How to make wine yeast yourself. How to make wine yeast from berries at home? Useful properties of wine yeast

Ready-made wine yeast is good because it does not require special preparation and saves a lot of time. But special wine strains are not always on hand, while ordinary bakery powders are not suitable for making fruit drinks.

In this case, recipes for making homemade yeast will be useful, especially since it is not difficult to follow them. For 10 liters of wine must, you need about 200-300 g of sourdough.

Raisins or freshly picked grapes work best as a base, but other fruits can be used as well.

Wine berries are replaced with currants, raspberries, figs, strawberries, gooseberries, honeysuckle, rose hips, and plums.

Raw materials are not washed so as not to lose the fungi that are on the skin. For the same reason, the fruits are not harvested immediately after rain.

The fermentation vessel should have a margin so that the liquid takes up no more than 2/3 of the volume. It should be well washed and sterilized for 5 minutes.

Store ready-made yeast in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days.

Raisin yeast recipe

The quality of the berries is of great importance. You should choose hard, large, well-dried fruits of a bluish-purple matte color, best of all with tails. You do not need to clean it before use, you just need to remove the spoiled berries.

Ingredients

Raisins - 100 g

Sugar - ½ cup

Water - 2 glasses

Cooking method

Boil 1 glass of water and dissolve sugar in it.

Gradually pour the second half of the water into the resulting syrup.

Transfer the liquid to a glass container with a wide neck, add raisins.

Seal the container with a lid and move it to warmth or to a light windowsill.

Observe fermentation for 1 week, stirring occasionally.

On the 7-8th day, decant the liquid and use it as a ferment.

Grape yeast recipe

Berries should be chosen well-ripened, they should be thoroughly kneaded before use. Small-fruited grapes are better suited.

Ingredients

Sugar - 80 g

Grape mass - 2 cups

Water - 1 glass

Cooking method

Put sugar and berry mass in a container, pour in water.

Mix the ingredients and seal the bottle with a cotton ball.

Leave the mixture to ferment warm for 4 days.

Pour the juice through a sieve and use as a leaven.

"Wild" yeast from berry raw materials

Ripe strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries or light currants are used as the basis for this recipe. Before cooking, it is recommended to let the berries stand for several hours to slightly acidify.

Ingredients

Water - 1 glass

Sugar - 1 glass

Berry - 3 cups

Cooking method

Pour water into the prepared container, add sugar to it.

Heat the berries slightly, put the mass in sweet water, mix well.

Cover the vessel with a tissue flap, leave in room conditions.

Let it wander for 3-4 days, stirring occasionally.

Drain the berry infusion through a strainer, use for making wine.

Fermented wort yeast

This method is used when there is wine in the process of fermentation and you want to keep the yeast strain used. The sampling of material is best carried out at the stage of active fermentation processes from the upper layers of the drink. The cake obtained after filtration can be reused by diluting it with a water-sugar mixture in the same proportions. In a sealed container in the refrigerator, such starter culture is stored longer than the rest - up to 3 weeks.

Ingredients

Fermenting wort - 40-50 ml

Sugar - 1-2 tbsp. l

Water - 0.4 l

Cooking method

Pour the wort into a small jar, add sugar and water to it, mix.

Cover the container with a gauze flap, transfer to a dark place with room temperature.

Withstand liquid for 3-4 days, pass through a fabric filter, use to make wine.

Sourdough sourdough

Yeast is also present in the wine lees and can be added to raw materials for the preparation of alcohol. The product is good because it is stored for a long time (up to 2 years), and can be used to create different wines at any time. Keep it in a dry, dark place. Dried fruits (dates, dried apricots, prunes) are used to activate the starter at will, you can do without them. They are pre-soaked in boiling water.

Ingredients

Wine sediment - any amount

Water (26-30 ° C) - 300 ml

Sugar - 2 tsp

Large dried fruits - 2 pcs.

Cooking method

Remove liquid from wine sediment as much as possible.

Spread a thin, damp mass over a plate, dry on a warm stove or in the sun, without heating above 35 ° C.

Scrape off dried powder from the surface, pour into a bag.

