Making alcohol-containing drinks at home involves organizing the proper fermentation of the future drink and competent selection of raw materials. Each type of alcohol has its own technology, recipe and selection of "live fungi" that stimulate the maturation of the drink. That is why there is a special classification of such ingredients, to which a special position is occupied by wine yeast, used to make not only wine, but also other products.
What are yeasts for making wine?
Regardless of what raw materials are used, and it can be varied, there are several options for obtaining yeast. For those who want to make a drink at home exclusively on their own, you can try to grow these fungi yourself.
The result in this case is not guaranteed. This applies not only to the quality of the fermentation process itself, its intensity and duration, but also to possible flavors. Although, if certain instructions are followed, there is a desire to prepare an original drink, then even novice winemakers can cope with this task. Berries, dried fruits are suitable for home sourdough, in particular, the use of raisins is practiced.
For the production of alcohol with certain requirements, for example, by analogy with the selected brand of alcohol, when grapes of a special variety are used, it is very important to preserve the finest taste. In this case, preference is given to ready-made cultures of fungi. Such wine yeast is produced in special laboratories, has clear instructions for use, on compliance with which the structure of the fermentation process depends. You can buy ready-made yeast at specialized outlets, including online resources that offer equipment for making alcohol at home, containers and other related products. You can choose the best type of yeast by studying the manufacturers' comments, using the help of a consultant, or looking at reviews.
How Yeast Works
The vital activity of yeast is alcohol compounds, the amount of which depends on the conditions of wine maturation, in particular, temperature, sugar content. The optimum temperature is considered to be 20-25 degrees. At higher settings, fungi die, and at low settings, activity slows down and stops. In the process of aging the drink, it is important to determine the readiness in a timely manner and monitor the behavior of the yeast, since excessive activity, long-term foaming can worsen the quality of alcohol, as well as passive maturation of mash or wine.
The average strength of the solution is 12-18 degrees. Depending on the desired concentration of alcohol, it is possible to regulate the work of the starter, for example, the maintained temperature, the amount of sugar. For stronger drinks, distillation is needed, and for light aromatic wine, you should choose the right raw materials and clearly regulate the aging period, the amount of leaven.
How to prepare your own yeast
Making wine exclusively on your own is quite realistic, since yeast can be diluted on your own and there are a number of recipes. Currants, strawberries, honeysuckle, raspberries are used, but grapes are especially popular even in the form of raisins. This is due to the peculiarities of the fruits, on the surface of which bacteria are initially located, provoking the growth of fungi necessary for fermentation.
Homemade wine yeast should be prepared a few days before mixing the must. Alternatively, you can stock up on sourdough even earlier, just put it in the refrigerator later to put the microorganisms into “sleep mode”.
If there is any doubt that wine yeast can be obtained at home, then you can reduce time and remove anxiety with the help of ready-made options.
Yeast with raisins
Of the numerous raw materials used for sourdough, dried fruits can be distinguished, and in particular, raisins. This is due to the fact that fresh fruits and berries are not always at hand, and it is much easier to find some raisins. The recipe contains only three ingredients:
- Raisin. It is important to initially choose the right berries. It is better if they are purple varieties, and the ponytails will only improve the ripening process;
- Water. Enough 0.5 liters. There are no special requirements for water, it must be clean, without foreign odors;
- Sugar. Approximately ½ cup.
You need to prepare a glass container, usually a simple liter jar with a lid. It is not necessary to make the starter in larger containers and with an increase in proportions, because as soon as the finished mixture enters the wort, the process of yeast propagation will begin quite quickly. Naturally, this is subject to a sufficient amount of sugar and temperature conditions.
