S-04 yeast question

[chromedome]

I have made 3 or 4, 1 gallon batches using S-04 yeast. I cold crashed some, and i bottled some to age. everyone says how tasty this yeast makes their cider, but i have to disagree. every batch so far ends up tasting like butterscotch. Is this the taste you are looking for? or do you think something went wrong during fermentation?

 

[CvilleKevin]

Did you add sugar? I've found that if I use too much dark sugar I would get a butterscotch taste, which I dont much care for either. In my experience the butterscotch does fade over time. When did you bottle the first batch and is the butterscotch flavor still as strong as it was when you bottled? Also, what kind of juice are you using?

 

[chromedome]

no sugar,The bottle aged stuff is 10 months, I used walmart brand juice. Yes, the butterscotch taste is still pretty strong.

 

[CvilleKevin]

In that case, I'm not sure what is causing the butterscotch. I've always attributed it to too much dark sugar, obviously not the case here. There must be some other factor besides the sugar that makes the taste. What was your OG and FG?

 

[chromedome]

OG 1.050. Never took a FG reading on the stuff i have aging, i just let it go till dry then bottled. the stuff i cold crashed had a FG of 1.010, and has the same butterscotch after taste. also these batches were done at different times, using different packs of yeast. could it be the juice?

 

[CvilleKevin]

I suppose it could be the juice, I've never had much luck with store bought juice, although some have reported good results.

I have noticed that even with fresh pressed, some mixes taste better with different yeasts, so once you get a good juice source, its worthwhile to experiment with some of the most popular yeasts to find what works best for your juice.

 

[Zacharias]

I'm going to chime in and agree that its the juice itself. Did you buy apple juice like Motts or did you buy pressed apple cider from the produce section?

If it was apple juice, it is more than likely chock full of other stuff besides just crushed apples. If there are any apple orchards near you, i would suggest buying some pressed cider, heck they even have it in the hannafords by me.

Cider will not be clear, it should be sort of opaque and darker colored on account of the apples oxidizing while they are being pressed.

 

[chromedome]

Walmart brand juice, not fresh pressed. I've used this juice in the past with L-1118, and with cote de blanc, with much better success. I guess that particular juice and yeast combo don't mesh very good. I'll have to get a gallon of fresh pressed and see what happens. They want $6 a gallon at the cider mill. Is that about the going rate for fresh pressed juice?

 

[CvilleKevin]

$6 is about right for a retail single gallon of fresh pressed. The place I go to charges $3/gal to fill a 5 gal carboy, $2.50 for 100 gallons. Some places are a little less, most are a bit more.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Can't really offer anything other than using tree top and Motts from Walmart and using S-04 I don't get a butterscotch flavor. I have never used the "best whatever" brands they carry, I don't see the 100% apple juice so I don't buy them.
I'm making a 10 gallon batch now from 8 gallons musselmen cider, and 2 gallons Motts, all from Walmart, and a older wash S-04 yeast. Now you got me all worried, I think I need to have a homebrew.

 

[FilJos]

Isn't there a bacteria that will cause the 'butterscotch' taste? I seem to recall reading that somewhere?