To activate yeast 1/3 tsp. Dissolve the dried sediment in a jar of warm water, sweeten with sugar, throw in the steamed dried fruits.

Put a water seal on the container, hold it for a couple of days in the dark and warm.

After the appearance of foam, use the obtained yeast in winemaking.

Error or something to add?

Yeast for wine is used when the action of a natural fungus alone is not enough to activate and maintain fermentation. As a rule, they are rarely used in the production of grape wines. The concentration of wild yeast cultures covering the grapes is optimal and ensures a full reaction.

At the same time, not all fruits contain them in sufficient quantities. It is when working with them that special wine yeast for homemade wine is added to the wort, without which fermentation simply cannot begin.

Fermentation process and features of wine yeast

Making wine using traditional technology does not imply the addition of additional yeast, since there is already enough of this fungus on the surface of the berries. Under its influence, the grape must begins to ferment intensively. Restricting the flow of air into the container leads to the complete processing of sugar and the production of alcohol. If the tightness of the container is broken and oxygen enters the wort, the sugar is completely oxidized and carbon dioxide is produced.

At the initial stages of fermentation, the reaction is most intense, due to the presence of a large amount of fungus in the upper layers of the wort. Gradually, it sinks to the bottom of the container, where it begins processing sugar into alcohol. This process is the norm and ensures the production of quality grape wine.

Homemade wine made from most fruits is made using additional yeast. This feature is due to the absence of wild yeast cultures on their surface. This raises the question of which yeast is better to add. The answer to it is unambiguous and categorical.

Important! To obtain wine, exclusively special wine yeast is used. No other varieties of fungal crops like Saf Levure or other bakery analogs can be used to make wine. They can only be used to make mash. The ingress of baker's yeast into the wine will inevitably lead to spoilage of the drink.

Wine yeast brands and their characteristics

Today there are a huge number of producers and types of wine yeast. Each of them has its own characteristics and guarantees a good wine. At the same time, the most popular and affordable among them are:

Lalvin KV-1118;

Let's take a closer look at both brands.

Lalvin KV-1118

Wine yeast brand Lalvin KV-1118 is a pure, highly active yeast concentrate. It is used for the preparation of light red and white wines, as well as champagne. In addition, with its help, you can easily restore the fermentation process. Due to its composition, Lalvin KV-1118 perfectly suppresses pathogenic microflora, ensuring the normalization of the reaction. However, the question arises of how much to add yeast to the wort, the answer to which lies in the instructions for their use.

1. Yeast with the KV mark provides aromas of rosé, white and red grape wines.

2. Based on the type and purity of raw materials, as well as the conditions and duration of its fermentation, the dosage of yeast cultures is calculated. They need to be laid in strict accordance with the instructions.

3. There are no impurities in the yeast, but only pure grape fungus. Moreover, its moisture content is only 5–6%.

4. Dry yeast cultures are bred in water heated to 35-39 degrees Celsius. You should not deviate from such values, since this will inevitably affect the activity of the fungus.

5. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and kept for 15–20 minutes to completely dissolve the yeast. After this time, the solution is mixed again and poured into the wort in a thin stream. Such an introduction scheme allows wine yeast to acclimatize and not lose its activity when added to a cool wort.

6. Closed packaging Lalvin KV-1118 can be stored in a dark dry place for up to 2-3 years. Once opened, it must be used within 6-7 months.

Wine yeast of the Lalvin EC brand provides detailing of the taste of red and white wines, as well as gives them clarity and clarity. They ferment quite well at low temperatures, forming a minimal amount of sediment. Thanks to their use, re-fermentation can be started quickly and easily.

Yeast cultures of this brand are recommended for making apple, cherry, viburnum and other wines. The EC mark in the product labeling means that the product is characterized by low foaming, perfectly clarifies the finished drink and compactly collects sediment from it. Instructions for using such a yeast culture are as follows.

1. Take 100 grams of dry yeast, which is diluted in 1.5–2 liters of water heated to 35–39 degrees Celsius. The solution is mixed well until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

2. After the mixture reaches the 34-35-degree mark, another 100 grams of dry yeast is poured onto its surface. In this position, the solution settles for 20-25 minutes and is re-mixed.