In stages, the yeast used for wines is made as follows:
- The water is heated but not brought to a boil. This is necessary for better dissolution of sugar;
- Sugar syrup is being prepared, for this you just need to add sugar to the jar. Some recommend pre-dipping with boiling water or sterilizing the container;
- We fall asleep raisins. Berries do not need to be washed, and even more so, rinsed with boiling water, even tails should be left, because they will also contribute to better fermentation. The number of fruits is measured in a few handfuls or a little more than 1/3 cup;
- We cover the bottle or jar with a lid that allows air to pass through, with gauze or cotton. The main condition is that there must be an exit of carbon dioxide, which will be formed, and the presence of oxygen;
- The container is placed in a warm place, not necessarily dark. The period is approximately 5-6 days. At this time, an active formation of fungi will take place for a couple of days, then the process will become less active and ready-made yeast will precipitate;
- Straining and further application of the mixture is carried out. On average, you need to calculate that the starter should be no more than 3% of the total wort.
You can make such wine yeast before infusing the drink itself or in reserve, but the reviews of many winemakers say that the fresh version is more reliable. In this case, it is important to properly store the sourdough, because the specificity does not allow maintaining the vital activity of bacteria for a long time, but this can be done for several days. It is enough to place the container with a closed lid in the refrigerator, and wait until room temperature before use.
Yeast from berries
The principle of making yeast based on berries and fruits is similar, only it is desirable to grind the ingredients to a puree consistency. Such yeast needs to be aged for almost the same amount of time, but raw materials should be chosen more carefully. In any case, the residual taste of berries will be slightly present, and it will be difficult to prepare fine wine, by analogy with vintage wine. For elite drinks, industrial-type yeast bred in a laboratory is more suitable. It is strictly forbidden to experiment with bread or beer varieties of starters, since such a drink will look more like a brew for further distillation.
Berry yeast is prepared in the proportion of three parts of softened fruit and one part of sugar. To begin with, sugar is dissolved in the pulp, and only then liquid is added at the rate of ¾ of the total volume. The container should also not be tightly closed and should be shaken periodically. The fact that the origin of yeast has begun will be noticeable not only visually, but also by a specific smell, some of which will be absorbed into the must and give it a special taste.
If you plan to constantly engage in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages and initially the wine turned out to be pleasant in taste, the required strength and aroma, then you can make the resulting yeast for other drinks. To do this, you can strain the main solution, and pour the remaining sediment (fermented and precipitated fungi) into a separate container. You can store them in the refrigerator for a while, but not for too long.
Sometimes sourdough is obtained from a mixture of only juice and sugar, which is quite rare at home. On an industrial scale, various varieties of wine yeast are used, and their classification includes more than 30 subspecies.
To make wine with a pleasant taste and the desired strength, you should first decide on the type of drink. For example, if the must is moderately sweet and fermentation stops when sugar is exhausted, then the wine can be classified as dry. Each drink has its own characteristics and technology, experimenting with recipes, especially for beginners, should be done with caution, as an option, you can view reviews. For the first time, it is recommended to try with a small amount of the mixture, and later you can improve your skills already on large volumes.
Some of those who are engaged in home winemaking argue that to get good wine you need to choose good berries, do not miscalculate the amount of sugar, and also maintain a temperature balance. However, most winemakers believe that quality wine can only be created using wine yeast.
Wine yeast is a product that is obtained by synthesizing in laboratories, or created at home. For this purpose, fresh berries (raspberries, currants, plums) and dried fruits are traditionally used. Today we will prepare wine yeast from raisins.
If you decide to make wine yeast from raisins, then the success of the result largely depends on the right dried fruits. Remember: good yeast requires quality raisins. Going shopping, do not even look at the light varieties of raisins, especially if the dried fruit is shiny, beautiful and plump. With a high degree of certainty, it can be stated that such berries were treated with chemistry, which means that all the yeast that settled on them, which was necessary to create wine yeast, was destroyed, and, therefore, it is unlikely that it will be possible to prepare a quality product from them. To create wine yeast, only matte skinny bluish-purple raisins are suitable, with tails. Keep this in mind when choosing raw materials.
How to make wine yeast from raisins
You will need:
- raisins - 2 handfuls;
- granulated sugar - 1/2 cup;
- water - 2 glasses.
Cooking method
- Bring half a glass of clean water to a boil.
- Dissolve sugar in hot water.
- Pour the rest of the water into the prepared syrup.
- Sterilize a 1 liter glass bottle with a wide neck for 5 minutes. You can, of course, simply rinse the container and pour boiling water over it, but only sterilization will give a 100% guarantee that there will be no extraneous fungi and bacteria in the bottle that can affect the result.
