Four companies – Lallemand (Lalvin), Red Star, White Labs, and Wyeast – produce the vast majority of wine-yeast used by home mead makers in North America. Here’s an up-to-date overview of the yeast strains these firms sell in small packages intended for home hobbyists, which is generally five grams for dry yeast packets and 35 to 175 ml for liquid vials or packets. In either format, this is the right amount to inoculate a five-gallon batch. There are other companies and other strains, but these are the most common; you can find them at most home winemaking supply stores.
Company | Yeast Name | Dry/Liquid | Strain # | Suggested Mead/Cider Styles | Temp Range (°F) | Alcohol Tolerance (% ABV)/Flocculation |
Lalvin | KIV-1116 | Dry | 1016-02 | Cider, Stuck Fermentations | 59-86° | 18% Low |
Lalvin | EC-1118 | Dry | 1018-02 | High ABV meads, Dry meads, | 45-95° | 18% Low |
Lalvin | 71-B | Dry | 1022-02 | 59-86° | 14% Medium | |
Lalvin | ICV D-47 | Dry | 1080-02 | Sweet Mead | 50-86° | 14% Medium |
Lalvin | BOURGOVIN RC 212 | Dry | 1105-02 | 59-86° | 14% Low | |
Red Star | Flor Sherry | Dry | Davis#519 | 59-86° | 10-20% Low | |
Red Star | Montrachet | Dry | Davis#522 | 59-86° | 13% Low | |
Red Star | Pasteur Champagne | Dry | Davis#595 | 59-86° | 13-15% Medium-Low | |
Red Star | C | Dry | Davis#750 | 64-86° | 12-14% Low | |
Red Star | Premier Curv | Dry | Davis#796 | 45-95° | 18% Low | |
Red Star | Pasteur Red | Dry | Davis#904 | 64-86° | 16% Low | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | AW4 | 68-77° | 14.5% | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | BV7 | 59-86° | 13% Low | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Bayanus | Dry | CL23 | 46-75° | 18% High | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | CR51 | 72-86° | 13.5% | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | CY17 | 72-78° | 15% Medium | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | MA33 | 64-80° | 14% | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | R56 | 72-86° | 13.5% | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Bayanus | Dry | SN9 | 68-75° | 18% | |
Vintner’s Harvest | Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | VR21 | 68-75° | 15% | |
White Labs | Champagne | Liquid | WLP-715 | Dry mead | 70-75° | 17% Low |
White Labs | Avise Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-718 | 60-90° | 15% Low | |
White Labs | Sweet Mead and Wine | Liquid | WLP-720 | Sweet mead | 70-75° | 15% Low |
White Labs | Steinberg-Geisenheim Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-727 | 50-90° | 14% Low | |
White Labs | Chardonnay White Wine | Liquid | WLP-730 | 50-90° | 14% Low | |
White Labs | French White Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-735 | 50-90° | 16% Low | |
White Labs | Merlot Red Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-740 | 60-90° | 18% Low | |
White Labs | Assmanshausen Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-749 | 50-90° | 16% Low | |
White Labs | French Red Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-750 | 60-90° | 17% Low | |
White Labs | Cabernet Red Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-760 | 60-90° | 16% Low | |
White Labs | Suremain Burgundy Wine Yeast | Liquid | WLP-770 | 60-90° | 16% Low | |
White Labs | English Cider | Liquid | WLP-775 | Cider | 68-75° | 14% Medium |
Wyeast | Pasteur Champagne | Liquid | 4021 Activator | 55-75° | 17% Medium | |
Wyeast | Chateau Red | Liquid | 4028 Activator | 55-90° | 14% Medium | |
Wyeast | Sake #9 | Liquid | 4134 Activator | 60-75° | 16% Low | |
Wyeast | Sweet Mead | Liquid | 4184 Activator | Cyser, Sweet Melomels | 60-75° | 11% Medium |
Wyeast | Chablis | Liquid | 4242 Activator | 55-75° | 12-13% Medium | |
Wyeast | Chianti | Liquid | 4244 Activator | 55-75° | 14% Medium | |
Wyeast | Bordeaux | Liquid | 4267 Activator | 55-90° | 14% Medium | |
Wyeast | Eau de Vie | Liquid | 4347 Activator | 65-80° | 21% Low | |
Wyeast | Dry Mead | Liquid | 4632 Activator | Cyser, Dry Cider, Melomel, Metheglyn, (Dry style) | 55-75° | 18% Low |
Wyeast | Cider | Liquid | 4766 Activator | Cider | 60-75° | 12% Low |
Wyeast | Portwine | Liquid | 4767 Activator | 60-90° | 14% Medium | |
Wyeast | Rudesheimer | Liquid | 4783 Activator | 55-75° | 12-13% Medium | |
Wyeast | Zinfandel | Liquid | 4946 Activator | 60-85° | 18% Medium |
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