montrachet yeast in the Apfelwein

I've never used dry yeast before, so I have no idea what to expect. I made it last night according to Ed's directions, with the exception of a couple ounces of extra sugar by mistake. Anyway, I just went down in the basement to check it. It is a little chilly down there so I hope it will be alright. Anyway, there is no fermentation yet, but that little five grams of yeast I pitched sunk to the bottom last night. Tonight there is a thin looking scum on top of the juice. Is this just normal yeast multiplication before it gets busy making CO2 and alcohol, or do I have to worry about infection, as this was made in your typical damp basement. The scum is thin, the color of liquid yeast, and is growing from the sides out and hasn't reached the center. My beer hasn't fermented quite like this and I was just curious.

Whats the temp in your basement? I have my batch in a closet with a space heater. House temp is about 65, closet temp is 71. Basement temp is 60. I store my bottled win and beer in the basement. Are you sure that "scum" isn't bubbles?

You should read through the thread covering the ApfelWein.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f25/man-i-love-apfelwein-14860/

I just started one myself on Friday. I hadn't used Montachet either. I just posted a thread on the fermentation/yeast section.

Mine didn't really kick in until last night, but is now in full force.
I have also learned about the aroma this yeast gives off. Nasty!!
Still looking forward to the end results.

I had walked into my LHBS to pick up some Corn Sugar and a packet of Montrachet for my first batch of EdWort's Apfelwein. He didn't have the Montrachet...and was going to have me pitch two packets of an Ale Yeast...and then decided to recommend a Wyeast Wine Yeast...4028 Chateau Red.

I was bummed at first. But when I got home and looked it up on the Wyeast website...it looks like it might be a winner.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=39

It appears to be a very wise selection. The guy in the homebrew store has an amazing command of wine & beermaking information stored away in his brain.

Anyway...I live in FL...so the room temp is around 78 degrees. From what I've read...the Montrachet would have been a poor choice at that temperature. I'm also excited that the smell coming out of the airlock is fruity...and not sulfury at all.

Hope it tastes as good as it smells.

I read through about 25 pages of the 500 plus pages of "Man I Love Alpfelwein". I would say my basement is in the 60's. I haven't found any detailed specs online about what the temperature range should be.

Some of what I called scum is indeed bubbles, but some of it is indeed scum with tiny bubbles in it. It is the color of liquid yeast.

Finally found the temperature range for Montrachet; 59-95 degrees. Just to be safe I'll wrap it in my quilt and sit it it on a stack of newspapers. You wouldn't believe how hard that information was to find. I finally found it on a college server out in California. I guess it is just such a wide range the people who sell it don't worry about it.

I have used Montrechet yeast for apple wine, pear wine and peach wine. It worked great. I sprinkled the dry packet on the juice or must and it took off in a couple of days. It does foam a lot so don't get too excited.

The wine was very good, the pear was the best.

I couldnt get the Monny yeast. I went with a champane yeast. Tasted today, was great. 1 wek till keggin!

When I went down to put the quilt (Just a cheap Wal Mart quilt, you don't think I'd use a real quilt do you) on the carboy I took a temperature reading of the air: 59.9 F. Man, no wonder I am cold. I've got to clean out the flu and vacuum the dust of the top of the old furnace so I can get a fire going. I've got an old gravity gas furnace with no blower that's eating us alive in gas bills, but I've held off on getting a new one because it seems like every year we loose power for at least three days and I end up being the only guy I know with heat for the duration. The new ones don't work without the dang fan and electricity. I looked into one of those natural gas generators the look like a central air unit, but those cost more than a furnace. Maybe in the future the prices will come down, but until then I am sticking with old reliable. It would be nice to be able to add on central air though and get rid off all these window units.

I was thinking about doing my third batch of Apfelwein (first Edwort's) in my basement, but living in a house built in the twenties with an underground basement in the DC area (during winter, no less)... I'm not sure if I should do it now. You guys think I should just stick to using my closet with a space heater?

Montrachet is the most forgiving yeast I have worked with. I believe the specs called an optimum range of 59-95 degrees. If your falling below 59 I would either bring it upstairs and put it in the closet with the heater, but set very very low, or do what I did and wrap it in an old blanket if your a few bellow that. If your say getting in the low fifties by all means bring it upstairs. But I am sure you would notice it it was that cold. Put a thermometer down there and check it several times on a cold day. If you have a furnace in your basement as opposed to just space heaters upstairs I couldn't see how it would drop into the low fifties.

I made a batch of Apfelwein using the Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast. I didn't do EW's, just as simple as possible- gallon jug of apple juice & the yeast. Results, 7 months later, are disappointing. Like a thin white wine with the barest hint of apple. Not bad, mind you, just.........not much there. I also made some Graff (see Search), and the result was much better. Still not enough to convert me from beer, though.

I made a batch in my storage unit in my garage with Montrachet. I'm pretty sure it got down to 50 or below at some point. Near the end I brought upstairs to finish it off if it had slowed down. Turned out fine.

The Monty yeast is boring. It will cause your batch to cloud up. Other than a few bubbles I didn't even know anything was happening at least not until the rhino farts.

Apfelwein is yummy stuff..follow eds advice and make that second batch.