Weihenstephaner Cider

[TRueff]

Hi all!

I’m experimenting with making a cider using Weihenstephan wheat yeast (Wyeast 3068). My recipe is below:


5 gallons Mott's organic cider (sg 1.050)
1/2 tsp Yeast nutrient
2.5 tsp pectic enzyme
Wyeast Weihenstephan Wheat (3068) yeast

Starting gravity was 1.046 (~6% potential abv)

I had good airlock activity for the first weeks. At the one month mark, bubbles were ~ 1.5 minutes apart. I just racked to secondary (at the 6 week mark, now), and the gravity is only at ~1.022 (meaning that the abv at present is around 2-3%). Why is the still so much sugar left? Seems like the tolerance for this yeast was around 10% so I don’t know why it seems to be going so slowly/stalled out?

Anyone else tried this yeast with cider? I added another 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrients, and topped off secondary with a pint of boiled apfelwein. I guess I’ll just let it go and see what happens. My yeast nutrient is a little old - could this be what’s slowing things down? Any advice?

I will say, when I tasted it (aside from still being too sweet for my liking) the flavor was great! Has some of those banana/clove notes that I was hoping to get out of this yeast. Tastes crazy!

Cheers everyone!

 

[bernardsmith]

Is it possible that you had stabilized the apple wine with K-sorbate? Might that have caused the yeast to stall?

 

[TRueff]

Is it possible that you had stabilized the apple wine with K-sorbate? Might that have caused the yeast to stall?

No, I didn’t. Even if I had, I just added the apfelwein today (6 weeks in). Good thought though, thanks!

 

[TRueff]

Is it possible that you had stabilized the apple wine with K-sorbate? Might that have caused the yeast to stall?

No, I didn’t. Even if I had, I just added the apfelwein today (6 weeks in). Good thought though, thanks!

 

[z-bob]

I fermented some apple juice with Vintner's Harvest AW4 yeast a couple of months ago. Fermented about 68 degrees. It's in bottles now, carbonating very slowly. At bottling-time it had a very strong "banana!" aroma. (not what I expected and I didn't like it) That has started to mellow out; I tried a bottle yesterday and it wasn't nearly as banana-y, but the banana is still there in the background.

So if that's what you want, you might wanna to try AW4 yeast.

 

[TRueff]

I fermented some apple juice with Vintner's Harvest AW4 yeast a couple of months ago. Fermented about 68 degrees. It's in bottles now, carbonating very slowly. At bottling-time it had a very strong "banana!" aroma. (not what I expected and I didn't like it) That has started to mellow out; I tried a bottle yesterday and it wasn't nearly as banana-y, but the banana is still there in the background.

So if that's what you want, you might wanna to try AW4 yeast.

Thanks!

 

[RPh_Guy]

You didn't mention your cider fermentation temperature (actual cider, not just ambient).

From my limited understanding weizen yeasts are particularly tempermental. no pun intended. (which is why i'm afraid to make hefes even though I love a good one)

 

[Hanglow]

Apple juice is very deficient in nutrients compared to wort, you need to add a lot more nutrients or you can get slow fermentation or a stall. Mainly in the form of DAP

Although plenty of good ciders are made with a slow fermentation tbf, with no extra nutrients

 

[bucketnative]

How did you measure you gravity? If refractometer, you need to correct for alcohol.

 

[TRueff]

Thanks for the replies, all helpful.

RPh_Guy:Admittedly, my temperature control leaves a lot to be desired. It is typically limited to just the temp of my house ~67-71.

Hanglow: yeah, I️ thought I️ had read as much somewhere else, which is why I️ added some more nutrients upon re-racking. Seems like I️ also read somewhere to be wary of adding too much yeast nutrients- though I️ can’t remember the reason they gave, if they gave one at all. Anybody know what the dangers of adding too many nutrients may be?

Bucketnative: I️ use a hydrometer - all I️ got. Admittedly, there were lots of little bubbles clinging to it which I️ was worried would effect the accuracy of he reading, so I️ tried to spin off as many as I️ could.

Update: Since reracking and adding more nutrients, I️ am getting more bubbles and airlock activity again. Hoping it will be enough to finish things out without needing to repeat. Will continue to update.

 

[TRueff]

Damn iPhone! All of the I️ you see are meant to be the letter between H and J!

 

[RPh_Guy]

sounds fine. I was just worried it might have been too low. good luck.

 

[Maylar]

The problem of adding too much nutrient is that if the yeast doesn't use it all up it'll remain after the ferment and potentially taste like ass.

 

[TRueff]

The problem of adding too much nutrient is that if the yeast doesn't use it all up it'll remain after the ferment and potentially taste like ass.

Ah, a good thing to avoid, for sure! Thanks!