OK, so I have been making wine from grape for a few years now, and I have
never added crushed cam. tables (24 hours prior) before adding the yeast.

This year I decided to give it a try. I have a few questions based on this.

Additional Info: All red wines. 14 cases Merlot, 7 Cab and 7 Zin.
Separated in (4) covered 39 gallon sterilized garbage cans.

1.) Do you really see a difference? I know wild yeasts can present off
flavors, but I thought the commercial yeast strains kill off the wild yeast
anyway (by raising the alcohol above what they can handle).

2.) How do you make sure the tablet powder is evenly distributed through out
the must? Does it make a big difference?

3.) Based on my assumptions of 1, 36lb box, makes 2 gallons of wine, I added
my tablets ( 1 per anticipated gallon) based on that formula. I swear I
think fermentation started on the cab even with the addition of the tablets.

4.) What happens after 24 hours, that makes it so the cam. tablets kill the
wild yeast, but won't kill my commercial yeast? does it settle or
something?

Thanx a head of time. It is time for wine.

PjD

"pdifondi" wrote in message ...
OK, so I have been making wine from grape for a few years now, and I have
never added crushed cam. tables (24 hours prior) before adding the yeast.

This year I decided to give it a try. I have a few questions based on this.

Additional Info: All red wines. 14 cases Merlot, 7 Cab and 7 Zin.
Separated in (4) covered 39 gallon sterilized garbage cans.

1.) Do you really see a difference? I know wild yeasts can present off
flavors, but I thought the commercial yeast strains kill off the wild yeast
anyway (by raising the alcohol above what they can handle).

2.) How do you make sure the tablet powder is evenly distributed through out
the must? Does it make a big difference?

3.) Based on my assumptions of 1, 36lb box, makes 2 gallons of wine, I added
my tablets ( 1 per anticipated gallon) based on that formula. I swear I
think fermentation started on the cab even with the addition of the tablets.

4.) What happens after 24 hours, that makes it so the cam. tablets kill the
wild yeast, but won't kill my commercial yeast? does it settle or
something?

Thanx a head of time. It is time for wine.

PjD

I assume that you are attempting a maceration of sorts in order to
extract more color without additional tannins. This is best done at
cool temps so that fermentaion doesn't start but can be accomplished
with the addition of SO2. An addition of 30-50 ppm is all that is
necessary (1 campden tablet per gallon gives 75 ppm SO2) as wild
yeasts are less tolerant to SO2 than commercial yeast strains. This is
also the reason fermentation can start once you add your yeast, as the
30ppm or so won't inhibit commercial yeast. Once fermentation gets
going commmercial yeast strains will then outcompete any wild yeast or
bacteria. Keep in mind that once you are at fermentation temps.
tannins will continue to be extracted even though most color
extraction occurs within about 7 days, thus the reason a cold soak is
the preferred way to get maximum color extraction without too much
tannin.

Crushing the campden tablets to a powder and then mixing well into the
must will make sure it is evenly distributed.

Miker

After re-reading your post I think now that my assumption that you
were trying to get more color extraction may not be correct. I think
now that you are asking if sterilizing the must will give better
tasting wine by eliminating wild yeasts.

1.) Do you really see a difference? I know wild yeasts can present off
flavors, but I thought the commercial yeast strains kill off the wild yeast
anyway (by raising the alcohol above what they can handle).

If you add your yeast right after crush the commercial yeast will
quickly out-compete wild yeasts. So, I don't think this is the reason
some people add SO2 at crush and then wait to add yeast in 24 hours.
There could be another reason, but I think they are trying to get
better color extraction and want to slow or stop the wild yeast by
adding SO2 (or by cooling).