Co-Fermentation Yeasts

Sam

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience or thoughts on co-fermenting with multiple yeast strains.

I just finished a Manuka Smoked whisky with great success where I fermented half the wash with EC-1118 and the other half with Distilamax MW.

As I experiment with other whiskys I want to reduce my volumes a bit and rather than ferment 2 batches one after the other I want to try and do one ferment with both yeasts.

I'm just not sure given EC-1118 is a killer yeast so will it kill/ out compete the MW strain?

I will give it a try but am curious if anyone has done it and how it worked out.

When pitching should I just half the dosages of each yeast? Or do they both need to be pitched at the full dose?

grim

Keep in mind you can vary the pitch volumes of each yeast, and can also inoculate sequentially. Both techniques can compensate for killer factor.

For example - pitch EC 12-24 hours later if using a sensitive yeast - or a yeast that has poor attenuation.

Sky is the limit.

Manuka honey though- I’d want to ferment that as cold and slow as possible to preserve aroma. I’d even want to distill that separately - keeping lots of those mid/late heads to blend in. Far more heads than I’d consider using from the whiskey.

Sam

@grim thanks for that, I might start with the MW and pitch the EC after 24 hours.

With the Manuka I fermented it at 22 degrees, I have to say after tasting the white spirit it's turned out really well. I'm excited to see how it goes on oak, this is my first whisky.

zymurgybob

Speaking of manuka honey, recently it's magic medicine in the senior community. It's an oddly effective laxative. (You don't want the particulars)

Sam

Well maybe this could be the world's first laxative whisky... follow it with a prune smoothy

grim

Back in the old days they used to doctor up whiskey with prune as a way to artificially 'mature'.

Sam

@grim if I were to start with one yeast and add another at say the halfway point would you suggest pitching both yeasts at the full dose or at half dose?

grim

I wouldn't wait as long as the halfway point, but the later yeast would likely need to be full dose, otherwise it would likely be overshadowed/outcompeted.

In this scenario, you might cut the initial yeast to half-dose.

Sam

Thanks for that, I might try pitching the second yeast 1/3 of the way through (open to suggestions though).

First inoculation at a 50% dose and then a second inoculation at a full dose 1/3 or 1/4 of the way through.

punkin

The risk there is infection or funk from underpitching to start. I wouldn't do it personally. Extended lag phase etc.

Underpitching has yeast in growth phase for longer where they are making more of a yeast character as well. If that is your aim, it will be one of the side effects.