WLP 004 in a graffor cider?

[jekeane]

Opened up the Nottingham slurry I was planning to use and dropped it... For the first time ever I don't have any backup yeast plan. I do have some fresh slurry of WLP 004 Irish Ale Yeast. Anyone have experience with it in a cider / graff? Im a little concerned about the potential for diacetyl with the strain causing some meh flavors.

 

[jekeane]

Well I went ahead with the WLP 004 slurry... Seeing noone has commented on this I'm thinking I may have chosen poorly. Time will tell.

 

[Oberon67]

Keep it in its preferred temperature range and administer yeast nutrients generously, and you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

[lordpx]

I was just thinking about the same thing. How'd it turn out?

 

[jekeane]

I was just thinking about the same thing. How'd it turn out?

It was an unhappy affair. It had a significant yeasty / bready profile that never dropped out even after months kegged. My wife would occasionally drink it when I had nothing else she liked on tap, then I put it out of its misery by fertilizing my garden with about 3 gallons...

 

[dmtaylor]

Interestingly enough, WLP004 just scored very highly as a mead yeast in a recent issue of Zymurgy.

I have used ale yeasts many times successfully in ciders. In particular I like the results from US-05, but I'd be willing to try WLP004 as well. The key perhaps to avoiding a yeasty flavor is to add gelatin at the end of fermentation to knock the yeast out of suspension, otherwise it likes to hang out in the cider for a long time and then you taste it when drinking.

With any yeast, it also helps to ferment cool, around 55-60 F, for best results. This is true even for ale yeasts. They'll ferment cold, just give them a lot of time. Low and slow is the way to go. Give it a full month or even 6 weeks or more if it needs it. So patience is also key.

 

[jekeane]

i had used 05 and nottingham in the same recipe successfully. 04 not so much. I am not a fan of the strain in general so I'm sure that is part of it as well as other factors.