Wild Yeast: The Pros and Cons of Spontaneous Fermentation

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the!pros!and!cons!of!spontaneous!fermentation
&uthor 'eff Chorniak
(ssue )ct/*o+ ,--$
Whether "ou are a first time winemaker or an old hand. one thing will ne+er change /
"ou need "east to make wine. Simpl" put. all wine is the 0"!product of fermentation.
&lcoholic fermentation is a 0iochemical process where "east consumes sugar and
produces alcohol and car0on dio1ide. 2ow does "east get into the must3 There are two
sources. )ne. "ou ma" suppl" it 0" inoculating the must with cultured "east cells. There
are man" strains of cultured "east a+aila0le on the market that will 0ring out different
characteristics of wine. Choosing a good one for "our t"pe of wine takes a 0it of research
4Check out 5The Strain 6ame7 in the Fall ,--- issue8.
(f "ou make wine from concentrate kits. the "east is supplied in the add pack for "ou.
The fact is kit wines will not ferment at all unless "ou add "east. 9uring processing all
li+ing organisms in the grape concentrate ha+e 0een remo+ed or killed.
This 0rings us to the second source / wild "east. :an" winemakers who make wine
from fresh ;uice or grapes add no "east at all. (f "ou 0u" ;uice. the retailer ma" suggest
"ou simpl" take it home and let it sit until it starts fermenting on its own. &nd within a
da" or so. it will 0egin to 0u00le. 2ow does that happen3
What is Wild Yeast?
Wild "east is what the name implies. Wild. (n other words. it is the naturall" e1isting
"east in the air. on +egetation or 0lowing around in the air. Wild "east clings to surfaces
in the +ine"ard. winer" and on e<uipment. &n" wild "east species / whether good or
0ad for making wine / can end up in "our must. What comes. comes. The +arious
species of wild "east floating around "our +ine"ard ma" not 0e the same as someone
else=s. When "ou pick "our grapes and let them sit there. e+entuall" the" will ferment as
the indigenous "east on the grapes / and whate+er indigenous "east is hanging around
"our winer" / coloni>es and 0egins to consume the natural sugar in the must. (n a few
da"s it starts turning into wine.
:an" winemakers swear 0" wild "east fermentation. )n the other hand. man" swear at
it. :aking wine with wild "east has 0een a source of de0ate for man" 0ecause of its
unpredicta0le nature. Should "ou make "our wine from wild "east or cultured "east3
This article will pro+ide some insight to help "ou make an informed decision.
Note: Sometimes wild "east is referred to as 5natural7 "east. The term natural is rather
am0iguous. There is no such thing as artificial or fa0ricated "east. &ll "east / e+en
cultured "east / is natural. The difference is whether the fermentation is from 5wild7 or
5inoculated7 "east.
The fact is cultured "easts ha+e onl" 0een in the winemaking picture within the last
centur". For thousands of "ears pre+iousl". all wine was fermented on wild 4indigenous8
"east. Some old world wineries in France still ferment high!end wines on the local "east.
The <uestion is. if wine ferments on its own. wh" do some feel the need to inoculate and
some don=t3 ?efore we answer that <uestion. it is necessar" to know the mechanics of
inoculated fermentation.
Inoculated Fermentation
&ctuall". "east inoculation is not reall" a matter of need. (t=s a choice. ?" far. most 40ut
not all8 commercial wineries inoculate. @+en the great ?ordeau1 wineries inoculate.
When "east con+erts sugar to alcohol. it also produces other compounds and esters that
contri0ute to the aroma and the fruitiness of wine. For red wine. fermentation also
contri0utes to the color e1tracted from the skins.
& fa+orite wine "ou 0u" from the store has a consistentl" relia0le <ualit" 0ecause it was
inoculated with a cultured strain of "east isolated for its desira0le fermenting
characteristics. & specific cultured "east strain might 0e a0le to produce nice fruit"
aromas. a high le+el of alcohol. an attracti+e mouth te1ture and an a0ilit" to ferment in
low temperatures or high acid. Some cultured strains are low foaming. or produce
sediment that settles <uickl". The list goes on. The t"pe of grape fermented will
determine the strain of "east chosen. There are man" genera of "east. @ach "east species
ma" e1ist as man" different strains. (n winemaking. one of the most important
characteristics of "east is its a0ilit" to completel" ferment all the sugar in grape ;uice and
tolerate high le+els of alcohol 4an"where from %AB%C8. 2igh alcohol 4usuall" B,C or
more in wine8 gi+es wine its longe+it". 0od" and other positi+e features. Without good
alcohol. wine dies <uickl". The species of "east considered most desira0le for total
alcoholic fermentation is Saccharom"ces cere+isiae.
