Can you use leftover lees from a 5 gallon batch and some yeast energizer to start a smaller (1 gallon) batch?
- posted
18 years ago
Can you use leftover lees from a 5 gallon batch and some yeast energizer to start a smaller (1 gallon) batch?
"Washu" wrote in news:1143475610.154937.140920 @v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:
thanks i thought you could but just wanted to make sure
I tried this for my last batch of Chardonnay. I took the leftover lees from 15 gallons and put it in a 1 gallon jug, used fresh juice, and waited.
Nothing happened.
After 2 days I pitched fresh yeast and everything proceeded just fine. In the end it cost me an additional 1.54$ for the 3 yeast packets.
Instead of tossing that wine I am letting it undergo sur lees... we'll see how it comes out.
I will not reuse yeast from wine again.
Dumpster wrote:
How old was the yeast?
If it is older than a month or two with >10% alcohol above it there will be a considerable wait for it to start....a lot longer than 2 days.
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
Actually, I left it in the gallon jug for well over a 3 weeks before I started seeing activity. I pitched some yeast in another started and poured that one back into the 54L demijon.
but it sure smells nice now ;)
How much yeast was in the gallon jug as well? A large volume of fairly tired yeast will not show as much relative activity as well. At first it seems they do a lot of incorporating all the sugar into their glycogen reserves as well.
I have revived yeast that has spent over a year in a beer bottle.
Same here. Longer than that when kept in the fridge under water.
Andy
Lots of lees to flavour the wine with tho. I wonder if it'll make nice champagne....
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