My daughter and I have been making some elderflower champagne this afternoon. I bought some proper champagne yeast for it as I was doing an order anyway, Lalvin EC-1118. The instructions say to rehydrate at 40C for at least 20 minutes, but never more than 45 minutes (and not in the must). They also say not to have a temperature differential of more than 10C between the must and the rehydrated yeast.
Given that it'll probably be ok to mix the elderflowers, sugar and everything else with water at 35 to 40C, I'll probably do that.
But what do you do if you don't want to heat your must? Rehydrate the yeast for 20 minutes and then crash cool to within 10C of the must temperature?
James
Champagne yeast. What a palaver!
-
Rookie
- Falling off the Barstool
- Posts: 3559
- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm
- Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Re: Champagne yeast. What a palaver!
What size starter? A liter or smaller should cool down enough on it's own within 45 minutes of taking it off the heat. Wine yeast is pretty cheap and you might want to consider just tossing in an extra pack or two without rehydrating. 11 years ago I made an 18% mead with this yeast and didn't rehydrate. I tried one after 10 years in the bottle and was VERY happy.
I'm just here for the beer.
Re: Champagne yeast. What a palaver!
They specify the minimum volume required for the starter but I can't recall it off the top of my head. I have the web page open in the brew shed.
I'll stand my starter container in a bowl of cold water and see how I get on.
James
I'll stand my starter container in a bowl of cold water and see how I get on.
James
-
jack_c
Re: Champagne yeast. What a palaver!
I made some this year (currently bottle conditioning) and just pitched one pack of dry champagne yeast on top of the Elderflowers, lemon rind and sugar solution. It's fermented dry over three or for weeks and tastes damn good from the sample bottle I opened early. Don't worry it's gonna be fine however you ended up pitching
-
Cpt.Frederickson
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:54 pm
- Location: BIAB in the Shed, Maidstone, Kent
Re: Champagne yeast. What a palaver!
You just add small amounts of the must to the rehydrating yeast until the temperature is within 10c. No dramas. Rehydration with wine yeast is very important. Having said that, EC118 is pretty hard to go wrong with.
The Hand of Doom Brewery and Meadery
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
Re: Champagne yeast. What a palaver!
Aha! Good plan. I'd not thought of that 
It is fermenting away quite nicely now and when I opened the fermentation cabinet this morning a lovely smell of elderflower spread throughout the brew shed, so hopefully it's going well. Tomorrow I shall separate the must from the flowers and other solid stuff to put it into a proper fermenter.
James
It is fermenting away quite nicely now and when I opened the fermentation cabinet this morning a lovely smell of elderflower spread throughout the brew shed, so hopefully it's going well. Tomorrow I shall separate the must from the flowers and other solid stuff to put it into a proper fermenter.
James