- Pour the raisins into the cooled bottle. The berries do not need to be washed or rid of the tails.
- Pour raisins with warm syrup.
- We cork the container with a cork made of fabric, or with a cotton swab, in a word, one that passes air well.
- We remove the bottle in a warm, bright place. During the day, the contents should be periodically shaken well. As a rule, after a couple of days, an active fermentation process begins, by the fourth or fifth day it subsides, and on the fifth or sixth day the wine yeast is ready. The product can be used to create wine immediately, or you can put them in the refrigerator for a couple of days. In fairness, it should be noted that long-term storage of wine yeast is unacceptable.
We have brought to your attention a simple and quick way to make wine yeast at home. Dear visitors of our portal, you may know other recipes for creating this product, we will be grateful if you share them with other readers of the online magazine site in the comments to this article.
In the manufacture of any modern wine, wine yeast is necessarily used. They go through the following stages in their development:
- Lag stage. It begins from the moment when the yeast grains enter the wort - into the nutrient medium. Cells begin to adapt to the substrate. They increase in size, but at the same time there is no reproduction process yet;
- The second stage is called logarithmic. During it, the cell population increases, and the biomass becomes larger. Cells endure all negative environmental factors. Alcohol fermentation begins;
- The third stage is called stationary. Yeast cells stop growing, and alcoholic fermentation occurs with intense force;
- The fourth stage is the attenuation of the growth of yeast mass cells. The mass begins to decrease in size due to intensive autolysis and the use of reserve substances by yeast.
Having passed all four stages, the yeast mass will make any wine tasty and aromatic.
All about wine yeast
In nature, yeast forms on the surface of berries, such as grapes. They can be easily seen, as they have a light coating on the peel of the berries. Plaque is formed due to the work of a yeast fungus.
Baking, alcohol, beer and wine yeast grains are classified as industrial yeast. Given the place of origin, the grape variety and the location of the vineyards, each type of yeast is assigned its own name. Yeast races, in turn, can be divided into groups. As a result, the races of wine yeast are:
- High fermentation;
- Heat-resistant or cold-resistant;
- Alcohol resistant;
- Sherry.
Alcohol-resistant yeast races are used to make champagne, and sherry to give wines a unique aroma and taste.
Wine is usually made from the juice of grapes or other types of fruits and berries.
If artisanal winemaking takes place, the must (squeezed juice) begins to ferment without the help of yeast, as yeast fungi that are present on the surface of the berries themselves begin to multiply intensively. At the same time, lactic acid, acetic acid bacteria, yeast-like fungi come into force, which can lead to spoilage of the product, or to the production of wine vinegar instead of wine.
For this reason, during the industrial production of wine, in order to avoid spoilage of wine materials, an activated mixture of wine yeast is added to the grape juice.
The type of wine depends on how the fermentation takes place. Thanks to wine yeast, sugar, which is part of the grapes, begins to ferment. Fermentation continues until all the sugar has been converted.
With a lack of oxygen, due to the influence of yeast, alcohol is obtained. If oxygen is constantly supplied, sugar is completely oxidized and water with carbon dioxide is obtained.
During the initial stages of yeast development, fermentation occurs intensively, because of this, the carbon dioxide that is released does not allow atmospheric oxygen to penetrate to the surface of the wort. When fermentation is over, it is important to seal the barrel of wine well. If this is not done, the acetic acid bacteria will convert the alcohol into acetic acid. Instead of wine, you will become the owner of wine or apple cider vinegar.
In the industrial production of wines, grape juice with a sugar content of 25 percent is used.
To obtain white wines, the grapes are peeled and pitted. For red wines, the skins and pits are not removed. Yeast for wine, along with sugar during fermentation, juice is processed into alcohol. Yeast substances give the wine aroma and pleasant taste. After fermentation, lactic acid bacteria play an important role in giving the drink a smell.
Different varieties of wines have their own characteristics of production. For example, to get champagne, fermented wine must be fermented again. The fermentation of the drink must end in a closed container, as carbon dioxide must accumulate inside.
