Yeast Help

[MaxTheSpy]

I would like some insight from those smarter than me, I've been using Redstar Premier Blanc for the last 4-5 years using other yeasts very rarely. I decided to actually look up the specs on Premier Blanc and this is what I found:

Species: Wine
Fermentation Temp Range (°F) : 59-86
Apparent Attenuation Range (%) : n/a
Flocculation: Medium-Low
Alcohol Tolerance: 13-15%

My question is with its 13-15% tolerance, How have I been getting 18-23% consistently over the last few years? Does it have to do with using honey instead of grapes?

 

[JimRausch]

Hmmm. That's my sole mead/ fruit wine yeast varietal as well. I'm sure I read the specs when I 1st tried it, but since it has performed well, I haven't bothered trying anything else.
My guess as to the answer to your question is some combination of simple sugars in honey vs what's in grape must AND the yeast never read their specs so they didn't know they were supposed to quit.

 

[NeverDie]

Maybe it's related to pH. Googling it, it appears grape juice has a pretty low pH--lower than honey does--and fermentation will cause that pH to decrease even further. If the specs for the yeast are centered on grape juice as the target must, as you might expect for the primary market of that yeast, then....

 

[MaxTheSpy]

AND the yeast never read their specs so they didn't know they were supposed to quit.

Haha, That's True, I'm going to make 2 test batches using a yeast that's supposed to do better with fruit but I'm not sure if it will really make a difference. I just find it odd that stats like that could be so off. I might start keeping track of the different yeast strains and the respective percentages I get. Seems like a lot of stuff gets put into the wine or beer category and there isnt much specifics for Mead.

 

[bernardsmith]

Think of the published tolerance of yeast like the published ability of a rope or chain to tolerate a load. If the breaking limit is say 500 lbs that does not mean that the rope will immediately snap when 500 lbs of load is attached. It means that you are advised not to depend on that rope maintaining its strength if you add 500 plus pounds . and if you do and it snaps then you and not the manufacturer are liable and responsible. Will that rope support a load of 600 lbs - almost certainly. Seven hundred? I would say it could. Will it break if you apply 800 lbs? Probably not. But should you buy and use that rope in order to apply 800 lbs .. absolutely not. Same with the yeast you buy. The lab will stand behind its yeast if you are unable to ferment to 13 -15 % . OK but can it ferment to 18%? Possibly. But if you buy it in order to ferment to 18% and it quits at 15%.. You were given fair warning and if that failure cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars then you know exactly who to point your finger at and that finger pointing should be towards yourself and not the lab.

 

[MaxTheSpy]

Think of the published tolerance of yeast like the published ability of a rope or chain to tolerate a load. If the breaking limit is say 500 lbs that does not mean that the rope will immediately snap when 500 lbs of load is attached. It means that you are advised not to depend on that rope maintaining its strength if you add 500 plus pounds . and if you do and it snaps then you and not the manufacturer are liable and responsible. Will that rope support a load of 600 lbs - almost certainly. Seven hundred? I would say it could. Will it break if you apply 800 lbs? Probably not. But should you buy and use that rope in order to apply 800 lbs .. absolutely not. Same with the yeast you buy. The lab will stand behind its yeast if you are unable to ferment to 13 -15 % . OK but can it ferment to 18%? Possibly. But if you buy it in order to ferment to 18% and it quits at 15%.. You were given fair warning and if that failure cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars then you know exactly who to point your finger at and that finger pointing should be towards yourself and not the lab.

Ahh I gotcha. This is a good way of looking at it!

 

[a_merryk_hunt]

"This is what we got consistently in the lab tests, YMMV"