3. The resulting liquid is poured into the wort in a thin stream, and then it is thoroughly mixed.

4. Store unopened yeast in a dry place for no more than 2-3 years, and when opened, the shelf life is only 6 months.

Remember, in most cases, adding additional yeast to the wort is not required. However, in a situation where it is impossible to do without this, it is necessary to use exclusively specialized wine cultures.

Wine is one of the most popular and widespread alcoholic beverages. It is cooked practically on all continents. Every winemaker knows what taste is and largely depends on the quality of the yeast used.

Description

Wine yeast for wine is a mass of berries mixed with sugar and fermented for several days. In this case, alcohol is released, which will be responsible for the strength of the final product. To obtain high quality wine, it is necessary to use wine yeast from strong, elite cultures. In the manufacture of an alcoholic drink with an alcohol content of up to 18 degrees, just such materials are used.

Obtaining so-called wild yeast is an easy process, but as a result, the amount of alcohols in the resulting product will not exceed 14 degrees. At the same time, not only grapes, but also gooseberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries and others can serve as the source material.

If the berry season has already passed, and it is necessary to prepare a drink, leftover materials from the wine making process in the early period of the same year can be used as yeast. Novice winemakers often make the mistake of using brewer's yeast or any other yeast to make wine, this is a mistake and as a result, the quality of the finished product will be low.

Main types and characteristics

Wine yeast can be purchased in special shops, where you can also buy equipment and containers for making wine. There are several types of material for preparing different types of drinks.

Yeast also varies in type, and there are certain types of ingredients for making elite wines of different brands. Each type of wine needs its own fermentation process, duration and temperature. There are more than 30 types of yeast that can be found in the wort, the surface film of a sour product, in the liquid itself, and so on.

Depending on the film that forms during the preparation of wine, professionals determine the quality and duration of the product's aging. This is due to the fact that during fermentation cells are formed, the rate of reproduction of which depends on the temperature and quality of the raw material.

Raisin preparation

For lovers of wine and the preparation of alcoholic beverages on their own, it is necessary to constantly have homemade wine yeast. Where can you buy such an ingredient so that it is of the quality you require? In order not to constantly ask such a question, you can learn how to cook such yeast at home.

Ingredients

Usually the fermentation material is made from fresh grapes. You can also make wine yeast from raisins, you need to take 2 good handfuls of it. You will also need half a glass of sugar and about 2 glasses of water.

Raisins are not suitable for any, you need to choose a high-quality one in order to get good wine yeast. Where to buy and how to identify a quality ingredient? The raisins should be well dried, firm, colored in a bluish-purple tone, matte, the presence of tails is also encouraged.

Cooking method

Heat half of the required water and dissolve sugar in it until it disappears completely. Cold liquid is poured into the finished solution to such an extent that the syrup becomes warm. Glassware must be taken, it is washed well and poured over with boiling water. Large-necked bottles work well.

The raisins cannot be washed and cleaned, as all bacteria necessary for the process will be removed. Pour it into a glass container and pour in a warm water-sugar solution there. The bottle is covered with a cloth or cotton stopper, the capacity of the container should be 2/3. Place it in a warm place, you can expose it to the sun to enhance the fermentation process. The solution is shaken periodically.

After a couple of days, an active process will begin, wine yeast from raisins will be ready in 6-7 days. Store them in the refrigerator for 10 days. At the end of this period, you can begin to prepare new raw materials, since the old one has become unusable.

Preparation from figs

According to the same recipe, you can make wine yeast, where you can buy it, it is difficult to find it in the winter season, using figs. For this, high quality dried figs are purchased, since fruits treated with special means for long-term storage will not ferment.

The use of such yeast in the manufacture of an alcoholic beverage will give it an unusual and pleasant aftertaste that will differ from ordinary wine. Many professionals experiment with the preparation of yeast from different berries, resulting in unusual flavors of the finished product.

Making yeast from grapes

Wine yeast from grapes is prepared 10 days before the preparation of an alcoholic beverage is planned. A ripe bunch with large poured berries is selected on the bush. They are collected, removed from the brush, but not washed. As in other cases, there are microorganisms on the surface of the berries that are responsible for the process of creating the necessary material.

