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yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:45 am
by bingo
Going to do an all grain (80% corn and 20% 6 row barley) mash. The plan is to boil the corn for 2 hours, let cool to 150, add grains(ground), let sit overnight, then pitch yeast, and transfer to ferment bucket (fermenting on the grain). I wasn't sure what kind of yeast to use so the brew place I go to said they have distillers yeast "WYEAST #4347 Eau De Vie". The information they gave for this yeast says it's a nice choice for alcohol tolerance which is 21% ABV and the residual sugar is 0%. Has anyone used this and does (will) it work? My goal is to do a stripping run with my pot still and then do a spirit run, I'm not looking for quantity but a quality smooth tasting whiskey. Any advice on the yeast or my procedure would be greatly appreciated. Forgot to mention the corn will be cracked. Thanks in advance.

Mark

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:00 pm
by Jimbo
eau de vie is a fruit based spirit. So that particular yeast may be tailored for fructose/glucose. You have maltose. I use ale yeasts and love the result. Safale US-05 ferments out clean and fast. WLP-001 is antoher good one. Ive been told US-04 works great. Any of those are beer yeasts designed to ferment maltose. All like a temp around 68 ideally for best results.

PS: Shoot for 7-8%. 2lbs per gallon will give a good conversion and healthy environment for your yeast, and will ferment out fast and clean. Anything higher increases risks of stalled ferment, high FG, or off flavors from stressed yeasts.

good luck.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:16 pm
by blind drunk
To add, if you can't get a beer yeast on short notice, baker's works pretty good. It does like a higher temp, tho. Cheers.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:21 pm
by Jimbo
yes, thanks BD. keep bakers at 80 or it might get sleepy on ya and stall. That one i use for rums, works great, but i have to put fermenter in a hotbox with a lightbulb in my basement or it stalls out on me.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:35 pm
by Dan P.
Just blitz it with baker's yeast, it will make short work of an all-grain mash.
I don't know why an "eau de vie" yeast would ferment up to 20%. Eau de vie is made from fruit wash probably no higher than 6%, and fermented with natural yeast. I believe Wyeast is a kosher firm, but that yeast sounds like bullshit.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:01 am
by bingo
Thanks very much.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:46 am
by bellybuster
YEAST STRAIN: 4347 | Eau de Vie™

Back to Yeast Strain List

A very good choice for alcohol tolerance and stuck fermentations. Produces a very clean, dry profile, low ester formation and other volatile aromatics.

Origin:
Flocculation: Low
Attenuation: NA
Temperature Range: 65-80°F, 18-27°C
Alcohol Tolerance: 21% ABV

from the WYeast site, looks like a good performer

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:58 am
by Jimbo
Its still an eau de vie yeast. So its tailored for fruit. Fructose/glucose. Not maltose.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:13 am
by bellybuster
yes, was just pointing out it is a high alc performer for Eau de Vie fruit mashes, would be great for a fruit schnapps

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:47 am
by Dan P.
bellybuster wrote:yes, was just pointing out it is a high alc performer for Eau de Vie fruit mashes, would be great for a fruit schnapps
What fruit mash is high alc? Is it actually intended for making eau de vie? Or is it just another one of those wine yeasts?

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:01 am
by Schmicter
Every endeavor has its purists, and I respect that. But if your palate is not that of a connoisseur that can pick out the nuances of a yeast in a 80% spirit run of a properly cleared wash. Go with bakers yeast!

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:05 am
by bellybuster
Dan P. wrote:
bellybuster wrote:yes, was just pointing out it is a high alc performer for Eau de Vie fruit mashes, would be great for a fruit schnapps
What fruit mash is high alc? Is it actually intended for making eau de vie? Or is it just another one of those wine yeasts?
Off topic sorry but, eau de vie is a very broad term from brandy to Schnapps. The quoted yeast is specific to distilling and creating high yeild fruit mashes

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:52 am
by Dan P.
Yes, I know what eau de vie is, it is something distilled from a fruit wash. What fruit wash can yield 21%?
My point is that the wyeast yeast in question is promising a result that is at odds with its name "Eau de Vie™". That means it is either a mistake or a gimmick, neither of which make it a very worthy candidate for a whiskey yeast.
Anyhoo, I second baker's yeast, which is a readily available and cheap option, can give you a relatively high ABV and is also "correct" for whiskey, having been used for centuries for whiskey fermentation.

Re: yeast question for wiskey

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:49 am
by Jimbo
Sugarhead type fruit wines can be around 13%, mine were, maybe they put 21% to give you a sense that you're well within the yeast capability without it shitting in your drink? I dont think they mean, go mix up a 21% solution and have at it. I hope they dont anyway?

This is going further and further off topic, but since this eau de vie thing keeps coming up, for the record my sugarhead fruit wines distilled into some damn fine eau de vie's. I was surprised, the wines were older than hell too, stashed away dusty in the corner of the basement for years! http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 38&t=36762