bad. I just find fermentation just fascinating stuff. Cheers! 🥂

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Many have had luck with reusing yeast and "cleaning" it. We have tried it with less than consistent results so we don't feel confident to share that with our audience. If we ever perfect the process than you know we will share it here for sure!

[@MichaelDaly-x9l]

EC-1118 ? Is this a good all around yeast to use as a beginner? I started with the BREWSEY starter kit and I’m unaware of what that yeast is. I my next batch will be with the 1118 I prefer a sweeter wine I wish I could attach photos for references.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It's not my preferred yeast but there's nothing wrong with it per se.

[@1nv1c7u5m4n30]

Thanks guyz!!

[@raidengoat]

Hey Brian and Derica, I've got a question. I use to brew in high school and just recently got back into it. I never really aged my meads and wines long, because well, High School students don't care too much about quality. I dont have a basement or cellar and my closet will definitely be full soon. I can't afford a bunch of wine coolers YET. I've heard of people burying wine underground to maintain the temperature. Have you ever just dug a big hole and buried your mead underground? If not what do you think about this idea?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I think a box is far better. Especially in Florida where I'd have to bury it many feet down to avoid heat, and.. at that point it's hitting water.... :)

[@raidengoat]

@@CitySteadingBrews Haha, boxes sound better than digging deep wet holes.

[@Stavrose85]

I've been using EC1118 for 5 years, it's doing pretty good job. I was wondering of it's really worth to try out other types of yeast to see if there's any noticeable change of flavor. What do you think?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It's totally up to you. I like using different yeasts for different things, like if I want a moderate ABV and sweet, it's nice to not have to pasteurize it.

[@Stavrose85]

So you don't think it will give a different taste with the same Must? I'm sorry for asking same question twice :D

[@CitySteadingBrews]

@@Stavrose85 it can. Different yeasts do different things. In most cases it’s not a drastic difference though.

[@Stavrose85]

@@CitySteadingBrews Sir, thank you for the tips!