To get a strong wine (sherry), you need to use special sherry yeast, which is resistant to a high concentration of alcohol in the wine material.
Varieties of wines
Wines are dry, sweet and fortified. To get a dry wine, it is important to stop fermentation immediately after the end of the supply of sugar in the squeezed grape juice.
Sweet wines are made by partially fermenting sugar when a toxic alcohol level for wine yeast is reached.
Fortified wines are additionally filled with alcohol.
From the above, we can conclude that the type of wine directly depends on how it is produced, as well as what type of wine yeast is used to ferment the juice.
What are yeast
There are many different types of wine yeast. For example, wine yeast Lalvin KV-1118, Lalvin EC-1118 and others. Let's take a closer look at the instructions for using each type of yeast.
First view
Wine yeast Lalvin KV-1118 is a pure, highly active yeast concentrate that is used to make light white wines, red wines and champagnes. Also, with the help of such yeast, fermentation can be restored.
Yeast mass is usually used at low concentration, low temperatures, low content of fatty acids. They do an excellent job with their mission in a temperature regime of 10 - 35 degrees. If water is added to the wine material at a temperature below 16 degrees, esters will begin to be produced, which will give the drink a rich aroma. Due to the pronounced killer effect, yeast grains well suppress the "wild" microflora.
Instructions for use of such a product says the following:
- KV-stamped yeast is used to express grape aroma in white, rosé and deep red wines;
- Given the type and purity of raw materials, the conditions and duration of fermentation, the required dosage is determined. Usually it is from 1 to 4 g/dal;
- They do not contain any additives. They have a moisture content of 6 percent;
- Wine yeast (5 grams) is diluted in water (50 milliliters) 34 - 39 degrees. In order for them to work properly, it is important that the water temperature is no more than 40 degrees. Then the mixture must be mixed well to break up the lumps and withstand no more than twenty minutes. After a while, mix again, and slowly pour into the wort. Slow introduction helps the yeast to gradually acclimatize and not die when combined with cool wort;
- Wine yeast can be stored in a dark, dry place for up to a couple of years. Storage temperature should be between five and fifteen degrees. If you open the package, it has a shelf life of no more than six months.
Second view
Wine yeast mass Lalvin EC gives red and white wines a refreshing taste and purity. They ferment well even at the lowest temperatures, forming a sediment in one place. Thanks to this type of raw material, fermentation can be restarted. It is recommended to use it for, as well as from viburnum, hawthorn and cherries. An EC-labeled product has low foaming, clarifies wine well and collects sediment compactly. The instructions for use of EC stamped yeast say the following:
- 300 grams of the contents of the bag should be poured into five liters of forty-degree water. Stir thoroughly until smooth;
- When the temperature of the mixture reaches 35 degrees, carefully pour 250 grams of yeast onto the surface. Let stand 20 minutes and mix well. Then pour the resulting mass into the wort, so that the temperature difference is not higher than ten degrees;
- You can store them in a closed package at a temperature of no more than eight degrees Celsius.
Making wine from grapes is not very difficult. It is only important to purchase the right yeast and carefully study what the instructions say. It usually has everything written on it.
Now you know what wine yeast is. What types are they. How can you get different types of wines using different types of production. Wine lovers are always proud of their creations, especially if people around them like them.
In distilling, yeast microorganisms are used to convert sugar into alcohol. Sugar is a nutrient medium for the reproduction of fungi, and alcohol is the result of its processing in the process of vital activity of microorganisms. The basis of most alcoholic beverages is mash - a must, which includes yeast and sugar. Suitable yeast strains are selected for each type of drink: for strong drinks (moonshine, calvados), these can be alcoholic types of fungi, for beer - beer.
To make wine, special yeast is used, which is called wine yeast. Unlike grain and other types of yeast microorganisms, these special strains, in addition to processing sugar into alcohol, retain the aroma and taste of the raw materials from which they are made - grapes and other berries and fruits. It is on the surface of the skin of these fruits that strains of yeast microorganisms multiply in natural conditions, which are ideal for wine recipes.
