Cider Experiment Phase 1

[Airgead]

The whole yeast on skins thing is a bit of a myth. There is yeast there but its very hit and miss as to what you will get. For most traditionally fermented (ie: no yeast added) ciders and wines, most of the yeast isn't off the skins but from the building where it is being fermented. Most places that do this have been doing it for generations and over years a beneficial microflora builds up in the cidery/winery premises and contributes most of the yeast.

On a homebrew scale its really difficult to build up that miocroflora so its easier and more controllable to add yeast,

Most commercial ciders do that anyway for consistency.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Greg.L]

It is unusual to find a wild yeast commercial cider in Australia. Winemakers are trained to reject any flavours that are mousy or brett, so they want a nice clean ferment, this attitude has carried over to the cider industry. In England and France wild ferments are much more common, as Dave says they build up a microflora so the wild ferment takes off quickly. There isn't any reason you can't do the same in Australia, saccharomyces yeasts are pretty ubiquitous in the air, it might just take a bit longer to get started. Most people like myself just prefer the reliability of a cultured yeast, but wild yeast people are adamant that it produces a better cider. (its also cheaper)

 

[simchop84]

Thank you gentlemen. You both sound like you know what you're talking about. I'll take your advice and yeast. Once I have juiced apples and probably pears apart from adding yeast is there any thing else I need to add that I wouldn't when using bottled shop juice?
Thanks again

 

[Deep End]

Not really, but there is a variety of things you could add; campden to the juice if it so takes your fancy, malic acid, grape tannin, lactose. All added for various reasons, but juice and yeast will make cider.

 

[indica86]

Vintner's Harvest Yeast - CY17 8g (white) is a yeast I used on my last, fermented well and still has a great apple taste.

 

[lael]

Vintner's Harvest Yeast - CY17 8g (white) is a yeast I used on my last, fermented well and still has a great apple taste.

Sounds great! What was the fg?

 

[indica86]

1010 - stable over three days. Still had slight sweetness too.