good yeasts for fruit wines?

[Kyle]

I'm going to start getting into blended fruit wines e.g.: crab apple cranberry; apple rhubarb; perry. Following less than spectular experiences with high abv wines and mead, I will be keeping everything below 12%abv. Do you have any yeast reccomendations (other than EC-1118)

[Richard]

KV-1116. Good with low-nutrient musts, good attenuator.

Only reason I'd go elsewhere would be for greater residual sweetness, but I've no experience on that front as of yet.

[Jake]

Just throw in a couple pkgs of turbo yeast from Noble Grape    ... it'll get ya drunk  

[Dave Savoie]

71 B  !!!

[Kyle]

Just throw in a couple pkgs of turbo yeast from Noble Grape    ... it'll get ya drunk  

I think I'll pass on that one   Going for quality here

[brew]

Just throw in a couple pkgs of turbo yeast from Noble Grape    ... it'll get ya drunk  

You can get a 2 lbs brick of dry active yeast at the coop for like $6...  :mrgreen:

[Richard]

From the wines I've had via Dave, I'd +1 on the Lalvin 71B - nice residual sweetness compared to the hyper-attenuation of the various Champagne yeasts.

http://www.lalvinyeast.com/71B.asp

[sdixon]

Also if you have the time and batches to experiment, you might try combining a KV-1116 (or 71-B) and a high attenuating brewers yeast like Wyeast 3522 or Fermentis T-58. I've been having some good and interesting results combining strains. Currently have a farmhouse'ish ale on combining T-58 and S-33. I pitched them together.

You may prefer to pitch with one yeast first and then add the other after about 60-70% ferment. I'm not sure how it would work with fruit wine, but with beer, your first pitched yeast will give it the majority of the character. If this is the case, you might want to pitch with the 71-B first. The challenge with be for your brewers yeast to start, so create a good starter and add fermentables (table sugar is fine) when you pitch.

I think I've just talked myself into doing a batch like this :-)

[pliny]

If you can get your hands on Montrachet yeast that is a good option for sure.

[Kyle]

thakns guys - for this round, I've decided to go with the 1116.