When "ou inoculate the must of "our kit wine. chances are. it is a selected strain of
Saccharom"ces designed to produce the 0est results consistentl" for that concentrate.
When "ou purchase "east to inoculate "our grapes or fresh ;uice. it will 0e
Saccharom"ces. (t is the same with most store 0ought wines.
When grapes are har+ested in the +ine"ard. the" are co+ered with a m"riad of 0iological
organisms. including "east. There are thousands of different t"pes of wild "east. :an"
do not make good wine. &long with the wild "east are other spoilage organisms and
0acteria. That is wh" when "ou 0u" crushed grapes the" are often treated with -A$-
ppm of sulfur dio1ide 4S),8. to stun or kill wild "easts and inhi0it the growth of
spoilage organisms. Then the cultured Saccharom"ces cere+isiae "east is added into the
must.
When "east is inoculated into the must. the dose is usuall" large enough to insure that
the "east fermentation starts rapidl". and that a single strain dominates the entire
fermentation so that if other wild strains are present. the" cannot get a foothold and
produce off fla+ors or negati+e characteristics like rotten egg smells. Wines inoculated
with Saccharom"ces tend to deli+er relia0le results / and there is the ke" word:
relia0ilit". This 0rings us 0ack to wild "east.
When making wine with wild "east. no S), is added to the must. The wild "east is
uninhi0ited or held 0ack from multipl"ing and 0eginning to ferment the ;uice. The wild
or indigenous "east is allowed to do its thing. This is called spontaneous fermentation.
The <uestion is. how do "ou know what "east is in there3 (s it good or 0ad3 Frankl".
without a la0orator". there is no wa" of knowing e1actl" what "east is in the must.
2owe+er. it is possi0le to ha+e a general idea of what is going on.
Feral Yeast
?efore going on. it is onl" fair to mention a categor" of "east that e1ists in the gra" area
0etween wild and cultured "east. Feral "east is a term that some ha+e coined to descri0e
"east that e1ists specificall" in the winer". on winemaking e<uipment or in the wood
grain of 0arrels. etc. There is no wa" of determining where this "east comes from. (t
could 0e escaped cells of cultured "east. (t could 0e wild "east that 0lew in from outside
or came in on someone=s hands or clothing. (t could 0e a mi1 of 0oth. Degardless. feral
"east also pla" a role in spontaneous fermentation.
The Politics of Wild Yeast
Studies ha+e shown that of all the "easts in the +ine"ard. the desira0le Saccharom"ces
cere+isiae is pro0a0l" onl" on a0out one out of e+er" B.--- 0erries. (n some +ine"ards.
Saccharom"ces cere+isiae ma" not e1ist on an" 0erries at all. Some argue against these
statistics. 0ut results are so inconsistent no one can pro+e one wa" or the other. @+en so.
other indigenous "easts are also considered wine "easts. :oreo+er. there are thousands
of other wild "east strains. This article can=t name or descri0e them all. 2owe+er. for
winemaking purposes. wild "easts themsel+es can 0e 0roken down into two
su0categories: wine "east and spoilage "east.
'ust 0ecause it is "east. does not mean it is good for wine. )n the other hand. if the"
were all 0ad humankind would ha+e gi+en up making wine thousands of "ears ago. &nd
this is where the fickle nature of spontaneous fermentation re+eals its true character.
Spontaneous Fermentation
Throughout the old world winemaking communit" 4@urope etc.8. there are commercial
wineries that ha+e 0een fermenting on indigenous "east for generations. :an" California
wineries are catching on and 0eginning to practice spontaneous fermentation with
fa+ora0le results. 2undreds of home winemakers ha+e 0een happ" with it as well.
That 0eing said. wh" such caution3 Euite simpl". it is the unpredicta0le nature of
spontaneous fermentation that either attracts us as winemakers. or scares us off. )ne of
the most common characteristics of indigenous "easts / e+en good ones / is their low
resistance to alcohol. :an" wild t"pes of "east are una0le to perform once alcohol le+els
reach FC. The result is stuck fermentation. fla00" wine with a low immune s"stem. and
a pile of unwanted residual sugar / to name ;ust a few pro0lems.
