yeast question.

[proevofanatik]

can i use bakers yeast to brew wine and cider? or do i need to use wine or cider yeast? what is the best stuff to use?

 

[fermentall]

Wine or cider yeast

 

[wilsoa1111]

dont use bakers yeast (tastes and make poor booze)-ever -

well except for bread

 

[proevofanatik]

what does yeast nutrient do? should i buy that too?

 

[proevofanatik]

also can i mix everything together an set it all up then store it in my shed while its formenting? temperatures can sometimes dip to about -2 at night. or am i best to keep it in my house at room temperature? i would prefer it in the shed because i dont really have anywere to keep it indoors exept the loft. i suppose the loft should be ok to store it. i just need to know th ideal temperature to store it at.

 

[danb]

while fermenting im sure it has to be between 18 and 21 degrees and in the temps in the shed the yeast would go to sleep and not work. i ferment mine a insulated cupboard in the bedroom at a constant 20'c. i am sure i have read aswell that fermenting times can vary quite a lot even going from 21 down to 18 makes a big difference

 

[proevofanatik]

what if i wrapped loft insulation around the bottle? would that keep it at a steady temperature?

 

[fermentall]

No it would fluctuate with the surrounding temp,it needs to be kept in a room that stays pretty much at 18-20 deg or in a water bath with an aquarium heater set to temp,or in a fermenting cupboard with a thermostat controlled heat source. :

 

[Jonny69]

You can use baker's yeast but brewing yeast is far superior for wine and cider. Brewing yeast is designed to drop out quickly into a nice solid cake at the bottom and to not impart any yeasty flavours. Baker's yeast takes a long time to clear and the cake at the bottom will slosh up into the drink very easily, making racking difficult.

It'll be too cold to brew outside at this time of year. You're better off doing the fermenting indoors and, when the airlock stops moving, then rack it off and store it outside or in the loft to condition. Don't worry too much about the temperature inside if it's below 18-21 degrees, it just means the brew will take slightly longer. A long cool brew will make a more mellow drink than a fast hot brew.