Qustion on Pitch rates for Mead, Cider and Wine

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I know it this is in the Mead forum, but it basically applies to cider and wine since the main ingredients in all 3 are water and simple sugars.

Anyway, is there a standard pitch rate? The dry yeast packs are like 5gr and a typical wine/mead starting point would be in the 1.080 to 1.100 so if compared to an beer (ale) with a og of 1.040 you'd put in 11gr of yeast (and about x2 cells for 1/2 og - relativly it is 4 x the yeast).

Is this right? is there any technical info on the pitch rates for mead et al.? I've noticed some people put 1 packet of yeast in for 1 gal or 5 gal. this means the ratio of yeast to sugar is widely different. But what is optimal?

thanks.
 
Typical wine yeast pitch rates are 50 grams per hectoliter (the equivalent of 10 grams in a 5 gallon batch). Whether that is optimal for meads or ciders remains a question.

I find that a 5 gram packet of yeast in a typical strength mead works fine. For high gravity batches (above 1.130) I will use at least 10 grams and there is some data that supports this in winemaking.

I often use 5 grams in a 1-gallon batch, and despite the Lallemand warnings that over-pitching could lead to autolysis, I've not found that to be an issue, and things seem to work fine. I have even seen award winning batches made with large-biomass yeast pitches (5 grams per liter). The effect of pitch rates in meads (and ciders) deserves a lot more study; it makes a big difference in beers but I think the longer aging of wines and meads may make it less important.

Medsen
 
MedsenFey said:
Typical wine yeast pitch rates are 50 grams per hectoliter (the equivalent of 10 grams in a 5 gallon batch). Whether that is optimal for meads or ciders remains a question.

I find that a 5 gram packet of yeast in a typical strength mead works fine. For high gravity batches (above 1.130) I will use at least 10 grams and there is some data that supports this in winemaking.

I often use 5 grams in a 1-gallon batch, and despite the Lallemand warnings that over-pitching could lead to autolysis, I've not found that to be an issue, and things seem to work fine. I have even seen award winning batches made with large-biomass yeast pitches (5 grams per liter). The effect of pitch rates in meads (and ciders) deserves a lot more study; it makes a big difference in beers but I think the longer aging of wines and meads may make it less important.

Medsen
Click to expand...


Well if I were a grad student doing work in bio or chem it sounds like a good doctorate paper. But I'm years past that, and it is out of my feild.

I've read the beer guys saying that they can go 2 months in the primary with no detectable autolysis. My experience with Mead and Wine indicates that a secondary would be used before that time, taking away most of the yeast. Container shape also makes a difference I've read for autolysis.

10 gr for 5 gallons(about 20L) makes for .5gr/l vrs the 5gr/l for those award winning meads. But then it would require less growth and all perhaps getting less off flavors. - which leads me back to my original question.

But as you've said Medsen, there isn't well published info. Thanks.
 

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