First Time Yeast

[adamS]

Hey Guys,

Trying to make wine for the first time, and although my dad is an expert, refuses to advise was basically wondering with the yeast fermentation, I know that the temp has to remain constant. Does this mean that it's better to put it somewhere cooler that remains constant, or better to find somewhere thats warmer for part of the day, but gets colder at night (i.e the garden shed) our airing cupboard isnt warm as the boiler is insulated to heck, and the cupboard is about room temp.

just wanting some advice on which to choose !

Thanks !

[Hazel at the Hill]

Yeast is pretty hardy - I'd go for a cooler but constant temp, the fermentation will just be a little slower, I think.

Good luck with it - and tell your dad not to be so mardy! Is he worried that your wine will be nicer than his??

[shirlthegirl43]

My wine is left to ferment at room temperature - summer and winter. I wouldn't worry too much about it though if it gets too hot it may kill the yeast (not sure how hot that would be)

[pdblake]

Winter I ferment in the kitchen, rest of the year (cos there's so many on the go at once) I get slung out into the shed (and I have to take the wine with me)

[Hilary B]

My wine is left to ferment at room temperature - summer and winter. I wouldn't worry too much about it though if it gets too hot it may kill the yeast (not sure how hot that would be)

I don't think yeast is killed off by any household temperature likely to occur in a home in Britain. You might possibly get it too warm in a sunny conservatory or greenhouse, but anything else is unlikely to do it serious harm. I think the temperature for killing yeast is similar to that for killing bacteria, ie above normal body temp. Short of that, 'uncomfortably warm' might make it stop working for a while, but probably to restart when temp returns to normal. I think I remember reading that 77F is a good fermenting temp, that would be 25C.

[adamS]

Thanks guys, put it inside and it started to bubble really quickly ! still going and I'm going to top it up with tepid water in about 2 days, then let it ferment it's heart out !!

[ohbeary]

Well mate, I think your dad is possibly right not to advise you, you will learn more and make better wine by experiencing a few trips and falls for yourself, if your mistakes are your own you will learn to avoid them, enjoy your dads wines, keep a low profile then whoop his ass at the local wine society show.
An invaluable book with recipies and just about all the technical info you could need is First Steps in Wine making by C,J,J,Berry, dont lend it to your dad, he probably has a copy anyway.
ps ideal temp is 21c to start 16c thereafter and 10c for storage.

[Hazel at the Hill]

...... keep a low profile then whoop his ass at the local wine society show.
An invaluable book with recipies and just about all the technical info you could need is First Steps in Wine making by C,J,J,Berry, ......

I like your style!

And I'd recommend ol' CJJ too - my copy (a much appreciated present from the lovely Scarey55) is well read, thumbed, annotated and referred to frequently.

[shirlthegirl43]

I like your style!

And I'd recommend ol' CJJ too - my copy (a much appreciated present from the lovely Scarey55) is well read, thumbed, annotated and referred to frequently.

And my copy is splotched with all sorts of wine ingredients

[ohbeary]

Oh!, My copy is pristine!!!, but then it is a replacement for the one that disintegrated from over use, it was the oldfashioned paperback stlye with furry? paper and yes some stains, all fruit based and a coffee ring or two! all that late night studying......LOL