I just started a Merlot kit (Kendall Ridge Showcase and
did the juice ever smell and taste good) with Lalvin RC212
which is about the only red yeast that I can get in a 5 gm
package. Doing some reading over the christmas break seemed
to point out that this yeast is more suited to younger reds
like gamays or pinot noirs.

Does anyone sell other yeasts in small packages? I believe
Lalvin BM-45 would be one of interest for Cabs or Merlot.

If it's impossible to buy in small packages how much work
is it to store it as a culture if it was possible to get a
sample. Would you have to reculture it every 3 months or
something?

Don

Don S wrote:

> Does anyone sell other yeasts in small packages? I believe
> Lalvin BM-45 would be one of interest for Cabs or Merlot.

I used BM-45 on my Baco Noir last year. It came from Watson's in
Niagara, I think he re-packages the larger packages for home use...
that's where I got mine. If you're in the US, Presqu'il might sell yeast
like this. HTH.

(no affiliation with either company)




--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

> I used BM-45 on my Baco Noir last year. It came from Watson's in
> Niagara, I think he re-packages the larger packages for home use...
> that's where I got mine. If you're in the US, Presqu'il might sell yeast
> like this. HTH.

I sent an email to Lalvin/Lallemande and they mentioned
Funk Wines in Niagara which was also mentioned in another
thread on Cdn Internet Ordering. Also:

Beerworks

Don

Don,

The Red Star wine yeasts all come in 5-gram sachets, as do about 10-12
Lalvin yeasts. In Europe, many, many yeasts come in sachets of 5
grams, but a few come in 15 -gram sachets, some in 50-gram "drums"
(small cans), and several in 500-gram bulk. Go to
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/shops.asp and choose a shop. I doubt
you can find any that only offer a single strain.

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/

Don S) wrote in message
> <snip> with Lalvin RC212...more suited to younger reds
> like gamays or pinot noirs.
>
> Does anyone sell other yeasts in small packages? I believe
> Lalvin BM-45 would be one of interest for Cabs or Merlot.
>
> Would you have to reculture it every 3 months or
> something?

Nothing wrong with RC212 IMHO. I've used it for many age-worthy reds.
Morebeer dot com started packaging ICVD80 and 254 in 6 gram packs this
year. I just pressed out my cab and petite sirah this weekend
(http://66.241.210.57/blawg/000029.html). Both were fermented with the
aforementioned strains, 50/50. A beautiful thing for sure. Lots of
spice and licorice, yum!

I'm not sure about the re-culturing thing. I looked into it back in my
beer brewing days and it was a little more complicated than simply
keeping a slurry active. Yeast do not reproduce sexually, so you don't
have to worry about dominate/recessive trait issues, but I know the
labs still try to isolate single cells and draw them through a slant,
etc. to build a viable colony. There is a reason for that, I just
don't remember why...

Cheers!
jody

>
> Nothing wrong with RC212 IMHO. I've used it for many age-worthy reds.
> Morebeer dot com started packaging ICVD80 and 254 in 6 gram packs this
> year.

It would be nice to have some more yeast options, like the ICVD80
and 254 that you mention. I just read their description at Scott
Labs and they sound interesting.

I remember the difference in my kits between using the standard
EC-1118 and switching to more appropriate yeasts and would like
to experiment further. It would be interesting to break out a kit
into two 11.5l carboys and use different yeasts on each.

Don

Don, for more yeast choices, go to http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/

> Don, for more yeast choices, go to
> http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp


Jack,
It's not the types of yeast that I'm having problems with
but obtaining them in any package under a kilogram.

Don

Don, I have over 40 different yeast strains in my refrigerator, 14 of
which I ordered from England and 6 of which are samples obtained from
Texas wineries. No, I don't have every strain I would like, but I
seem to find an acceptable strain for whatever I want to make. There
are plenty of wineries out there with winemakers willing to listen to
what I want to do and offer suggestions (and yeast) to help me. You
just have to visit them.

If there are strains you want that are not available commercially in
5- or 15-gram sachets, then it is up to you to find someone using what
you want and obtain a sample from them if they will accommodate you.
The other alternative is to write to the manufacturer and ask them to
sell you a smaller quantity, although this strategy has only twice
worked for me.

Good luck.

Jack Keller, The Winemaking Home Page
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/

> Does anyone sell other yeasts in small packages? I believe
> Lalvin BM-45 would be one of interest for Cabs or Merlot.
>

Morebeer.com sells most of its yeasts in three different size
packagess - 6g, 72g, and 500g. I think they've got a good selection,
and a phone call may even get more than what they have on their
webpage.

Rob