2016 Tech Meeting #5 - Wine Yeast Trials for Meads - Oct 11

[daryl]

On Tuesday, October 11th, Pat McCusker (the Bishop of Braggots, Creator of Ciders, the Hacker of Honey, the...well, you get the point) will conduct a Tech Meeting on wine yeast trials for making meads.

Caution: There will be tasty samples!

Save the date, location and additional details to be disclosed later.

Agenda
7-7:30 PM Gathering/Set-up
7:30 PM Presentation Begins
Teardown, clean-up, and out the door no later than 9:30 PM

[wyzzyrdd]

Lalvin sells 5 different wine yeasts in the small foil packages for home brewers/vinters: RC 212 for red wine; D-47 for white wine; 71B for rose and light red wine; K1V-1116 for white, rose, and light red wine; and EC-1118 for sparkling wines. Red Star sells 5 wine yeasts with similar, but not identical, profiles.

I use Lalvin Rhone 2056 which I buy from winery supply shops in .5 kg vacuum packages (it stores for a couple of years in the fridge). This wine yeast is good for white, rose, young red, and aged red wines (pretty much everything).

A big challenge for mead makers is deciding which wine yeast to use for any given batch of mead or melomel. I solved the problem by buying a yeast that should work for everything. But most mead makers usually work with RC 212 or D-47 depending upon whether they are working with "white" or "red" fruits. And I have tasted a lot of terrible home brew using these yeasts. So I finally decided that I needed to see how all the yeasts really worked so that I could provide useful advice to beginners.

I made two "beginner" products. The first is a cherry melomel made with a quart of honey, two quarts of Montmorency cherry juice, two quarts of water, and a couple of pounds of frozen dark sweet cherries. This is my "red" product. I also made a ginger-lime mead using a quart of honey, 4 quarts of water, 2 large limes (zested and juiced), and 5 ounces of crystalized ginger. This is my "white" product. I made 6 versions of each product, one for each Lalvin yeast available in small packets plus the yeast I normally use. So there will be twelve 750 ml bottles of mead that need to be consumed the night of the class. If there is any left over, I may be forced to send partial bottles home with people.

The products turned out very good, and the differences between the yeasts are mostly subtle but clearly discernible.

I highly recommend you turn out for this class.

[andrewmaixner]

Looking forward to it, hope i can come!
( I plan to come )

[daryl]

Please reply to this post if you plan on attending.

The number of people attending will effect our choice for location...the more that attend, the wider the options we have for location.

Thanks,
D

[carrisr]

I plan to attend.

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[karl]

I'm planning to attend.


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[tony b]

On my calendar.

[Derek]

I am in.

[jjpeanasky]

In

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[daryl]

Tech Meeting is a week away and I am looking for a head-count to secure a location.

Josh P., Derek, Tony, Karl, Randy, Andrew M., Pat, and myself

Anyone else?

[wyzzyrdd]

I need a reasonably accurate head count. I am either going to bring 375 ml or 750 ml bottles depending upon how many people say they are coming.

[daryl]

We are meeting at Another Road Brewery's Tap Room at 631 9th St, Marion, IA 52302.

Attending so far are: Josh P., Derek, Tony, Karl, Randy, Andrew M., Pat, Mike H, and myself (+ 2 guest).

That makes a total of 11 attending.

Agenda
7-7:30 PM Gathering/Set-up
7:30 PM Presentation Begins
Teardown, clean-up, and out the door no later than 9:30 PM

[wyzzyrdd]

So I will be bringing a dozen 375 ml bottles -- 2 products by 6 wine yeasts.

[mjhora52]

I will be there


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[wyzzyrdd]

I will be there

Great