Yeast Addition

Wine yeast is available in several strains, usually in 5 gram packages enough to inoculate 5 gallons of juice.

Re-hydrate the yeast by suspending it in 10 times its weight of water (e.g., 5 g yeast in 50 ml water) at 104°F. Stir lightly, wait 15 minutes, then stir again.

If adding to cool (60°F) white juice, add the warm yeast/water mixture to an equal volume of juice to be fermented over a period of 5 minutes to reduce the chances of a cold temperature shock to the yeast (atemperation step). It is important to have a temperature difference of less than 18°F between the yeast starter mixture and the bulk must you are adding it to. This atemperation step may be repeated when working with a cooler must (temperature closer to 50 than 60°F).