In the online store of the Best Group company there is a wide selection of ready-made dry yeast mixtures, the production of sourdough from which does not take much time, and the final product will have a rich taste and aroma of natural wine.
If an amateur distiller is also a grower and gardener or has the opportunity to purchase grapes, raisins, other berries and fruits that have not been treated with chemicals, you can make homemade wine yeast with your own hands. Mandatory conditions for the preparation of high-quality sourdough are the use of unwashed raw materials, since the whitish coating that forms on grapes in their natural and dried form, the peel of fruits and berries, is wine yeast.
The disadvantage of home-made sourdough from this type of microorganism is the inability to regulate the selection of strains to ensure a certain strength, flavor and color of the final product. Such an opportunity is given only by ready-made dry yeast wine mixtures made from specially cultivated races of fungi.
Home conditions are suitable only for the preparation of the so-called wild yeast, which may include several types of different races of yeast microorganisms, the effect of which on the fermentation process is difficult to predict.
Homemade Wine Yeast Recipes
When we make wine from wild yeast fungi, we try to select fruits covered with a whitish coating - colonies of microorganisms Saccharomyces ellipsoideus, or sugar fungi, named after their way of feeding, for the preparation of sourdough. An experienced winemaker will not confuse this plaque with mold, will not use rotten and even darkened fruits, as this will spoil the taste and aroma of the wine.
Each amateur winemaker has his own recipe for making wines, the basis of which is yeast sourdough. The principle of its preparation can be reduced to three main varieties.
How to make yeast from raisins, fresh berries and fruits
This is a common recipe for making wild yeast from the skin of the fruit. Its basis is fresh grapes, other berries, fruits, raisins and sugar, as well as water. Sugar needs only a few spoons to feed microorganisms, multiply them and activate fermentation. Water should not be chlorinated - it is better to use proven bottled water.
Yeast made from raisins or fresh grapes produces traditional grape wines. For other varieties, you can use berries such as currants, raspberries, wild and garden strawberries; from fruits, plums and apples are preferable.
To navigate the required volume of starter, proceed from the fact that it should occupy 2-3% of the total volume in the composition of the wort.
The cooking technology is common for all types of fruits with some minor features, and represents the following procedure:
- pour 100 grams of raisins or fresh mashed berries or mashed fruits (fruit peel) into a liter jar;
- bottled water (0.6 l) is heated to 20-35 ° C and pour it over raisins, pulp of berries or fruits;
- add 2 tablespoons of sugar, mix thoroughly;
- put the jar covered with gauze in a dark warm place for 3-4 days.
After this period, a hissing foam should appear on the surface of the leaven, a specific sour smell. If this happens, use the starter for its intended purpose, putting a water seal on the jar to prevent oxidative processes. In this state, the yeast mixture can be stored for up to 10 days. It can be left unfiltered if a must with pulp is used. If the starter is to be added to pure juice, it must be carefully filtered.
Making homemade sourdough wines from rainfall
The sediment that forms at the bottom of a bottle of wine contains yeast microorganisms, on the basis of which you can prepare a new starter with old strains. Of particular interest are recipes for the manufacture of dry wine yeast, which can be stored for a long time at a certain temperature and without access to oxygen. This is a great opportunity to use proven races of fungi that will ensure good fermentation, which requires:
- spread the sediment in a thin layer over the surface of a clean plate;
- dry without heating above 35 ° C to prevent the death of microorganisms;
- place the dry residue in a paper bag.
Properly prepared dry wine yeast from the lees can be stored for up to 2 years. They are used as yeast mixtures of industrial production.
Preparation of wine yeast from fermented wine
This method is used by winemakers to recycle fermented wine, especially if it is made on the basis of cultivated strains and there is a desire to preserve them. For this you need:
- collect the top layer of fermented wine in a sterile clean dish;
- pour bottled water, add a little sugar;
- mix thoroughly, cover with gauze;
- put for several days in a dark place;
- filter.
Such wine yeast can be stored in a sealed jar for a month in the refrigerator. From the remaining pulp, you can prepare a new batch of wine yeast.
