On Mon, 5 Dec 2011 Nick Maclaren wrote:

I suggested Nick empty the dregs/solid remains of his winemaking onto the
compost. He was horrified and said the alcohol would kill all the bacteria.
I suppose it makes sense, although I'd expect the alcohol to have to be
stronger than wine-strength to do a major cleansing job.

No harm will come to the compost heap, I assure you.

Indeed. Even if it kills some on contact, their corpses will simply
encourage a growth boom of bacteria!

I always pour the dregs over my vines in the belief that the yeast will
become endemic and coat the grapes the following year. I believe it to
have worked as I have sometimes fermented grapes successfully in the
past without adding any cultured yeast.

Well, as that was the way that it always used to be done, I suspect
that your actions weren't the primary cause :-)

It works in a wine growing area but where there is little or no
viticulture the chances of a wild yeast (something apiculata) which
unrelated to wine yeast (something cerevisiae) will get in and ruin the
brew.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk