Windsor for Cider?

I have a pack of unused Windsor yeast. I purchased it to make beer but decided "fruity and estery" wasn't what I was looking for in my beer. Making a batch of cider and saw the packet of Windsor. I have searched the forum and found mixed results..some liked it..some thought it left the cider sour.

I just bottled a cider from Lalvin 71b-1122. It is very dry, fruity/winey aroma, very clear/yellow, carbed nice very drinkable at 9.5% ABV although just a bit sour and too winey. Looking for more apple flavor and a little sweetness.

Here is my recipe so far...
4 gallons of freshly pressed local Cider unpastuerized,no preservatives
SG 1.052 with no added sugar (7.5% ABV predicted)
4 tablet of Campden tabs 2 days before pitching yeast
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme for clarity
2 tsp Vitamin-C to preserve bright color/flavor
4 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp yeast energizer
I figure the Windsor yeast will dry it out, clarify with gelatin and then I will back sweeten to taste (didn't do this last batch) then bottle and let it carb. When fizzy enough I'll pateurize the bottles in 140 degree water for 30 minutes to kill the yeast. I am new to cider so I am looking for pre-pitching advice.

Is this a good plan?
What is your experience with Windsor Yeast?
Should I add some sugar or maybe honey? How much? Why?
Whats your yeast of choice?

P.S. Thanks for your input I will be pitching in a couple of days.

I would stick with Lalvin yeasts... If you didn't care for what 71B gave you, try D-47... I actually have a batch of hard cider going with 71B in it, but not as strong as yours was.

Personally, I keep chemical additions to a minimum in my fermentations. That goes for beer, mead and now cider. I added some Fermaid to my cider batch (probably going to get bottled soon) and that was about it. I did add some sugar to get the OG up to where I wanted it (~1.066)...

If you're looking to both back sweeten, bottle carbonate, and then kill the yeast in bottles, you might be better off changing that method to kill the yeast (chemically, as much as it pains me), backsweeten to taste, and then carbonate in keg. You can still bottle from keg with the correct hardware. I didn't say it would be cheap to go that route, but it could give you a more stable, better tasting, end result. I'd hate to be the one trying to carbonate while back sweetening and miss the target by a day (or two) only to end up with many bottle bombs either going off, or with their pins pulled.

I would love to buy the keg set up. No go at this point. But I get your point. I enjoyed a granny smith Wood Chuck Cider. It was dry and tart...quit refreshing. My cider was too dry, and slightly sour rather than tart and a winey quality that was not bad but not perceived in the wood chuck. I may add a bag of chopped granny smiths for the first week in a grain bag to get that tartness? I am considering re-bottling my first batch with some back sweetening. I can always use my soda stream the same way I carb early beer samples but it's a pain in the ass.

Have you tried Windsor yeast in a cider?

You don't need the vitamin C. After you press the cider (or have it pressed) and add the campden, it will lighten in color several shades. As far as the flavor, the alcohol will take care of that.

Here's a couple carboys I juiced this year. You can see the one that had the campden added first, and then finally how light it got. I almost wish it had more of the oxidized color, after the cider cleared it is about .5 SRM

Campden as the anti-oxidant? Sounds good...looks good too.
My First cider was the same recipe except I added corn sugar. It lacked the overall flavor of the Wood Chuck commercial cider. The d47 mentioned early sounds good too.
Has anyone used wine tannins?
What is your experience with Windsor yeast? Should I throw it out? I prefer less fruity beers but fruity sounds good for cider?

I just mixed 4 gallons of pasteurized apple cider with a packet of Windsor this past Sunday. I also added some dissolved white and brown sugar, and some yeast nutrient. My Windsor packet was backup plan in case I ever got an infected starter, which never happened. But I saw the expiration date creeping up, so into the cider it went.

Fermentation started up within 8 hours. Had a very brief krausen ring forming, but dropped out soon after. Very vigorous airlock activity. Started out smelling of apple-y goodness, then swithced to more of a vomit smell for 2 days. Now starting to smell good again as fermenation winds down. Very cloudy with suspended yeast, but I have a feeling it will turn out fine. It'll sit for 6 weeks or so before I will do anything, so sorry I can't help you out in the taste department.

Wish I could wait for your results. But I'll be pitching soon. I have an acid blend and wine tannins, has anyone added these to bring out the tartness after back sweetening?

Windsor yeast in cider?

A friend of mine gave up beer making. His loss my gain. 4 glass carboys, single weld keg boil pot, 2 cornies and CO2 tank, 2 cases of flip top bottles, lots of misc.

My question...If I keg the cider, using the picnic cobra head will my beer lines always taste like cider? Should I get separate lines/tap for the cider?