&nother risk" feature is the fact that wild "east e1ists on grapes in much smaller
num0ers than a dose of inoculated "east. Therefore. it takes longer for wild "east to
coloni>e ! up to a week in larger 0atches ! lea+ing the grapes open to infection from
other spoilage organisms and from o1idation. (n addition. once fermentation 0egins. it is
longer and slower. and at a lower temperature.
& third risk" feature is the unpredicta0le 0"!product of off!aromas and esters that wild
"east can impart to the wine. So then. wh" would someone e+en want spontaneous
fermentation3 The answer3 For prett" much the same reasons mentioned a0o+e.
Sequential Fermentation
Se<uential fermentation is when a series of fa+ora0le e+ents take place in the fermenting
must and use the a0o+e negati+e features in a positi+e wa". The" are as follows:
B. The fact that wild "east takes longer to kick in. allows more skin contact time on
grapes. Thus. greater 0od". depth of character. and color. ?igger fruit.
,. & fre<uent 0"!product of wild "east is its unusual or odd odors and fla+ors. (t has
0een noted 0" man" that the unpredicta0le aromas and esters imparted 0" wild
"east is what can add to its comple1it". gi+ing it an interesting. sophisticated
nature. *o two 0atches of spontaneous fermentation taste the same. e+en when
grapes are from the same +ine"ard. fermented side 0" side.
. When wild "east 0egins to ferment. it often 0egins to shut down at or 4C
alcohol. ?" this time most wild "easts ha+e done e+er"thing the" are going to do
/ whether "ou like it or not. 2owe+er. during this initial fermentation phase.
an" Saccharom"ces cere+isiae that are present in the must will ha+e coloni>ed to
such num0ers that 0" the end of or 4 da"s their huge populations dominate the
wine. There can 40ut no guarantees8 0e up to BF or more strains of
Saccharom"ces cere+isiae coloni>ing in the wine 0" this time. &s the wild "east
die off. the dominant Saccharom"ces cere+isiae should start to take o+er.
completing fermentation to dr"ness and a higher alcohol.
The result of a se<uential fermentation is a wine with comple1 fla+ors. fruit and aromas.
with good alcohol. Clearl". the +er" features that can work against spontaneous
fermentation are the same features that work for it. This is the main reason wh"
spontaneous fermentation is practiced in winemaking. :an" winemakers 0elie+e that
there are <ualities that wild "east imparts to wine that cannot 0e achie+ed with cultured
"east. The 0ig <uestion is. which characteristics will pre+ail3 The comple1 fla+ors or the
off odors3 What if there is no S. cere+isiae in the must3 What if the whole thing shuts
down at FC3 That 0rings us 0ack to the initial <uestion / to inoculate or not.
When to Inoculate
@1perienced winemakers allow spontaneous fermentation to 0egin while watching the
must carefull". taking regular readings of the amount of sugar or specific gra+it" of the
must. to determine the current alcohol. &fter the" estimate that the alcohol has reached
or 4C. the" ma" sometimes choose to inoculate with S. cere+isiae to ensure complete
fermentation. The" get the 0est of 0oth worlds: comple1it" of wild "east. and sound full!
0odied wine. While no one can predict results with spontaneous fermentation. there are
certain features "ou can watch for to help "ou determine if "ou want to take that walk on
the wild side. &lthough it is not possi0le to know what t"pes of "east are on "our grapes.
or in "our must. sometimes the +er" condition of the grapes or must itself will help "ou
predict the odds.
pH and Acid
p2 and acid in grapes are important enough e+en when inoculating with cultured "east.
6rapes picked with a low p2 and good acid possess inhi0itor" <ualities that stifle
spoilage during the lag phase it takes for spontaneous fermentation to kick in. 9uring the
lag phase. the must is +ulnera0le to 0acterial growth and G& 4+olatile acidit"8 from
aceto0acter and lacto0acillus. These 0acteria can produce +er" unpleasant aromas in the
wine and literall" turn it to +inegar.
(f "ou grow "our own grapes. "ou will pro0a0l" ha+e a good idea of "our grape p2 and
acid. (f "our grapes are 0eing shipped in. find out what the p2 and acid is 0efore
deciding whether to inoculate. (f "ou are picking up "our grapes at a local +ine"ard. ask
the merchant. *ote that some +ine"ards will automaticall" crush "our grapes and shock
the must with sulfur to inhi0it spoilage and spontaneous fermentation. For spontaneous
fermentation. a+oid sulfur in the must.
