Best yeast to use for cider

Because the cider I am making now turned out to be such a failure, I would like for my next batch to be a big success and want to get the best yeast possible for my taste. I searched for a debate on the subject and found nothing so I'm asking the question: can the type of yeast used inpact the taste? The yeast also needs to be available to order from the net.

I want a cider with:
Max 7% alc/vol
I will carbonate with sugar
Will use freshly pressed apple cider (not pasteurized as I can't seem to be able to gat it from any orchid in the Ottawa region)

Thank in advance,

naeco

Check the stickies...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/results-juice-yeast-sugar-experiments-83060/

WOW, that's amazing information and I guess I'm blind as it was right there in my face all that time !

Thank you so much,

naeco

I guess I'll try and get my hands on some Safale S-04 yeast.

Anybody else using it ?

I used it for one three gallon batch last season and really liked it. My favorite was a champagne yeast by Lalvin, I'll let you know exactly what strain when I check my notes at work tomorrow.

Defalco's sometimes carries S-04. Call the different locations to see if they have any right now.

I've made Graff (using store bought apple juice) with it and it turns out really nice.

Does anyone know the alcool resistance of this yeast as I want a +-7% alc cider and will need the yeast to stay alive to bootle carb them with dextrose ?

FWIW, I used dry Nottingham ale yeast and liked it very much. My current batch (still in primary) used White Labs Edinburgh, and it seems to be developing well.

I sent an e-mail to Lalvin for suggestion on the best yeast to use for cider and that's the answer I got from one of their expert:

I would suggest that you try our ICV-Opale.

I spend quite some time, recently, in the UK and Ireland working in there cider industry evaluating several of our strains of yeast. Opal was the choice of several of the cideries. Several selected other of our strains. Everyone has taste preferences.

The cideries that chose Opal have umpteen 30,000 gallon fermenters.You will be pleased with Opal. You should try other strains also to decide which meets your taste preference.

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naeco said:

I sent an e-mail to Lalvin for suggestion on the best yeast to use for cider and that's the answer I got from one of their expert:

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Anyone know where you can get this stuff? The only place I have found so far is direct from their US manufacturer, in 500 gram packages. I really don't need a pound of yeast...

Anyone know where you can get this stuff? The only place I have found so far is direct from their US manufacturer, in 500 gram packages. I really don't need a pound of yeast...

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I sent Lalvin an e-mail about the Opale and that was their answer:

I just looked at our catalogue. The Opal only comes in 500gram packages that can be purchased from Scott Lab and Presque Isle.

My second choice is 71B. It produces a lot of fruity esters and consumes some of the malic acid and converts it to alcohol.

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If you want to let the cider go completely dry, Lalvin 1118, DV10, 71B, Enoferm D47 and Wyeast 1275 are good and easy to find. The first two are champagne yeasts widely used by commercial cideries.

However - most of these commercial cideries also use apples that are specifically grown for cider making. They are largely inedible, but still have some flavor and mouthfeel left after the sugar is fermented out.

Most champagne and wine yeast will strip the flavor and body out of just about any commercial apple juice - even apples that are otherwise great for cider like Stayman and Pink Lady - and it will rip right through typical grocery store stuff. The end results tastes like a very dry white wine, but without much flavor or body unless you use good apples. Typically there is a fair amount of residual acid that takes about a year to mellow.

The advantage of ale and wheat yeasts is that they are easier to control and stop. Unless you like your ciders much dryer than something like a Strongbow and/or you have access to vintage cider apples, you will probably have better results with these. If you want to have bottle carbonation you may want to consider bottling while there is still some residual sugar and refrigerating or pasteurizing them once they have build enough carb.

Wyeast 4184 is also good for a dry cider if you can wait for at least 9mo, preferably 12. It ferments out real acidic but mellows out over time. Some friends who like the dry came over this eve and we checked out a few dry batches, the favorite of the eve being a cyser from the first pressing of last season (Sept 14 - not too far off). Apples were Cortlands, Macs, Gala and Jonathan OG 1.050 with 3lbs of white sage honey bumping to 1.065.

I tried to crash it at 1.004 (where it tasted great), but 4184 seems to be resistent to crashing and it kept going right to 1.000 where it sat and got nice and clear until late November when I kegged it. There was a lot of good apple flavor when I kegged it, but the finish was so acidic it was undrinkable

It is just now starting to taste good. Once the acid mellows, there are a lot of good flavors going on. If I do a batch of 4184 again, I'd use orange blossom instead of sage or just straight apple juice. I'd still prefer S04 crashed at 1.006 or 1.008, but this is nice. I just might have another glass