Lalvin EC-1118 Wine Yeast (20 Pack) - Champagne Yeast - 5 g Sachets Review (2026)

Who this larger yeast pack suits

EC-1118 is a champagne strain originally isolated from Champagne fermentations, valued by winemakers for how reliably it finishes even demanding, high sugar musts. This listing packages twenty individually sealed 5 gram sachets, which suits a more active home winemaker, cider maker, or mead maker who ferments regularly through the year rather than a handful of batches. Buying in this quantity makes sense once you know EC-1118 is your go-to strain, since each sachet stays sealed and protected until you need it, but it is not the right first purchase if you are still deciding whether this strain fits your process, where the smaller 10 pack is the safer trial size.

Specs and design explained in plain English

The yeast itself carries the same specifications as any EC-1118 sachet: a wide fermentation temperature range of roughly 50 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit according to Lallemand, alcohol tolerance around 18 percent by volume depending on conditions, low foam production, low volatile acidity, and low hydrogen sulfide output. It flocculates well, settling into compact lees that make racking cleaner batches easier, and its relatively neutral flavor contribution lets the character of your fruit, grapes, or honey come through rather than being masked by yeast-derived aromas. None of these core properties change between pack sizes, so the only real difference between this 20 pack and the 10 pack version is how many sachets you get and how you manage storage of the extras.

Living with it during fermentation and storage

Each sachet still covers a standard 5 to 6 gallon batch, so twenty sachets is a substantial stockpile that can outlast a single brewing season for most home winemakers, which means storage conditions matter more here than with the smaller pack. Keeping unused sachets in a cool, dry spot, ideally refrigerated, helps preserve viability over the months between uses, since dry yeast gradually loses vigor when stored warm. As with any EC-1118 batch, most brewers either pitch directly or rehydrate briefly in warm water before adding to the must, and because the strain dominates mixed ferments, it is not the best choice if you are deliberately blending cultures for a specific flavor profile.

Honest trade-offs and how it compares

The main appeal of the 20 pack over the 10 pack is a lower cost per sachet, which rewards frequent brewers but offers little benefit if a chunk of the yeast sits unused long enough to lose potency. As with the smaller pack, EC-1118 ferments dry rather than sweet, so any residual sweetness in a finished cider or mead has to come from backsweetening and stabilizing after fermentation rather than from the yeast leaving sugar behind. Against bulk options like a 100 pack, this 20 pack is a middle ground that still keeps sachets reasonably fresh through normal home storage without committing to a volume that could sit around for years.

Verdict and who should pick something else

Choose this 20 pack if you already know EC-1118 works for your recipes and you brew often enough to use up sachets within a reasonable storage window, ideally with a refrigerator to keep them fresh. It is a good value move for an active home winemaking or cider setup. If you brew only occasionally, the 10 pack of the same yeast is the better fit since you will not be storing as much surplus, and if you specifically want a strain that leaves natural sweetness without backsweetening, a lower attenuating yeast is a better starting point than EC-1118.

Frequently asked questions