Fermenting how warm?

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davevg

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How warm should it be to keep the cider fermenting at a good pace? I have a batch of hard apple cider pitched with EC-1118 that has been going for about two weeks now. Bubbler slowed down and was almost stopped. So to my point about temp, I made a batch of hard lemonade last weekend and pitched it with Ec-1118 but the fermentation did not start. I let it go for 6 days and finally pitched another batch of EC-1118 this time feeding it sugar to get it really going before adding. It worked yahoo but it is bubbling real slow. Our basement is on the cool side as most are around 65 -70 max darning the day and down to maybe 65 on real cool nights. So I started using a heating pad and covered both carboys with towels. The apple cider has started going full bore again and the lemonade is maybe a bubble every 30 to 60 seconds. What’s the ideal temp??
 
I was just looking up yeast strains on Jack Keller's website (I have two interesting wines, and wanted to see what he said about yeasts) and saw this about EC-1118:

Lalvin EC-1118 (Prise de Mousse) : This is the original, steady, low foamer, excellent for barrel fermentation or for working on heavy suspended pulps. It is one of the most popular wine yeasts in the world. It ferments well at low temperatures, flocculates well, and produces very compact lees. It is good for Champagne bases, secondary (bottle) fermentations, restarting stuck fermentations, and for late harvest grapes. It is also the yeast of choice for apple, crabapple, cranberry, hawthorn, and cherry wines. It has excellent organoleptic properties and should be in every vinter's refrigerator. Alcohol toxicity is 18% and it ferments relatively fast. It tolerates temperatures from 39-95° F. It is not, however, tolerant of concurrent malolactic fermentation.

I've noticed that most wine yeasts like to work around 80 degrees, that's why I don't even try to start wine in the winter. I start my wines in the summer and fall, when I have temperatures about 65 degrees. In the winter, when it's so cold in my house, my wines clear and condition.
 
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