Best yeast for cider EC-1118 or D47
 

Very new cider brewer here:

I have access to Lalvin yeast... What is better for cider EC-1118 or D47?

Is there a difference in how the end product will taste?

Of the two ice only used 1118. I've been happy with the result. It improves with time in the bottle.

I use the EC 1118 yeast for my ciders, it produces a very clean but very dry cider. You will have to back sweeten and let it age to get better cider. Never used anything else.

I have not used either, but it seems the EC-1118 tends to remove the apple flavor, necessitating extended aging. Since D47 is less attenuating, I would suppose that the effect would be less pronounced. Personally, I have used Montrachet yeast with good results, but it does give off some sulfury smell during the first few days of fermentation.

So if you want good flavor but try and not super sweet which would you use?
I really don't like those supersweet ciders....


(SideNote)
Someone on the forums suggested I try Magner's cider But that still seems to be pretty sweet to me? Do I have a peculiar pallet or is that more on the sweet side? I like the hard dry ciders...

Magners is most definitely a sweet cider to my pallet as well. Never seen a true dry cider come in a six pack ever, pretty much have to go artisanal for an actually dry beverage. I'm a big fan of 1118 personally, strong fermenter but best kept cold ~60, clean tasting and drops clear. Not to say D47 is a bad choice at all, both will give similar results and will result in a dry cider.

For something you're not looking to age for a longer time, or make sure has some residual sweetness (back sweetening), I'd go with D47 over EC-1118. EC-1118 will go to 18% if you give it half a chance. If you want a dry (as in bleached bone dry) cider, then that's fine. If you don't, then I'd use D47. Provided, of course, you can keep it fermenting in the temperature range it likes.

I've used EC-1118 for meads, where I make sure they don't finish bone dry. I also let them go at least a year before trying them. After two years, they're still improving (part of the nature of the beast when you use that yeast and go to it's max). I have a batch going using RC-212 now, and have to bottle a batch I made (maple wine/mead) with 71B. I'm planning on making a batch using K1V next, as well as another with Eau de Vie (Wyeast) and maybe even WLP099. I want to see what the different yeasts can do for me in this case. I have plenty of patience, so if they take 2+ years before they go to bottle (for the ones over 18%) I'm ok with that. It does help, of course, to be able to store them in something that will NOT have any risk of oxidation (sealed, stainless steel vessels). :D

Any wine yeast is going to leave you with very dry cider, since the sugar is (almost?) completely fermentable (and apple juice doesn't have enough sugar to increase the alcohol level to the point that it kills the yeast). Since I haven't compared them I don't know how the specific flavor profiles are different. Either one is likely to give you a good result, but I've heard that D47 gives you more apple flavor with less aging.

Compare the information on the different strains... IMO, picking blind is not a good idea.

I won't use wine yeast for cider anymore, I get a superior end product with ale yeast. Nottingham is my fav, but I've also use S-04 & S-05. Regards, GF.