Pushing Yeast to the limit

[alanywiseman.]

I am brewing a port and want to push the yeast as far as possible. I was wondering if you gave the DJ a shake/swirl every now and then to degas and resuspend the yeast whither it would ferment to a higher alcohol?

Thoughts please :thumb:

 

[Eric_S]

I don't think that would make a difference as the yeast would consume either all the sugar or until it has reached it's limit. The way to get to the limit is to add a little sugar at a time on a frequent basis so that the yeasts can work on the added sugar, and they will eventually give up - lack of activity will be your clue). Be aware of how much sugar your adding so you don't end up with anything too sweet once the yeast has reached it's limit.

Young's super wine compound can get to 17-20% I've heard, most others will not go that high.

 

[alanywiseman.]

Cheers for that Eric. I have used Youngs dessert wine yeast which I have been told in my LHBS will reach 14%. If that is the case I may repitch with a yeast that will take it further so thanks for the suggestion :thumb:

 

[Eric_S]

Good luck! Let me know how you get on. Another thing to be aware of, of course, is that to know the final %age you'll need to know your start gravity, how much sugar has been added, and final gravity. I can't recall the calcs but there is a way to work it out. I don't personally measure as it adds to the fun of it!

Cheers,

Eric

 

[Ken L]

I have 40L of elderberry port downstairs that has been sat in bulk since 2010 because i foolishly over sweetened it. Last year, I missed the elderberry season and this year, I have 39L on the go that I will end up blending with the 2010 batch.
The lesson is that if you have your brew spread over several FV's, keep at least some of it back from the sweetening and pushing the yeast to it's limit so you can recover if you over sweeten.

 

[liampenn]

Just did this with my ginger wine.
My Young's super wine yeast has just eaten up 2kg of sugar (per gallon)!
So im presuming its at least 20%

The trick for getting high % wines is to stagger the adding of the sugar.
Adding all the sugar too quick will kill it. (eg. day1-1000g, day5- 500g, day12-250g, day,16-250g)



Im going to carry on giving adding sugar to see how much youngs 'cheapo' wine yeast can take! :twisted:

 

[oldbloke]

Gervin do one that they reckon goes to 20, and is a wine yeast not one fo these superyeasts
GV4 I think
I'm using it in my spiced golden syrup notmead

 

[tonyhibbett]

My only reservation about high strength fermentation would be the high level of alcohol produced purely by sugar and its effect on the flavour.

 

[alanywiseman.]

Cheers for all the yeast suggestions guys, much appreciated. I will use one of them if mine falls short :thumb:

My only reservation about high strength fermentation would be the high level of alcohol produced purely by sugar and its effect on the flavour.

I am hopeing flavour will be ok as I used 11lbs of fruit in a gallon :shock:

 

[GREBO75]

I think Youngs dessert wine yeast should be able to be pushed way past 14%.

I've got a couple of brews using their standard yeast compound that have gone to 17% and could maybe have gone higher if I'd added more sugar.

As the dessert yeast is specifically aimed at high alcohol wines I'd expect it to be able to get to 19-20% at least.

I'll be able to tell you more for sure in a month or so, got a batch of elderberry port on the go using their dessert yeast but only started it a week ago.

BTW as others have said the key to getting high alcohol is to keep adding the sugar in stages, yeasts often don't like a massive contrentration of sugar at the start of the fermentation.

 

[alanywiseman.]

I think Youngs dessert wine yeast should be able to be pushed way past 14%.

I've got a couple of brews using their standard yeast compound that have gone to 17% and could maybe have gone higher if I'd added more sugar.

As the dessert yeast is specifically aimed at high alcohol wines I'd expect it to be able to get to 19-20% at least.

I'll be able to tell you more for sure in a month or so, got a batch of elderberry port on the go using their dessert yeast but only started it a week ago.

BTW as others have said the key to getting high alcohol is to keep adding the sugar in stages, yeasts often don't like a massive contrentration of sugar at the start of the fermentation.

This is good to know. I was told 14% but thought that was a bit low. I have currently added 2 lots of sugar, 750g and 500g giving 1250g total (just incase anyone has difficulty with the maths :lol: ) I think 1500g will give 16% (in a gallon). The plan is to add in 50-100g lots then the SG gets below 1.000 to keep the little yeastys going.

Do you just add the sugar in solid form of dissolve in some water first to make it easier to mix?

Thanks for all the help everone :thumb:

 

[Eric_S]

As an aside, be careful when added more sugar - it can go a bit mental as the CO2 escapes from the sudden increase in surface area (I think that's why). I've tried using normal granulated sugar and cubes - cubes seem to work a little better in so far as the fizzing is concerned but is bit more of a faff.

 

[alanywiseman.]

Yeah I have experenced this before. It is because the Co2 nucleates on the added solid and then evolves into a gas = MESS!!!

 

[GREBO75]

Do you just add the sugar in solid form of dissolve in some water first to make it easier to mix?

I use solid sugar. if there's some headroom in the DJ then I'll just pour it in (gently as it will froth up and I don't want it overflowing everywhere) and then give it a good swirl. If the DJ is full to the neck then I'll pour the sugar into a sterilised DJ and rack on top of it. The loss of a little liquid from the racking then makes up for the increase in volume caused by adding extra sugar - when I do that I'll only fill to shoulder so I have room to add the next batch of suagr without having to rack again.

 

[alanywiseman.]

DJ filled to the shoulder so will chuck in solid sugar.

Thanks again for all the advice :thumb:

 

[tonyhibbett]

11 pounds of fruit per gallon sounds a lot, but 'real' wine needs 24 pounds of grapes to make a gallon of juice. I'm sure the flavour will be fine but a bit lightweight in body compared to true port, almost half of which is in fact brandy.

 

[alanywiseman.]

11 pounds of fruit per gallon sounds a lot, but 'real' wine needs 24 pounds of grapes to make a gallon of juice. I'm sure the flavour will be fine but a bit lightweight in body compared to true port, almost half of which is in fact brandy.

Hoping that I will get some good body from the fruit but was planning on maybe backsweetening with grape concentrate to increacr the body.

Sadly I lack the funds to ferment a proper country port, brandy is not cheap plus I am a skin flint