First time cider maker, what yeast goes good with cider?

I am going to pick up a few gallons of cider from the local farm today. Its unpasteurized. I am going to throw it in my 5g carboy, sprinkle some yeast and throw an airlock on the top. Any other suggestions with this method? And what kind of yeast is best with cider? I would like a cider that isnt so dry like wine.

I like Nottingham ale yeast when I make cider.

Most cider, if all you do is take juice and add wine or ale yeast, will be dry because the yeast will eat up all the apple sugars. For a semi-sweet or semi-dry cider method, take a look at www.makinghardcider.com - a great resource for a new cider maker!

You can read the sticky by CvilleKevin in this cider forum and it may help. But like Pappers, Notty is my fave. I have a batch going now with S-04 and seems very similar to Nottingham. Those two yeasts seems to leave some good flavor behind in the cider.

+ 1 on both Nottingham ale yeast & civillekevin's sticky.
Regards, GF.

EC-1118 champagne yeast, S-23 lager yeast, and S-05 ale yeasts are my favorites.

Gotta give another vote for Nottingham, with Safale S-04 a close 2nd.

Depends what you're after in the finished product. Obviously can't go wrong with Nottingham for an all purpose yeast. High alcohol I would say lalvin ec-1118.

I've made an Apple champagne and liked the montrachet yeast but its a ***** to clear up.

Good higher alcohol yeast I've used are red star premiere cuvee and cotes de blanc but there's something off about then I can't put my finger on. It could just be the cane sugar I used to prime with.

I like Nottingham. Having good luck with repitching on the yeast cake too. Couldn't be simpler.

I've gotten a nice crisp cider with just pouring the 5 gal of apple juice over a yeast cake from just about any ale. American Ale II from wyeast worked great. Cider isn't real picky it seems...

owmatooth said:

I've gotten a nice crisp cider with just pouring the 5 gal of apple juice over a yeast cake from just about any ale. American Ale II from wyeast worked great. Cider isn't real picky it seems...

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Agreed, I've been on an Ale kick latly with both my ciders and meads. I'm playing with the Abby triples and monistary yeasts, along with the Belgiums. Haven't really found any that have been objectionable. I have haven't found a "OMG!!!! THIS IS THE BEST EVAR!!!" yeast also. I guess I just like the variety.

Cote des Blancs, US-05. I don't like S-04, rhino stank.

dmtaylor said:

cote des blancs, us-05. I don't like s-04 without yeast nutrient, rhino stank.

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fify

I had a good result with S-189. I plan to use Wyeast 1450 in my next batch.

dmtaylor said:

Cote des Blancs, US-05. I don't like S-04, rhino stank.

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Maylar said:

fify

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Ha. I don't like yeast nutrient. Low and slow is the only way to go.

I wonder how the OPs cider has aged over the past 5 years.

I like using 4184 as it leaves just a bit of sweetness and great flavor.

Wyeast Sweet Mead Yeast leaves 2% residual sugar and adds amazing stone fruit flavors when fermented at less than 60*. I have used many other yeast varieties in the past and now I only use the Sweet Mead Yeast when making ciders.

Cote des Blancs is good. Next time I want to try Vintner's Harvest AW4.

Make sure the cider does not have benzoate preservatives added. (most fresh orchard juices do, especially if unpasteurized)

ToddPacker69 said:

I am going to pick up a few gallons of cider from the local farm today. Its unpasteurized. I am going to throw it in my 5g carboy, sprinkle some yeast and throw an airlock on the top. Any other suggestions with this method? And what kind of yeast is best with cider? I would like a cider that isnt so dry like wine.

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All of my batches with S-04 (light blue packet) have come out sweeter than when I've used Nottingham or the S-05 (red packet).

I use WLP002 in my ciders, but I suppose S04 and Notty will do the same. Good flocc, dries to 1.002 consistently. I've tried the wine yeasts, but I'm not a big fan.

Harambe said:

All of my batches with S-04 (light blue packet) have come out sweeter than when I've used Nottingham or the S-05 (red packet).

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Agree. 1.004 every time!

I guess what it really boils down to is, "Do you have precise control over your fermentation temperatures?" That is the real question when you come down to it.

Cider House Select has been giving me good results.
Bonus is its cheap. $3 for a 3 pack on amazon

That is cheap. Used to be more. But I still prefer S-04 or Belle Saison.

Interesting. I used S-04 for the first time in a cider batch in Feb and it finished way down at 0.993 FG (7.2% ABV). A bit dry for my sweet cider / mead tastes.

Admittedly, I left it in the primary too long but that shouldnt have dropped it down any further than normal.

After a bit of sampling, Ima back sweeten it with about 1 gallon of unfermented cider in the keg (4 gallon hard batch + ~ 1 gallon normal cider).

At that back-sweetened blend, it was pretty darn good (and back down to a reasonable dryness)

I've never had S-04 go below 1.004 I usually rack it when it's under 1.010 but then I leave it for months without any stabilizer.