On Tue, 6 Dec 2011 Stewart Robert Hinsley 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

Kloeckera apiculata (Google is my friend) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Thanks! I've got it in a book somewhere but didn't have time to look it
up!

David

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