I'm making a Pinot Gris this year, first time, and my supplier, Bosa
Grape, recommended I use an Alsace yeast 58W3. I don't know the
manufacturer, sorry. I have 20 gallons of must. I added one
tablespoon of super food at the beginning of fermentation and another
tablespoon once fermentation was well underway. Today, I added two
more tablespoons. Each time, after the addition, the yeast formed a
healthy looking cap of foam and then died down.

I'm not familiar with this yeast. Right now, the ferment seems pretty
healthy, smells nice. Have I added enough nutrient?

What are the rules for yeast nutrient? I am also fermenting some
California cabernet to which I have added a couple of tablespoons of
nutrient so far (actually, maybe three). I've been monitoring smell
and all seems fine. Is nutrient like an accelerator so that with more
nutrient, the fermentation is faster and hotter? My cabernet is
fermenting around 22 C and I can't get it much higher than that. My
Pinot Gris is around 16 C, which isn't too bad I suppose, but a little
cooler would be good.

Anyway, generally uninformed about the use of nutrients and would like
your collective guidance.

Dan Emerson

Claire Luce said it well the other day in response to a stuck ferment
question:

"You have to be careful about adding DAP or any other nutrient towards
the end of ferment. It is recommened not to add below 4 Baume, as this
leaves unprocessed nitrogen at the end, and makes the wine unpleasant."

4 Baume is about 8 degBrix, or about 1.029 S.G. (specific gravity)
[Reference: Ben Rotter 'Hydrometer/sugar/alcohol tables'
http://members.tripod.com/~BRotter/C...o/HydSugAl.htm ]

Gene

wrote:
> I'm making a Pinot Gris this year, first time, and my supplier, Bosa
> Grape, recommended I use an Alsace yeast 58W3. I don't know the
> manufacturer, sorry. I have 20 gallons of must. I added one
> tablespoon of super food at the beginning of fermentation and another
> tablespoon once fermentation was well underway. Today, I added two
> more tablespoons. Each time, after the addition, the yeast formed a
> healthy looking cap of foam and then died down.
>
> I'm not familiar with this yeast. Right now, the ferment seems pretty
> healthy, smells nice. Have I added enough nutrient?
>
> What are the rules for yeast nutrient? I am also fermenting some
> California cabernet to which I have added a couple of tablespoons of
> nutrient so far (actually, maybe three). I've been monitoring smell
> and all seems fine. Is nutrient like an accelerator so that with more
> nutrient, the fermentation is faster and hotter? My cabernet is
> fermenting around 22 C and I can't get it much higher than that. My
> Pinot Gris is around 16 C, which isn't too bad I suppose, but a little
> cooler would be good.
>
> Anyway, generally uninformed about the use of nutrients and would like
> your collective guidance.
>
> Dan Emerson
>

wrote:
> I'm making a Pinot Gris this year, first time, and my supplier, Bosa
> Grape, recommended I use an Alsace yeast 58W3. I don't know the
> manufacturer, sorry. I have 20 gallons of must. I added one
> tablespoon of super food at the beginning of fermentation and another
> tablespoon once fermentation was well underway. Today, I added two
> more tablespoons. Each time, after the addition, the yeast formed a
> healthy looking cap of foam and then died down.
>
> I'm not familiar with this yeast. Right now, the ferment seems pretty
> healthy, smells nice. Have I added enough nutrient?
>
> What are the rules for yeast nutrient? I am also fermenting some
> California cabernet to which I have added a couple of tablespoons of
> nutrient so far (actually, maybe three). I've been monitoring smell
> and all seems fine. Is nutrient like an accelerator so that with more
> nutrient, the fermentation is faster and hotter? My cabernet is
> fermenting around 22 C and I can't get it much higher than that. My
> Pinot Gris is around 16 C, which isn't too bad I suppose, but a little
> cooler would be good.
>
> Anyway, generally uninformed about the use of nutrients and would like
> your collective guidance.
>
> Dan Emerson

58W3 is a Lallemand yeast recommended for Alsace style whites. Here is
the reference chart:

http://www.lallemandwine.us/products/yeast_strains.php

There is some specific info on nutrients for this yeast strain.
Generally, as Gene said, you should stop adding nutrients after about
1/2-2/3 sugar depletion.

Pp

Most of the winemakers I know (including myself) add nutrient at the
beginning of fermentation, and then after about 1/3 of the sugar is
gone, and that's it.