complex yeast nutrient suitable for use in the alcohol fermentation of grape must, fruit mashes or cereal mashes. Developed by Clayton Cone of Lallemand, proper use of Fermaid K reduces the occurrence of sluggish and stuck fermentations. In all alcohol fermentations yeast growth must occur before the anaerobic or alcohol fermentation can begin. In most wine applications, the usual inoculation rate is 25 grams per hectoliter (250 ppm or 2 pounds per 1,000 gallons) which results in an initial cell concentration of 3 to 4 million viable yeast cells per milliliter of must. Under normal conditions for virtually all types of fermentation media the cell population will increase to 100 to 150 million viable yeast cells per milliliter before growth stops and alcohol fermentation takes over. Fermaid K helps this maximum cell density get through the stationary phase and complete alcohol fermentation as quickly and as efficiently as possible especially under limiting available nitrogen conditions. By neglecting to follow a proper nutrition and aeration strategy, the time for finishing fermentations can drag out over many take days and even weeks. Sluggish fermentations occupy much needed tank space for prolonged periods and, more importantly, they create conditions that allow the proliferation of wild yeasts and bacteria.