For 2 servings of ripe and mashed berries, you will need half a serving of sugar and a serving of water. Mix everything well in a glass container and cover it with a cotton or cloth stopper so that air passes through. After 4 days, the wine yeast from the grapes will be ready, you just have to strain it.

Preparation from berries

Wine yeast can be made using any bush berries available during this period of the year. It can be red, white or black currants, raspberries, gooseberries or strawberries are good. The main condition after picking berries is not to wash them. Since the microorganisms responsible for obtaining the necessary yeast are located just on the surface.

The main ingredients for cooking include 2 cups of ripe berries, 1 cup of water, and half a cup of sugar. You must first prepare a container for the fermentation process; any glassware of large volumes will do. You can take a jar into which water is poured and sugar is stirred in it until it is completely dissolved.

The berries must be kneaded and mixed in a jar with the resulting sweet solution. The container is closed with a cotton stopper. If the neck has a large diameter, this procedure is also carried out with the help of a bandage. The jar is placed in a warm room for 4 days. When the berries are completely fermented, the liquid must be drained; this will be the ready-made homemade wine yeast. It is clear how to use this material, the main thing is that they are valid for only 10 days.

Using

Wine yeast prepared at home according to all the rules can accumulate 18 degrees in wine. Also, this ingredient contributes to the creation of a pleasant aroma, which is so appreciated among winemakers. To prepare sweet wine, only 150 grams of wine yeast is added to 5 liters of raw materials. For dry - 100 grams.

Making alcoholic beverages at home is an interesting and exciting business. Wine yeast, the use of which facilitates the process of making a good wine, must be harvested 10 days before starting the process. In order for the drink to have a rich taste and aroma, the fermentation process is extended to 2 weeks. The room should have a stable warm temperature and regular ventilation.

When sugar is added during an active wort fermentation process, the strength of the wine will increase, but its quality taste will decrease. Therefore, to get a pleasant and good drink, you need to spend 1.5-2 months in order to enjoy a pleasant drink later.

In the manufacture of any modern wine, wine yeast is necessarily used. In the process of their development, they go through the following stages:

Lag stage. It begins from the moment when the yeast grains enter the wort - into the nutrient medium. The cells begin to adapt to the substrate. They increase in size, but there is no reproduction process yet;
The second stage is called logarithmic. During it, the cell population increases, and the biomass becomes larger. Cells steadfastly endure all negative environmental factors. Fermentation of alcohol begins;
The third stage is called stationary. Yeast cells stop growing, and alcoholic fermentation occurs with intense vigor;
The fourth stage is the attenuation of the growth of yeast cells. The mass begins to decrease in size due to intensive autolysis and the use of reserve substances by the yeast.

Having passed all four stages, the yeast mass will make any wine tasty and aromatic.

All about wine yeast

In nature, yeast forms on the surface of berries, such as grapes. They can be easily noticed as they have a light coating on the skin of the berries. Plaque is formed due to the work of the yeast fungus.

Baking, alcohol, beer and wine yeast grains are classified as industrial yeast. Given the place of origin, the grape variety and the location of the vineyards, each yeast has its own name. Yeast races, in turn, can be divided into groups. As a result, the races of wine yeast are:

Highly reflective;
Heat-resistant or cold-resistant;
Alcohol resistant;
Sherry.

Alcohol-resistant yeast races are used to make champagne, and sherry ones to give wines a unique aroma and taste.

Wine is usually made from the juice of grapes or other types of fruits and berries.

If artisanal winemaking takes place, the wort (squeezed juice) begins to ferment without the help of yeast, since yeast fungi that are on the surface of the berries themselves begin to multiply intensively. Simultaneously with them, lactic acid, acetic acid bacteria, yeast-like fungi come into force, which can lead to spoilage of the product, well, or the production of wine vinegar instead of wine.

For this reason, during the industrial production of wine, in order to avoid spoilage of wine materials, an activated mixture of wine yeast is added to the grape juice.

