Reuse leftover lees?

"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....