Wine yeast is a type of yeast used in winemaking; is a colony of Saccharomyces cerevisiae bacteria capable of processing simple and complex sugars into alcohol.
Wine yeast can be found on the surface of almost all grape varieties. Today, wine yeast is understood not only as the bacteria Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but also a number of other bacteria used in winemaking; however, it is Saccharomyces cerevisiae that has the greatest resistance to its own waste products (that is, alcohol), and it is this species that lives in wine the longest, it is he who is responsible for the souring of wine.
Today, the use of wine yeast is typical not only for home winemakers, but also for large industrialists, large wine producers, both New and Old World. The use of wine yeast allows you to get a predictable and constant result. While some critics blame the ubiquitous use of wine yeast for the uniformity of taste in many wines, today almost everyone uses yeast, and the use of natural, natural yeast is kept to a minimum.
Often a situation arises when the fermentation of wine stops abruptly. This happens because that colony of microorganisms has won in wine, which can no longer exist at the current strength of the drink; however, the amount of sugar is still sufficient to continue life. It is in this case that wine tremors are often used to “ferment” the must and increase its strength to an acceptable level.
How is wine yeast different from others?
There are 4 main types of yeast - bakery, wine, beer and alcohol. Bakeries are used for baking and for low quality alcohol and moonshine. Brewer's yeast is used for beer, alcohol - to obtain a pure alcohol distillate.
As you might guess, wine yeast is used for grape must and for making wine. In some cases, it can be used to produce fruit and berry moonshine, however, even in this case, it is preferable to use alcohol yeast. In general, to obtain moonshine and other distillate, it is better to use alcohol yeast, which we wrote about in more detail in the corresponding article.
Baker's yeast cannot be used for winemaking. Firstly, they greatly spoil the taste of wine, making it look more like kvass; secondly, the wort foams very strongly; thirdly, such a braga “plays” very badly. Bread yeast, or baker's yeast, dies very quickly from the increase in the alcohol content of the must, so the wine stops playing almost immediately.
Microbiology of wine yeast
The common name for wine yeast, as mentioned above, is Saccharomyces ellipsoideus, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
There are several types of such yeast, already specific microorganisms, in particular, they distinguish:
- Saccharomyces chevalieri is the most commonly encountered yeast, most often the main fermentation of red wine;
- Saccharomyces oviformis - alcohol-resistant bacteria, allowing you to get an alcohol strength of up to 17-18%;
- Torulopsis stellata are round or oval microorganisms that are able to organize a ring or film on the surface of the wort.
There are many other strains of wine yeast, you can read about them in detail in another article.
How to choose and buy wine yeast?
The most frequently encountered products on the domestic market are the products of OAO Yeast Plant.
The company produces products in packages of various weights, from 100 grams to 5 kilograms. Yeast is produced in Belarus. A 250 gram package is enough (according to the manufacturer) for 87 liters of mash (about four bottles of 21 liters each). According to consumer reviews, the must strength can reach up to 20 degrees! With subsequent dilution with water, you can get more wine than there was mash. There are also reviews regarding the use of these wine yeasts in home brewing: with a wort strength of 20 degrees, the yield is around 2.5-2 liters of distillate per 10 liters of wort.
Another well-known manufacturer is LALVIN.
As in the previous case, everything is packed in packages of various capacities. The author of these terms has never personally used this brand, however, according to reviews, a very high-quality product is obtained. In some cases, judging by the reviews, additional feeding is required, however, if the technology is observed, LALVIN wine yeasts show a fairly high efficiency of alcohol formation. The product is able to start fermenting even at very low temperatures.
How to use wine yeast to make wine?
The process of using wine yeast is simple. Yeast is added to the prepared must (a mixture of grape pulp and a small amount of sweetened water) in accordance with the proportions indicated on the label. Fermentation begins, which continues either until the sugar runs out, or until the critical strength of the wort is reached.
If fermentation has stopped, it is necessary to determine what caused this - low sugar levels, or high alcohol levels. In the first case, it is enough to add sugar to continue the distillation, in the second, it is worth adding water to reduce the strength of the drink and add yeast again. Of course, you should make sure that a temperature of 25-28 degrees, favorable for the development of yeast, is maintained. If the temperature is low, then the yeast ferments slowly; if the temperature is high, about 29-30 degrees and above, then the yeast simply dies.