The type of wine depends on how the fermentation takes place. Thanks to wine yeast, sugar begins to ferment, which is part of the grape. Fermentation continues until all the sugar has been converted.

With a lack of oxygen, alcohol is obtained due to the influence of yeast. If oxygen is constantly supplied, sugar is completely oxidized and water with carbon dioxide is obtained.

At the initial stages of yeast development, fermentation occurs intensively, because of this carbon dioxide, which is released, does not allow atmospheric oxygen to penetrate to the surface of the wort. When fermentation is over, it is important to seal the wine barrel well. If you don't, the acetic acid bacteria will convert the alcohol into acetic acid. Instead of wine, you will become the owner of wine or apple cider vinegar.

In the industrial production of wines, grape juice with a sugar content of 25 percent is used.

To obtain white wines, grapes are peeled and pitted. For red wines, the skins and pits are not removed. Yeast for wine, together with sugar during fermentation, the juice is processed into alcohol. Yeast substances give aroma and pleasant taste to wine. After fermentation, lactic acid bacteria play an important role in imparting aroma to the drink.

Different types of wines have their own characteristics of production. For example, to get champagne, fermented wine must be fermented again. Fermentation of the drink should end in a closed container, as carbon dioxide should accumulate inside.

To get a strong wine (sherry), you need to use a special sherry yeast that is resistant to a high concentration of alcohol in the wine material.

Varieties of wines

Wines are dry, sweet and fortified. To obtain dry wine, it is important to stop fermentation immediately after the end of the supply of sugar in the squeezed out grape juice.

Sweet wines are produced by partial fermentation of sugar when a toxic alcohol level is reached for wine yeast.

Fortified wines are additionally filled with alcohol.

From the above, we can conclude that the type of wine directly depends on how it is produced, as well as what type of wine yeast is used to ferment the juice.

What are yeast

There are many different types of wine yeast. For example, wine yeast Lalvin KV-1118, Lalvin EC-1118 and others. Let's take a closer look at the instructions for using each type of yeast.

First view

Wine yeast Lalvin KV-1118 is a pure, highly active yeast concentrate, which is used for the production of light white wines, red wines and champagne. Also, with the help of such yeast, fermentation can be restored.

It is customary to use yeast mass at a low concentration, low temperatures, and a low content of fatty acids. They do an excellent job with their mission in a temperature range of 10 - 35 degrees. If you add a make-up to the wine material at a temperature below 16 degrees, esters will begin to be produced, which will give the drink a rich aroma. Due to the pronounced killer effect, yeast grains suppress the "wild" microflora well.

The instructions for using such a product say the following:

KV stamped yeast is used to express the grape aroma in white, rosé and deep red wines;
Taking into account the type and purity of raw materials, conditions and duration of fermentation, the required dosage is determined. Usually it is from 1 to 4 g / dal;
They do not contain any additives. They have a moisture content of 6 percent;
Wine yeast (5 grams) is diluted in water (50 milliliters) 34 - 39 degrees. In order for them to work in the right way, it is important that the water temperature is no more than 40 degrees. Then the mixture must be mixed well to break up the lumps and stand for no more than twenty minutes. After a while, stir again, and slowly pour into the wort. Slow introduction helps the yeast to gradually acclimate and not die when combined with cool wort;
You can store wine yeast in a dark, dry place for up to a couple of years. The storage temperature should be between five and fifteen degrees. If you have opened the package, it has a shelf life of no more than six months.

Second view

Lalvin EC wine yeast mass gives red and white wines a refreshing taste and purity. They ferment well even at the lowest temperatures, forming a sediment in one place. Thanks to this type of raw material, fermentation can be restarted. It is recommended to use it for as well as from viburnum, hawthorn and cherry. EC-marked product has low foaming, good clarification of wine and compact collection of sediment. The EC stamped yeast instructions for use say the following:

Pour 300 grams of the contents of the sachet into five liters of forty-degree water. Stir thoroughly until smooth;
When the temperature of the mixture reaches 35 degrees, gently pour 250 grams of yeast onto the surface. Let stand for 20 minutes and stir well. Then pour the resulting mass into the wort, so that the temperature difference is not higher than ten degrees;
You can store them in a sealed package at a temperature of no more than eight degrees Celsius.

