White Labs

FAQ for Wine

Winemakers often ask us the following questions. We hope our answers are helpful to you. Use your browser's search function to find keywords that are associated with your question. If you have a different question, please email us.

For questions and answers related to WLP675 Malolactic Cultures, please visit here.

Wine FAQs

What makes White Labs liquid yeast different?

Liquid yeast has many advantages over dried yeast. A major advantage of fresh yeast is that it produces more complete fermentations. This results in less residual sugars, creating a better tasting and more balanced wine. The variety of liquid strains is much greater. Most important is the flavor profile. Most winemakers would agree that wine made with yeast slurries is superior in flavor. Liquid yeast is also supplied in custom sizes with great attention to detail.

How long can I wait to use White Labs yeast?

White Labs Yeast leaves our lab at the highest level of viability in the industry, regardless of whether it is dried or liquid. Nonetheless, it is best to use the yeast as soon as possible, as viability does decrease over time.

Re: MicroQit Detect

The MicroQit Detect kit says that used plates should be treated as microbiological waste. What does this process involve?

The instruction you refer to is intended for a European audience and specifically for folks that are using the plates for the biotech industry. For beer and wine testing purposes, you do not need to treat the plates as microbiological waste.

What is the standard size?

Our standard size is meant to inoculate 200 gallons of must. There is no need for re-hydration or starter propagation. If necessary, however, the yeast can also be expanded to inoculate larger sizes.

How soon must I use the yeast?

White Labs Yeast leaves our lab at the highest level of viability in the industry, regardless of whether it is dried or liquid. Nonetheless, it is best to use the yeast as soon as possible, as viability does decrease over time.

All yeast cultures require a three week turnaround time and are sent with certificates of quality. We recommend the yeast be used within a few days of receipt, but if you have to store it, the viability will remain high for about 2 weeks. If you do store it, you have to loosen the cap every day to release the pressure that may build up inside the bottle. To inoculate your juice, all you have to do is let the yeast warm up for several hours before pitching.

I am interested in your HLP media that you have for sale. Would this be effective for wineries?

The HLP media is designed specifically to test for Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacterial presence. If this is an issue in your winery, or something you would be interested in testing for, it is definitely a great media to use.