Sour taste....why?

[spitfire44]

I have a 5 gallon batch at 1.000 gravity having started at 1.066. Used Danstar Belle Saison and 3 lbs of raw honey to ferment. I racked it to its secondary and taste tested it and found it to have a slight sour flavor to it.

I used 100% apple juice with no preservatives or additives.

Fermentation temp was at the top of it's range (near 75/76f)

It's very subtle but any thoughts on this sour taste?

thanks,

Eric

 

[Maylar]

We call that "dry". The sugar is gone.

 

[Yooper]

Not only is it dry (hence, 'tart'), but that yeast strain is a saison yeast. You should get some tart/clove/fruity flavors from that as well.

 

[spitfire44]

We call that "dry". The sugar is gone.

I was going to say it's something else other than dryness - I am about 50 - 75 gallons into cider making over the last few years (which I know is still considered Noob level), but I have never used this yeast strain before and it had the most pronounced tartness to date.

Thanks for insight though...

Eric

 

[spitfire44]

Not only is it dry (hence, 'tart'), but that yeast strain is a saison yeast. You should get some tart/clove/fruity flavors from that as well.

I have never used this yeast strain before so it was a bit of a surprise....I am not sure I like it but it's not like I am going to dump 5 gallons. It's nothing some back sweetening can't fix if after some time in the secondary it's still too tart.

Thanks!

Eric

 

[MarkKF]

Anyone else use Lallemand Belle Saison Dry Yeast for cider?

Thoughts? Results? Was thinking of trying Brett or other Sour Beer yeast mix. But Saison might be my next.

 

[fuelish]

Anyone else use Lallemand Belle Saison Dry Yeast for cider?

Thoughts? Results? Was thinking of trying Brett or other Sour Beer yeast mix. But Saison might be my next.

I've never had a saison beer that I truly liked, so couldn't bnothered wasting the time/effort/ingredients on a cider that might be equally underwhelming....ymmv, as apparently folks are liking the saisons...guess I never had a good one?

 

[DaMonkey]

I have a 5 gallon batch at 1.000 gravity having started at 1.066. Used Danstar Belle Saison and 3 lbs of raw honey to ferment. I racked it to its secondary and taste tested it and found it to have a slight sour flavor to it.

I used 100% apple juice with no preservatives or additives.

Fermentation temp was at the top of it's range (near 75/76f)

It's very subtle but any thoughts on this sour taste?

thanks,

Eric

But you said you racked it to the secondary and immediately tasted it right? If you did you are tasting off flavors from the fermentation. Most notably is a yeast taste that could be confused for sour, I guess. Let the cider clear and taste again at no sooner then 1 week into secondary.

 

[MarkKF]

I've never had a saison beer that I truly liked.........one?

I've found most people like or really dislike that sour beer taste. In my family of beer geeks I'm prob. the only one who likes it.

 

[venatorscribe]

With Saison being a top fermenting yeast, is is key that the yeast scum (floating on the surface) is removed daily. If it falls to the bottom of your fermentation vessel it will taint the cider with earthy unpleasant flavours. Whether it is cider or beer, Saison needs 'bottle time'. So my recommendation for anyone reading this, is to rack your cider between carboys for three or four months then bottle for at least four or five months. Then - your cider will be sensational.

 

[RPh_Guy]

This thread is old!
The other replies here might have been right that it was the yeast, but that wouldn't have been my first guess.

Apples have acid, specifically lots of malic acid.
Once the sugar is fermented away, the acid becomes much more apparent in the taste.

If it's too tart for your taste you can either sweeten it or do a malolactic fermentation (MLF). MLF transforms malic acid into lactic acid which is more smooth, less biting.

 

[blasterooni]

I'm curious if you keep the temp high during secondary when using belle saison, or do I rack and run the secondary at room temp or lower?

 

[DIYer]

I'm curious if you keep the temp high during secondary when using belle saison, or do I rack and run the secondary at room temp or lower?

I use Belle Saison regularly for my cider ( prefer beer yeasts over wine yeasts). I don't do secondary. Ferment until dry, backsweeten a bit with Xylitol, add a little AJC for carbonation, and bottle. About 3 weeks from pitching to drinking.