02-11-2012, 03:28 AM
Believe it or not one of the best things you can do to help ensure great nutrients for yeast uptake is look at your water. If your tap water is drinkable, then use it. If you are concerned about chlorine--contact your water department and ask which chlorine you have, odds are you have the one that will evaporate when left exposed to air for at least 48 hours in a container. Don't use distilled water unless you have to, many commercial yeasts say NOT to use distilled water.
The next best thing you can do is: make a yeast starter. Many ways to do this. Use the web, check out the various methods. If you don't want to make a starter or don't have the time, be sure to SPRINKLE your yeast across the surface of your juice, covering every portion in as even a coat as possible, then cover the top with a towel or don't tighten the cap (it wants and NEEDS oxygen right now), and LEAVE IT ALONE FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS. Do not stir, do not shake, get it out of the light, tuck it in a warm spot and walk away!! If no action in 12 hours, pitch more yeast, or better yet---take the time to make a starter now. And remember, not all yeasts are started the same way, directions vary from yeast to yeast and manufacturer to manufacturer....read labels.
Read Labels: if you are using anything other than FRESH fruit, read the label because if certain PRESERVATIVES have been added, the yeast may not ever take hold and multiply. SORBATES are the problem and tends to make an unfriendly and inhospitable environment for the yeastie-beasties who simply want to grow forth & multiply. Look for anything with the word "sorbate" or "benzoate", or benzoic acid....you honestly do not want to use this item in your winemaking if they will be added during a fermentation phase. The other thing to look for on the label are : SULPHITES, too many sulphites and you have essentially poured antibacterial soap into your juice. The juice can tolerate a certain amount before it starts to cause a problem. Look for words that have any derivative of "SULPHUR, SULFA" in them. You CAN successfully use a fruit item that has a sulphite listed on the ingredient list JUST make sure that you do not add any additional sulphite (Campden, k-meta) initially. If you are an amateur winemaker, hopefully you know about when to add the SO2 (Campden, k-meta)...if you don't know about SO2 use the web you have some learning to do. [BY THE WAY, YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE WINEMAKING ADDITIVES LIKE SORBATES AND SULPHITES WITH YOUR E-Z CAP SYSTEM, BUT MANY EXPERIENCED WINEMAKERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THESE ADDITIVES WILL BRING TO THE WINE BOTTLE/// IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE A FAVORITE SITE FOR MANY BEGINNERS IS http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp]
A great natural yeast nutrient for wine or mead, to be used BEFORE you pitch the yeast: malt extract or lemon juice. MINERAL RICH.
Another thing that helps the yeast is: When adding table sugar to your fruit/juice and getting ready to add the yeast, stop and make an invert table sugar solution (sugar, water, citric acid). Providing an invert table sugar makes it easier for the yeast to convert the sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose for fermentation. You may not know that yeasts actually have an enzyme, "invertase", which completes this step anyway, but if we supply the invert table sugar for the yeast at the beginning the yeast tend to have a better outcome. You make an invert table sugar solution by: combining table sugar and water and an acid, like lemon juice (or citric acid powder if you have winemaking supplies hanging around). There is no right or wrong on the thickness of the your solution, you can even caramelize the sugar and have a dark invert syrup. The good thing about invert syrup (think all those flavored coffee syrups at coffee houses) is that if they crystallize all you have to do is heat them up and they go back to liquid form. You know what other sugar source does this? HONEY---it is a natural INVERT syrup thanks to the bees.
There are many inexpensive and easily accessible commercial yeast nutrients available, either at your local homebrew/winemaking store or online: DAP (diammonium phosphate), Fermaid by ScottLab, YeastHulls aka YeastGhost, Yeastex61 ... just to name a few.
The next best thing you can do is: make a yeast starter. Many ways to do this. Use the web, check out the various methods. If you don't want to make a starter or don't have the time, be sure to SPRINKLE your yeast across the surface of your juice, covering every portion in as even a coat as possible, then cover the top with a towel or don't tighten the cap (it wants and NEEDS oxygen right now), and LEAVE IT ALONE FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS. Do not stir, do not shake, get it out of the light, tuck it in a warm spot and walk away!! If no action in 12 hours, pitch more yeast, or better yet---take the time to make a starter now. And remember, not all yeasts are started the same way, directions vary from yeast to yeast and manufacturer to manufacturer....read labels.
Read Labels: if you are using anything other than FRESH fruit, read the label because if certain PRESERVATIVES have been added, the yeast may not ever take hold and multiply. SORBATES are the problem and tends to make an unfriendly and inhospitable environment for the yeastie-beasties who simply want to grow forth & multiply. Look for anything with the word "sorbate" or "benzoate", or benzoic acid....you honestly do not want to use this item in your winemaking if they will be added during a fermentation phase. The other thing to look for on the label are : SULPHITES, too many sulphites and you have essentially poured antibacterial soap into your juice. The juice can tolerate a certain amount before it starts to cause a problem. Look for words that have any derivative of "SULPHUR, SULFA" in them. You CAN successfully use a fruit item that has a sulphite listed on the ingredient list JUST make sure that you do not add any additional sulphite (Campden, k-meta) initially. If you are an amateur winemaker, hopefully you know about when to add the SO2 (Campden, k-meta)...if you don't know about SO2 use the web you have some learning to do. [BY THE WAY, YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE WINEMAKING ADDITIVES LIKE SORBATES AND SULPHITES WITH YOUR E-Z CAP SYSTEM, BUT MANY EXPERIENCED WINEMAKERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THESE ADDITIVES WILL BRING TO THE WINE BOTTLE/// IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE A FAVORITE SITE FOR MANY BEGINNERS IS http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp]
A great natural yeast nutrient for wine or mead, to be used BEFORE you pitch the yeast: malt extract or lemon juice. MINERAL RICH.
Another thing that helps the yeast is: When adding table sugar to your fruit/juice and getting ready to add the yeast, stop and make an invert table sugar solution (sugar, water, citric acid). Providing an invert table sugar makes it easier for the yeast to convert the sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose for fermentation. You may not know that yeasts actually have an enzyme, "invertase", which completes this step anyway, but if we supply the invert table sugar for the yeast at the beginning the yeast tend to have a better outcome. You make an invert table sugar solution by: combining table sugar and water and an acid, like lemon juice (or citric acid powder if you have winemaking supplies hanging around). There is no right or wrong on the thickness of the your solution, you can even caramelize the sugar and have a dark invert syrup. The good thing about invert syrup (think all those flavored coffee syrups at coffee houses) is that if they crystallize all you have to do is heat them up and they go back to liquid form. You know what other sugar source does this? HONEY---it is a natural INVERT syrup thanks to the bees.
There are many inexpensive and easily accessible commercial yeast nutrients available, either at your local homebrew/winemaking store or online: DAP (diammonium phosphate), Fermaid by ScottLab, YeastHulls aka YeastGhost, Yeastex61 ... just to name a few.
My EZ Cap Adventures:
Cinnamon Fireweed Mead
Juicy Juice Berry
Perry
Hard Apple Cider
CoconutWhiteGrape--in progress
Cinnamon Fireweed Mead
Juicy Juice Berry
Perry
Hard Apple Cider
CoconutWhiteGrape--in progress