Wine yeast – strains for wine, fruit wine and mead

Here you see the wine yeast alongside the other yeast types: Lalvin EC-1118 from Lallemand and eight strains from Mangrove Jack's in 8 g. The full guide, with a table of wine style, alcohol tolerance and temperature for each strain, is on the main page for wine yeast under Wine and Mead.

Wine yeast compared with beer yeast

Beer yeast such as SafAle US-05 tolerates 9–11 % ABV. Mangrove Jack's wine yeast tolerates 14–18 % and is selected to ferment grape and fruit must cleanly. It is sprinkled straight into the must without rehydrating. Lalvin EC-1118 is neutral and robust, also used for cider, and one 5 g sachet covers up to 23 litres.

The strains in brief

SN9 – all-round, fortified wine and mead, up to 18 %.
CL23 – white, rosé and sparkling, up to 18 %.
R56, VR21 and CR51 – red wine.
BV7 and AW4 – white wine.
MA33 – fruit wine and tart fruit.

Frequently asked questions about wine yeast

Can I use wine yeast for cider?

Yes. Lalvin EC-1118 is intended for both wine and cider. Dedicated cider yeast, such as SafCider AB-1 and Mangrove Jack's M02 and M08, is under dry yeast.

Why not use beer yeast for wine?

Beer yeast tolerates less alcohol and is not selected for grape must. Wine yeast ferments on to 14–18 % and gives a clean fermentation in wine and fruit wine.