Rain
(f rain fell ;ust 0efore har+est. "east ma" ha+e washed off and "east cell populations will
0e se+erel" reduced or limited to what arri+es on winer" e<uipment. (n the mean time.
lingering water and moisture on the grapes also promotes rot. ?acteria in the must will
multipl" during the lag phase while what little indigenous "east is present is tr"ing to
coloni>e. There ma" 0e no Saccharom"ces cere+isiae in the must at all. (f "ou do allow
for spontaneous fermentation an"wa"s. "ou might want to consider inoculating with
cultured "east at or 4C alcohol.
Must Nutrients
@+en when must is inoculated with Saccharom"ces cere+isiae. fermentation can get
stuck and go wrong 0ecause of poor nutrients in the must. Therefore. when fermenting
with indigenous "east. it is good to know the nutrient condition of "our must. ?ecause
indigenous "east starts with a smaller population than inoculated "east. things can go
wrong easier. ?uilding up nutrients in the must can 0e accomplished with the addition of
diammonium phosphate 49&P8. Some winegrowers ha+e e+en added it in the +ine"ard.
lendin!
&s a securit" measure. "ou ma" e+en choose to take "our total 0atch of grapes or must.
and inoculate some. while allowing another portion spontaneous fermentation. &fter all
fermentation is complete. "ou can 0lend wild fermented wine with culture fermented
wine. to gi+e "our finished product comple1it". (n the e+ent that the spontaneous
fermentation goes wrong. not all is lost. You still ha+e a large portion of good wine
finished on cultured "east. :an" California wineries practice 0lending wild with
cultured with fa+ora0le results.
Secrets of the "ld World
&fter reading all of the a0o+e. the original <uestion ma" still lurk: wh" is it that some
old!world 4i.e. ?urgund"8 wineries ha+e 0een successfull" fermenting great wine on
indigenous "east for hundreds of "ears3
The answer to the <uestion is in the <uestion itself. (t is 0ecause the" ha+e 0een doing it
for hundreds of "ears. &nd...dare ( sa" it...some do inoculate with wild "east.
Micro Flora
)+er decades of growing and fermenting 4often the same grape8. and dumping the old
pomace and "east sludge 0ack into the +ine"ard. an accumulati+e 0uildup of particular
"east strains tend to dominate the region. The" 0low in the wind. cling to the winer"
walls. stick to e<uipment. on hands and feet and clothing and lodge themsel+es in the
wood grain of 0arrels. The grapes themsel+es are co+ered with the same dominant
micro!flora "ear after "ear. 9ecade after decade. Centur" after centur". The result is
e+er" har+est spontaneousl" ferments the grapes with the same 5nati+e7 strain4s8 of
"east. *o inoculation is necessar". The entire appellation has 0een permanentl"
inoculated o+er generations.
Hnless "our +ine"ard and winer" has that consistenc" of wild "east that has 0uilt up o+er
generations. chances are "our wine will not ha+e the same relia0le results. @+en so. e+en
in )ld World wineries. nothing is left to chance.
Pied de #u$e
)ld!world winemakers ha+e learned that letting a pile of grapes sit there until the" start
fermenting is still high risk / regardless of the esta0lished micro!flora. To ensure that
fermentation 0egins. some wineries pick a small portion of their grapes a week 0efore
the har+est. &t this point. the pre!har+est grapes ma" still 0e acidic. (f so. water is
sometimes added. and the must is stirred and aerated to stimulate the wild "east and get
it fermenting. &fter se+eral da"s. the pre!har+est grapes will 0e fermenting +igorousl" as
a "east starter. This starter culture is used to inoculate the har+ested grapes as the" come
in from the field. The result3 :ust inoculated with wild "east: Pied de Cu+e. Cle+er.
#onclusion
2a+ing said all the a0o+e. it is eas" to understand the old adage: wine is made in the
+ine"ard. *eedless to sa". successful winemaking with wild "east might 0e spontaneous.
0ut should not 0e hapha>ard. Spontaneous fermentation is not the la>" wa". (n fact.
making good wine with wild "east takes greater care and attention than inoculated
fermentation. & sa++" winemaker will 0e monitoring the fermenting wine at all times.
checking odors. temperatures and alcohol. Wine will ferment itself. with or without "ou.
2owe+er. making good wine with wild "east takes a watchful e"e and informed decision
making.
Jeff Chorniak is a frequent contributor to Wine:aker magazine.