Yeast, Oxygen and Nutrients

[daksin]

Hey All-
I'm an experienced beer brewer and mead maker, but new to grape wines.

My questions are as follows:

Should I rehydrate the wine yeast that came with my kit?

Should I be adding pure O2 at the beginning of my ferment? Should I continue to add oxygen up to a certain point (30-50% sugar consumed?)

Should I add nutrients (that came with the kit) only at the beginning, or should I add additional nutrients I have on hand in a staggered nutrient addition?


I'm bad at rambling so I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks in advance!

 

[DoctorCAD]

1. Yes or no, either way will work out the same.
2. A HUGE NO. No oxygen ever, except that in the air for a few days to start the yeast.8
3. Same as the yeast, all at once or staggered, the wine really wont care.

Wine is very forgiving, especially the kits. Almost idiot proof.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

Aerating the wine during active fermentation will give you the O2 your yeast needs while releasing any CO2, helping your wine clear faster.

If you are fermenting below 70 degrees, nutrients at the start of fermentation and again at your first racking will help keep things going. Probably not an issue in July. Your kit probably has everything you need. I have skipped nutrient with little ill effect, too.

 

[daksin]

The kit comes with nutrients and clarifying agents, but I have some extra. I may toss a little bit in at racking just in case. Interesting to get conflicting info on the O2. Hopefully it's as idiot-proof as people seem to say. This is a big kit but I'd like to try a young bottle just to know how it improves over time.

 

[mgonbrewlab]

Its not conflicting. You asked about pure O2. I said to aerate your must and fermenting wine. Not inject it with pure O2.

Regarding your clarifyers, don't touch them till your wine is fermented dry. Time is the best clarifier anyway

However, the great thing about wine is its basically impossible to wreck.