Unfamiliar with Wyeast 4783 Rudsheimer for Mead

[IrishBrew]

I'm attempting my first mead this weekend and I was building a starter last night using the Wyeast 4783 Rudsheimer yeast with a standard 1000mL starter. I haven't used this yeast before nor have I ever made wine so I am unfamiliar with the yeast characteristics.

I use a stir plate for my starters and I let that run for a few hours overnight and this morning I switched it off to let things settle for when I get home from work tonight. Before I left though, I noticed what *could* be an infection but I don't want to jump the gun.

Is this like an ale yeast that is top fermenting or like a lager that is bottom fermenting; or is it like something else entirely? Should there be a krauzen of some kind with this yeast?

I'm a bit paranoid because I think my last ale starter was infected so I tossed it. Unfortunately now that I look back at it, it very well could have just been typical for that style.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I haven't used it either, but will be picking it up tomorrow to make a pineapple mead soon. I posted a question in the mead forum for anyone who has used this strain, but last time I checked, no one replied.

Let me know how it goes for you with this strain.

 

[rico567]

Well, here's what Wyeast has to say about 4783:

http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=64

....looks like it's applicable to a pretty wide variety of things, but most are wines.