CellarScience Wine Yeast - Purple Strain | 8 grams

Craft Bold, Full-Bodied Red Wines with Purple Strain Yeast

The CellarScience Purple Strain is a premium wine yeast specifically designed for crafting rich, full-bodied red wines with bold flavors and a big mouthfeel. Known for producing high levels of glycerol, polysaccharides, and mannoproteins, this yeast enhances the texture and complexity of your wine, giving it a smooth and robust finish. Perfect for varieties like Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese, and Grenache, this yeast brings out vibrant fruit flavors of cherries, raspberries, figs, red currants, and jam.

With its high alcohol tolerance and low nutrient needs, Purple yeast is easy to work with, making it an excellent choice for home winemakers. It's particularly well-suited for reds originating from the Côtes du Rhône region of France, such as Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, and is a go-to option for creating deep, rich reds with minimal intervention.

Flavor & Performance Highlights

• Rich Fruit Flavors: Induces ripe flavors of cherries, raspberries, figs, red currants, and jam.
• Full Mouthfeel: The production of glycerol and mannoproteins contributes to a rich, full-bodied texture.
• Low SO2 Production: Supports smooth malolactic fermentation (MLF) with minimal sulfur dioxide production.
• Killer Yeast Properties: Inhibits the growth of unwanted bacteria and wild yeast strains during fermentation, ensuring a clean, controlled process.

Ideal for These Varietals

• Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre (Côtes du Rhône reds)
• Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir

Key Features

• Alcohol Tolerance: Up to 15%
• Nutrient Requirements: Low, making it easy to ferment with fewer additions.
• SO2 Production: Low, aiding in a smoother transition to malolactic fermentation.
• Fermentation Speed: Starts slower but finishes strong.
• Nitrogen Demand (YAN @ 23 Brix): 200 ppm
• Optimal Fermentation Temperature: 65–85°F

How to Use Purple Strain Yeast

For best results, properly hydrate the yeast. For every gram of yeast, mix 0.25 g of FermStart yeast nutrient with 25 ml of sterilized water at 104–106°F. Sprinkle the yeast into the water, stir gently, and let the slurry sit for 15 minutes. Stir again, then add 25 ml of clean must to acclimate the yeast. After 15–20 minutes, adjust the slurry to within 18°F of the must temperature before pitching.

For nutrient support, use 1.5 g of FermFed DAP Free per gallon at the first sign of fermentation and 1 g of FermFed per gallon after 1/3 sugar depletion for a healthy, consistent fermentation.