Makes me appreciate my LHBS..

[soundsandsuds]

Yesterday, while at the Supermarket picking up some groceries I found some gallon jugs of pure not from concentrate apple juice on sale. Said supermarket also has a small homebrew section,too, so I grabbed some corn sugar and planned on making some Apfelwein when I got home.
There's a you-brew wine and beer store a few blocks from where I live. It's good for last minute supplies and is much closer than my LHBS, I've picked up a thermometer and a carboy there before out of convenience.
I parked across the street and popped in to grab some wine yeast. I had done some reading on wine yeasts, so I went in there with some basic knowledge (and that EdWort suggests Montrachet.) I went in and said that I was making a cider and just needed some yeast, and asked where their wine yeast was. They pointed at a small, unrefrigerated basket which contained Red Star Grand Cuvee and Lalvin EC-1118. I looked at the EC-1118 and said, "Okay, this is a champagne yeast." The proprietress replied, "Oh, it doesn't matter you can use either one for anything;champagne, red, white, blush. Any one is fine."
I purchased one of each and went home and made some Apfelwein, amazed that someone can run a specialty shop with so little knowledge of what they're selling.
My LHBS has 6 times as many wine yeasts as the you-brew shop and they specialize in beer.

 

[Heckle]

It is always good to support your LHBS!

 

[Fletch78]

If you walked up to me with a bottle of apple juice and a bag or corn sugar, I would have told you the same thing.

 

[soundsandsuds]

If you walked up to me with a bottle of apple juice and a bag or corn sugar, I would have told you the same thing.

I didn't bring the apple juice or corn sugar in with me. I just said I was making cider. The thing that surprised me was that that was the entirety of their inventory, as well as the fact that she said that those yeasts would be fine for any kind of wine, and that the yeast didn't matter.
They specialize in wine and only do a little bit of (kit) beer. They would do well to have the appropriate yeasts around for different wines so that their customers can make better wine.

It kind of makes me want to open a you-brew shop.

 

[Fletch78]

Remember, running a business is never as simple as what the customer sees. If they are going to carry 8 different wine yeasts, they've got to turn them over pretty fast. If they don't have the traffic to turn them over fast enough, their distributor will boot them or best case scenario, they throw out bad yeast $$. Or, sell old yeast... then someone else comes online to criticize their business model.

 

[Fletch78]

Also, "champagne yeast" is somewhat of a misnomer. Champagne is a region of France with decent white grapes that are popular in a traditional local carbonated beverage of same name. The idea of EC1118 or RSPC being 'champagne' yeast just means it's got the balls to carb a high ABV beverage.

 

[bob1852]

EC-1118 is basically the US-05 of "wine" yeasts...

I use it for cider, mead, wine, pyment, etc...

It's a clean, neutral, high alcohol tolerance yeast.

 

[Fletch78]

In addition to what AZ IPA said, I've used both of those yeasts for meads and cider, pyments and apfelweins. They are low maintenance, and ballsy enough that I would just sprinkle a little of the packet into the fermentor (1 gal batches) and be done, wrap the pack back up and into the fridge. I had some EC1118 that had been opened for almost a year, and all the "experts" told me it wasn't going to work. It dried out my cider before it was even done rehydrating.

 

[specialkaye]

At least you've got a LHBS. The nearest one to me is over two hours away. I sent them an email on Tuesday, saying I would be in the area Thursday for work and asked if they had a couple things in stock, like corn sugar and Montrachet yeast, I could stop in and pick up. I finally received a reply on Thursday NIGHT saying, "Yes, we have that, what kind of home brewing store would we be if we didn't."

Okay, then. No reply for a couple days and then an attitude also.

No, I didn't stop there, nor do I ever plan too. If I had more experience brewing, I'd probably open a store myself.