Cyser test with nottingham ale yeast

[SimPilot]

It's that time of the year. Cyser time.

All of the ingredients present for a picture.

Pour about 3/4 gallons of local raw honey.

Then mix time. Start with 3 gallons of cider for easier mixing while keeping splashing to a minimum. Add 3ish tsp of DAP while mixing. Than add the rest of cider to a desired sugar level.

I've added 4.5 gallons for 1.110 OG. A tad high for liking.

Instructions to re-hydrate yeast on a back side of packet is simple. Add yeast to 100 grams of 35C water. Wait 15 minutes. swirl. 5 minutes later pour into a bucket. Bucket is showing 64F.

Nottingham Ale Yeast has tolerance of up to 14% ABV. My OG is 1.110 so hopefully end result will be like 1.005....

I'll be trying a new method to keep sour-smell away. During daily agitation, I'll not remove lid to keep wild nastyies away.

And begin!

 

[MightyMosin]

I always have used D47, so I'm curious on how this comes out.

 

[SimPilot]

I haven't measured FG, but boy-o-boy this yeast is aggressive. Entire lid want's to come-off when agitating.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Planning to add nutrient at 1.080/1.050 or different plan? By sour smell do you mean hydrogen sulfide or something else possibly?

 

[SimPilot]

Planning to add nutrient at 1.080/1.050 or different plan?

Plan is to shake bucket few times daily until it becomes less active. Then I'll measure it. No additional nutrient will be added.

By sour smell do you mean hydrogen sulfide or something else possibly?

I don't know what hydrogen sulfide smells like, but last month I've done two cyser batches and one smelled sour-ish. The other, which I'm trying to replicate, did not have that smell.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Hydrogen sulfide or H²S is rotten egg, sulfur smell. Indicative of yeast stress usually but shaking or stirring daily or more often for off-gassing helps avoid this issue usually. If you start to catch a wiff of that egg smell, and you haven't past 1.050, an addition of nutrients has always helped me bring it under control.

Just food for thought, stick to your plan and see how things go for you. I prefer my cysers and ciders with notty and DAP has never mistreated me.

 

[Maylar]

You won't get an ale yeast to 14% without nutrients. And try to keep temperature below 65*F if you can.

 

[MightyMosin]

I don't know what hydrogen sulfide smells like, but last month I've done two cyser batches and one smelled sour-ish. The other, which I'm trying to replicate, did not have that smell.

Hydrogen sulfide or H²S is rotten egg, sulfur smell. Indicative of yeast stress usually but shaking or stirring daily or more often for off-gassing helps avoid this issue usually.

I've always gotten a semi-strange aroma from my cysers and sometimes from pyments. Those strange aromas are not rotten egg smell that was referenced and I just expect to have some of that in primary.

If you do get that rotten egg smell you want to deal with it immediately. Nutrients can certainly help if you are unsure of what you did with the nutrients was sufficient. This aroma, in my experience, pops up earlier than later in fermentation.

If I get a hint of that aroma or something even remotely close to it I will use my degasser and vigorously mix the must to help off gas that and to introduce O2 to counteract it. I'll usually do this at least twice a day until it has subsided.

If you let that stay in there, it is so difficult to deal with later and you may not be able to completely get rid of it.

 

[SimPilot]

It's been 5 days without opening lid and no measuring.
My curiosity got me.
Batch 48 Start 4 Nov. 1.110
Today 9 Nov. 1.034 (!!!!)
It's still aggressively bobbling. No issues with smell. Nothing off at all. Test is going well.

My prior Batch 47 Started at OG 1.092 on 22 Oct and was dry 1.000 at 4 Nov with no poor smell.

My hypothesis regarding cider/cyser - don't open it until at least 5 days passed maybe a thing....

Temp ranged at start 64F. I saw max 70F. Right now it's 68F.

 

[SimPilot]

13 Nov measurement. 1.004. ie 14% ABV.

Smell - apple. little dry-sour. No unpleasant smells so far.

 

[SimPilot]

Well....been busy entire week. Checked today 17 Nov and darn thing is 1.000. Taste slightly bitter (just like prior test batch with same yeast), but pleasant smell.
Contemplating adding more honey just to see how far this yeast will take abv.

 

[SimPilot]

On Nov 18 (while under influence) I've added unknown amount of honey to the batch. Next day measured it at 1.016. Today, Nov 22, batch 48, is measured at 1.012. Taste is good, sweet and little bitter. Already drinkable at 15%. Smell has no-grotesqueness.

This maybe my go-to method and yeast for future cysers.

 

[SimPilot]

This batch turned out delicious. It's clear, smells amazing and taste great.

Edit - Forgot to add. This batch produced 6 x 1.5L and 8 x 750ml. Bottled on the 27th Dec. I moved it to garage (ie cold crashing) on 25 Nov.

 

[SimPilot]

you may not be able to completely get rid of it.

Just did a taste of a batch with a horrid smell and suddenly it's all gone. Weird... it's been chilling (literally) in my garage during negative C temp and suddenly cleared up and got rid of smell. I guess, it's time to bottle.

 

[MightyMosin]

View attachment 839640
This batch turned out delicious. It's clear, smells amazing and taste great.

I love that clarity... and somehow it makes me think it has a nice mouthfeel