Use of wine yeast for other alcoholic beverages
Wine yeast can be used to produce not only wine, but also some other alcoholic beverages.
Moonshine on wine yeast
We have repeatedly said that the most optimal choice of yeast for mash and for moonshine is alcohol yeast. Wine yeast for moonshine is rarely used, as it ferments for a long time and does not give a very high yield of the product. To prepare wine yeast, they are first diluted with sweetened warm water (to activate microorganisms), after which, after half an hour, they are poured into the finished mash. Braga should stand for about two weeks (long enough, I warned you!), After which it can be distilled.
Whiskey with wine yeast
Home cooking is also best done with alcohol yeast. Read more about cooking at home here. In the recipe indicated by the link, it is enough to simply replace the yeast with wine yeast and be prepared for the fact that the wort will approach the fortress, which is gentle for distillation, much longer.
Apple wine with wine yeast
First you need to take apple juice from 15 kilograms of apples (about 7-8 liters of juice will come out) and mix with 150 grams of wine yeast. It is also worth adding 5-6 kilograms of sugar here (depending on the sweetness of the apples themselves), as well as 8 liters of warm water. The finished volume, somewhere in the 15-16 liters of wort, just fits in a 21-liter bottle for purified drinking water and for coolers. The must must be left for 10 days in a warm place away from children and sunlight, putting on a water seal on the neck of the bottle. After that, apple wine with wine yeast can be safely drained, filtered and, if necessary, pasteurized. After that, the wine is bottled and sent for storage.
How to make wine yeast at home?
Wine yeast can be made by yourself. Of course, they will be much inferior in quality to industrial options, however, in the vast majority of cases, this will be enough to get a small amount of homemade wine.
From berries
To prepare wine yeast, you will need to create a so-called wine sourdough. It is necessary to take grapes or raspberries, ripe, but not rotten, and, without washing them under running water, mix with simple sugar and warm water until a thick porridge. It is enough to take about 100 grams of berries, half a liter of water and two tablespoons of sugar. After 2-3 days, when the starter begins to sour and ferment, it can be used instead of purchased wine yeast. The use of such a starter can significantly reduce the period of wine fermentation. The starter itself must be added to the wort in a very small amount, literally half a glass. Using your own sourdough is very convenient when the volume of wine produced is large enough.
from raisins
Raspberries, strawberries, currants, cherries and cherries can be used as raw materials for creating a sourdough that will be used instead of wine yeast. However, the best substitute is raisins. Berries for removing yeast are best collected in dry and calm weather, preferably in the morning. There should be no rain before harvesting, so in wet weather it is worth waiting. It is worth choosing only those fruits that do not have visible mechanical damage, on which there are no cobwebs, dirt, traces of mold and dust.
Old raisins, as well as raisins with traces of mold, should not be used, as they will simply spoil the must. It is enough to dip just one bunch of raisins into sugar syrup, after which the ready-to-use sourdough instead of wine yeast will be ready in 2-4 days. Don't overdo the sugar, or your starter will be too sweet.
If you decide to use raisins, then in this case it is recommended to buy literally 20-50 grams of raisins in ten places than just 200 grams in one place. This will allow you to avoid the unpleasant situation when you buy either old raisins or raisins with dead yeast. In addition, raisins are often coated with pesticides and pasteurized to keep them longer. It is logical that this has a negative effect on the efficiency of the subsequent cultivation of wine yeast.
From the sediment
If you already had a wine grown on a cultured batch of yeast, then simply saving the sediment is enough. The wine sediment contains a large number of both dead and living microorganisms. It is enough to pour the sediment into a plate, dry it in a warm place (by no means in the sun!), And put it in a plastic bag, as you will always have wine yeast on hand. Yeast is in suspended animation and can always wake up as soon as there is a favorable temperature and sugar level. Remember. That at temperatures above 30 degrees, the yeast begins to die, so you should not dry the wine sediment on a battery or in the sun.