Making wine from grapes is not very difficult. It is only important to purchase the correct yeast and carefully study what the instructions say. Everything is usually written on it in detail.

Now you know what wine yeast is. What types are they. How can you get different types of wines using different types of production. Wine lovers are always proud of their creations, especially if they are liked by the people around them.

Alcoholic drinks, if consumed in large quantities, do not lead to anything good. But if you know when to stop, good wine will not cause much harm to health. In certain doses, it is even useful, as it cleans blood vessels. for example, even provides for daily consumption of this drink.

It's no secret that good wine is expensive. Homemade, on the contrary, will be cheap, and in quality it will not be inferior to the purchased one. Overripe fruits and berries can be taken as the main raw material, which otherwise will simply rot. However, for the subsequent fermentation of the wort, a special sourdough or pure culture wine yeast is required. We will show you how to make wine yeast at home.

Raspberry yeast

In ancient wine recipes, you can often find such an ingredient as raspberry wine yeast. It ripens early, so it can be made into a wine sourdough before the rest of the berries and fruits are ripe. The secret lies in the fact that bacteria live on the surface of raspberries that can provide fermentation. They are also present on the surface of other berries, but not always in sufficient quantities.

Raspberries are not suitable for making sourdough. Only ripe and even overripe berries will ferment well. Of course, a washed berry will not work - after all, there is no yeast left on its surface. For the same reason, it makes no sense to pick raspberries in the first days after rain.

The harvested raspberries should be allowed to stand for a day to acidify slightly. After that, it remains to prepare the ingredients:

raspberries - 4 cups
sugar - a glass
clean water, boiled or spring water - a glass.

The cooking process is as follows;

Mash the raspberries.
Cover with sugar
Fill with water. Cover with a cloth.
Place in a warm place protected from the sun. The optimum temperature is from 22 to 26 degrees.
Stir the raspberry mass with a wooden spoon every 8 hours, be sure to melt the floating berries. If you don't, everything will turn sour or even moldy.
After 4 days, squeeze the juice from the raspberries through a gauze folded in several layers. You can discard the pulp, and pour the juice into a glass container and refrigerate. The composition will not ferment there, but later, when added to the wort, it activates fermentation.

Consider in advance how much yeast you need. Their amount usually depends on the amount of wort: about 30 ml of yeast is added per liter of juice.

Wine yeast from currant

At home, you can make wine yeast not only from raspberries, but also from some other berries. In particular, white currants are suitable for these purposes.

Do not rush and pick an unripe berry - nothing good will come of this. Wait for it to become translucent. Like raspberries, they cannot be picked in the first days after rain, and it is even more unacceptable to wash them. But it makes sense to sort out and remove the stalks.

The mixing ratio and cooking process will look exactly the same as when you cook raspberry yeast at home. The application will also be no different.

Wine sourdough from raisins

Raisins are also among the foods that can provide fermentation. In particular, they are used for home cooking.

Ingredients required:

raisins - two handfuls,
sugar - 100 g
water is a glass.

Cooking process:

Boil syrup from half a glass of water and sugar, dilute with cool water (the remaining amount).
Without washing and without removing the branches, place the raisins in the bottle and pour over the syrup. Its temperature should be around 40 degrees.
Place the bottle in a warm place where the temperature is from 22 to 24 degrees, having previously tied the neck with gauze.
Shake the vessel several times a day.
Strain the liquid after a week.

Unlike a wine starter made from fresh berries, you can store raisin yeast in the refrigerator for a short time - up to 10 days. Therefore, it is impractical to procure them for future use.

Perhaps the reader will wonder why so much torment, if there is the usual baker's yeast, which is given in any grocery store. Can't you use them? No no and one more time no! If you use bread yeast, then the bouquet of the wine will turn out to be very peculiar - not berry-fruit notes will prevail in it, but the smell of cheap mash. If you don't want to bother with making homemade wine sourdough, you can order pure culture wine yeast in the online store and use it according to the instructions on the package.

Elena Pronina