Picking a Yeast

So, I've decided to give it another go with cider. This time, I plan to ferment five gallons of juice straight up, with no additions. I've found the task of picking a yeast, however, very taxing. I've decided that from what I've heard, Nottingham or WLP-775 would most likely be the best yeast to use. They both have very good outcomes. Thoughts, suggestions?

EDIT: I've already browsed through a few other threads on the topic, and read the sticky as well.

Meadiator said:

I've decided that from what I've heard, Nottingham or WLP-775 would most likely be the best yeast to use. They both have very good outcomes. Thoughts, suggestions?

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Also consider Safale S-04. For me it easily ranks as good as Nottingham.

Frank

I had good luck with S-04 with the Blonde ale I brewed. Nice light and slightly fruity.

S-04 is a very good yeast. I've used it with success in cider on many occasions. For some reason I always came back to nottingham. The only thing I can think of is that I don't care for US-05 in cider. So I guess I mentally associate that with S-04. (They are totally different strains in cider and it's just a mental hang up for me. It shouldn't reflect on S-04)

In my opinion you can't really compare ale strains from beer to cider. I've found that they perform completely different in must as opposed to wort.

My suggestion would be to try everything. I've used some wine and champagne yeasts and just find that I prefer the final product and performance of ale yeast. But I did try other strains to come to that conclusion. Who knows, a particular red wine strain might produce what you prefer.

My best scoring cider (back-sweetened with apple juice concentrate) used Danstar Champagne yeast. My best common cider (dry) is with WLP775. For simplicity and product, I'd recommend that. The one issue with beer/wine yeast is that it CAN scrub some apple flavor, so I always make non-spiced cider in stages, 1 gallon to 4 gallon to 6 gallon. This tends to keep a lot of apple flavor (like adding flavors in secondary when beer making) while drying it nicely.

I have used Wyeast Liquid Cider Yeast with great results as well.

mysteryshrimp said:

so I always make non-spiced cider in stages, 1 gallon to 4 gallon to 6 gallon.

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I just recently tried this method as well and so far I'm pretty happy with the results. I only added juice once when racking to secondary though. I haven't decided if it makes enough of a difference to rack again (tertiary) to add more juice.

Don't forget the wheat beer yeast! I've used Wlp300, retained a lot of the apple flavor and even had some ester production. The FG was 1.010 too, so it doesn't dry out as much.

I've tried Belgin ale yeast, Nottingham, yeast cider yeast, and white labs cider yeast. If your a beer drinker, you will like using beer yeast. If not a beer drinker, I think you find the cider yeasts better. To me, beer yeasts make cider taste like old flat beer, with a fruity ending. But I'm not a beer drinker !

Schott703 said:

To me, beer yeasts make cider taste like old flat beer, with a fruity ending. But I'm not a beer drinker !

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You aren't pinching your nose hard enough. "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down."

Really you get flat beer from cider with ale yeast?

I use Red Star champagne yeast. High alcohol tolerance, so quite dry, but always clean tasting and carbs up well

I've been using WLP775 but I have a vial of WLP300 in the mail for a batch next week. I am quite happy with WLP775 and believe the cider I've made to be as good as a English Cider I paid $5 for at the local pub.
See my post

Meadiator said:

So, I've decided to give it another go with cider. This time, I plan to ferment five gallons of juice straight up, with no additions. I've found the task of picking a yeast, however, very taxing. I've decided that from what I've heard, Nottingham or WLP-775 would most likely be the best yeast to use. They both have very good outcomes. Thoughts, suggestions?

EDIT: I've already browsed through a few other threads on the topic, and read the sticky as well.

Click to expand...

Hi Meadiator,

I know you didn't ask, but the next time I make cider (probably upstatemike's caramel apple or straight up like you) I plan on using un-pasteurized cider, adding ~50mg campden tablets (per gallon) 24 hours before pitching, & also starting my dry yeast 24 hours beforehand. I'm a broken record already this morning!

If I was you I'd just go with Notti ale first to see how you like it (recommended to me by a guy @ my LHBS before I did my first batch).

Here's a follow up if you're interested in my experience....(re rhino farts).

Making Apfelwein, two 5-gallon batches. First batch (my batch # 11) 5 gallons tree top from Costco, 1.75# dextrose, & Red Star Montrachet yeast.

second batch (my 12th batch): 5 gallons tree top, 1.75# dextrose, & Nottingham ale yeast.

4/17/2013:
Both pitched dry, didn't mix in the sugar as good as directed.

4/22/2013: Rhino farts coming from batch 12....mild in the morning, hit you in the face in the afternoon/evening. Non-existent on the morning of 4/23, or very mild anyway.

No off scents coming from the montrachet batch. Not a big deal to me since most of my stuff is fermenting in a spare bedroom in the basement.

Next time at costco, also look for the Kirkland Brand Fresh Pressed Apple Juice. I use it a lot and makes a decent cider. A little bit of crabapple juice gives it a nice little zing.

I have used both Wine Yeast Dry and Liquid WYeast Cider Yeast with great results.

My first cider was upstatemike's caramel apple cider using Treetop juice and Wyeast 4766, back sweetening with fajc and caramel syrup, then pasteurizing. It turned out so good that me and swmbo have almost polished it off in a month! Today I started 2 more ciders: 5.5 gallons of Martinelli's apple juice (no caramel this time), and a separate gallon of peach-mango that swmbo wanted me to try. For yeast, I went with 4766 again, but I put about 80% of it in the apple juice and the other 20% in the peach-mango. I let the smack-pack swell up pretty good first, and it says it's good for up to 6 gallons, so I think I'll be okay. I plan to back-sweeten the apple with fajc, and the peach-mango with white or brown sugar, then pasteurize both. Getting thirsty already!

EDIT: Within 5 hours I had slow bubbles in both air locks.

EDIT: Peach-Mango went to 1.000 in 1 week, then I back-sweetened and bottled it. Six more days and it was super yummy over ice! Nice pfft and fizz! Apple is at 1.002, time to back-sweeten and bottle.