Cider Yeast?

[4feathers]

Hi people, i reckon a naturally cultured yeast from organic apple skins in organic tassie apple juice gives a real indication as to what we are aiming for as far as taste and dryness and true cider heritage goes. It is variable but such is life...also this method although a bit of extra work brings out the best apple flavour even when finished dry. I think its a good starting point once familiar with cider making as you come back to the basics and you add to that as you go. Most yeasts would give a flovour profile but one would think that the yeast on the skin and the apple should go best together .Peter

 

[Greg.L]

Unfortunately there isn't much yeast on apple skins. (according to Andrew Lea who has studied these things). Most natural yeast in cider comes from the pressing equipment and just from the cellar environment. It is easier to do a natural ferment in places where cider has been made before. Also a natural ferment isn't just one yeast strain but a mixture, some are stronger early and some take over later, that is what gives complexity to a natural ferment.

 

[kahlerisms]

Suppose I should update you all on how the Never-Ending-Ferment went.

I kegged on about day 24 at 1008, so about 5.5%. I reckon it could've fermented further but I needed the fermenter space and wasn't sure how dry I wanted it.

It's okay. I'm not a huge cider fan to begin with but I prefer it to some commerical shit like Strongbow but it's nowhere near as good as say Napoleone by Punt Road (though I never really dreamed it would be. I LOVE that cider like I've never enjoyed cider before).

It pours funny with an ENORMOUS head that tastes like apple peal that takes 10 seconds or so to dissipate completely. Not really sure what's causing this as otherwise my keg setup is reasonably well balanaced. It's a little cloudier than I expected (I guess I expected it to clear up like my beer kegs once it was carbed). SWMBO likes it and has suggested the cider tap should be a permanent addition.

I think the Safale s-04 worked really really well. I get nothing but appley aromas from it. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use this yeast again.

Overall a successful experiment I reckon. It doesn't blow my mind but for the price of a cider tap I reckon it's a pretty good option. Will be keeping an eye on future juice bulk buys.

 

[primusbrew]

I have been wondering what it would be like to use a relatively low-attenuating yeast like Windsor (http://www.danstaryeast.com/products/windsor-ale-yeast) to produce a cider that retains some residual sweetness from the juice. I have only used the yeast once before to make an English Mild type beer and was happy with the results. It isn't a clean fermenting yeast and produces quite an estery beer so that might not work well in a cider.

Has anyone done this or know of a reason why it would or wouldn't work?

 

[Airgead]

I have been wondering what it would be like to use a relatively low-attenuating yeast like Windsor (http://www.danstaryeast.com/products/windsor-ale-yeast) to produce a cider that retains some residual sweetness from the juice. I have only used the yeast once before to make an English Mild type beer and was happy with the results. It isn't a clean fermenting yeast and produces quite an estery beer so that might not work well in a cider.

Has anyone done this or know of a reason why it would or wouldn't work?

Low attenuating yeasts are low attenuating - in a beer wort. Their performance in a cider, which has a different mix of sugars, will be completely different.

Usually, low attenuation in a yest is related to its ability to eat more complex sugars. Juice is generally made from almost exclusively simple sugars and in my experience even a yeast that is a poor attenuator in beer will chew right through a juice and leave it dry.

Having said that, I've never used Windsor in a cider so give it a go.

Cheers
Dave

 

[drsmurto]

+1 to what Dave has said.

Low attenuating is only relevant when complex sugars are present.

I often read people get high FGs in cider using different beer yeast but I suspect that is more likely due to underpitching, lack of nutrients, oxygen etc.

I have been only to slow my fermentation right down by holding it at 14C using the Whitelabs English cider yeast. Only just ticking over now and SG at 1.014 (from 1.054). I was planning on bottling a few, allowing them to carbonate up to desired level using the residual sugar then pasteurising them in the HLT at 70C for 20 mins. This may allow me to retain residual sugars and have carbonated cider and not bottle bombs.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Thanks Doc, that's why I still end up with Dry cider using low attenuating yeast - and Windsor was the next step.

Easy peasy.

As for natural ferment, I juiced (or should that be pureed) pears on the weekend that were pretty over-ripe (still tasted good though).

Sterilised the container and poured the juice in direct from the juicer. Closed it up and (running out of time) went to dinner.

Came back to pitch yeast and the cube was less cube and more sphere. So it got off the ground pretty quick. I pitched some US 05 just to help it out a bit. Hoping it will still be perry and not perry vinegar. Especially as a new friend who has never tried anything I've fermenter is air-lock obsessed and will blame it on that if it ends up infected (evidence notwithstanding).

 

[joshF]

There's a few fairly great reviews about S04 but i used it and wasn't overly impressed. most probably my fault though. Way too tangy and tart and dryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy (although it went from 1.052 to .996 haha :blink: ) The s04 definitely smells awesome though.

Have you guys had any experience with using combinations of different juice? I used 4L of Nudie apple juice, 4L of Cloudy apple juice, and the other 10L was just the standard woolies stuff. Perhaps this changed the flavour somewhat.

Hoping US-05 comes out better

 

[primusbrew]

Low attenuating yeasts are low attenuating - in a beer wort. Their performance in a cider, which has a different mix of sugars, will be completely different.

Usually, low attenuation in a yest is related to its ability to eat more complex sugars. Juice is generally made from almost exclusively simple sugars and in my experience even a yeast that is a poor attenuator in beer will chew right through a juice and leave it dry.

Having said that, I've never used Windsor in a cider so give it a go.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks for that Dave. This makes the concept of attenuation in beer fermentation clearer to me. So if this is the case then all yeast strains, from champagne to ale, should more or less ferment out to the same FG in a cider.

+1 to what Dave has said.

Low attenuating is only relevant when complex sugars are present.

I often read people get high FGs in cider using different beer yeast but I suspect that is more likely due to underpitching, lack of nutrients, oxygen etc.

I have been only to slow my fermentation right down by holding it at 14C using the Whitelabs English cider yeast. Only just ticking over now and SG at 1.014 (from 1.054). I was planning on bottling a few, allowing them to carbonate up to desired level using the residual sugar then pasteurising them in the HLT at 70C for 20 mins. This may allow me to retain residual sugars and have carbonated cider and not bottle bombs.

I have thought about doing this. I wonder how this would affect the flavour of the Cider? Let us know how you go if you do it.

Cheers