Mer-man
Well-Known Member
I am contemplating making good use of a healthy WLP830 (34/70 Weihenstephan) cake by dumping a bunch of apple juice on it.
Anyone tried this?
Anyone tried this?
Apple Cider on Lager Yeast Cake?
- Thread starter Mer-man
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Seems like it could be pretty solid. I’ve used a number of ale yeasts with cider and they’ve worked out really well, but haven’t tried a lager yeast. I would suggest only using a quarter of the cake to avoid an overpitch, though. Also, if this has been lagering for a long time, it might have lower overall vitality.
Mer-man
Well-Known Member
Ahh HBT answers.
Anyone used Lager yeast in a cider?
Anyone used Lager yeast in a cider?
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
Why did you post this in "Lambic & Wild Brewing"? It's not even brewing related.
Mer-man
Well-Known Member
I don't know how it got posted in this forum, the intention was the Cider making forum. I do not post here, much less read this subforum.
I will see about deleting the thread.
Carry on.
Not a lager yeast, but I have heard that Nottingham Ale yeast makes a great cider.
I don't believe that the people who sell Notty sell it as a cider yeast.
I don't believe that the people who sell Notty sell it as a cider yeast.
Mer-man
Well-Known Member
Thanks Kent88!
So has anyone done a cider with lager yeast, either at ale or lager ferment temps, and can comment on the results and share their process/recipe?
So has anyone done a cider with lager yeast, either at ale or lager ferment temps, and can comment on the results and share their process/recipe?
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
Plenty of wine yeast ferment extremely clean, ferment at low temps, and are extremely cheap. No reason to use a lager strain.
Now that I think of it, I recall a white labs experiment where they used a bunch of their strains for cider and one was a lager strain. It threw a bunch of sulfide and was unanimously ranked as the worst.
Now that I think of it, I recall a white labs experiment where they used a bunch of their strains for cider and one was a lager strain. It threw a bunch of sulfide and was unanimously ranked as the worst.
I've got some fermenting right now... the same yeast, in fact. Ask me again in a few weeks!
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
I haven't, but here's an article from some one who liked it:
https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/the-final-word-for-now-on-homemade-hard-cider
From the same source, a previous post said they fermented the lager yeast cider in a "cold hallway" about 50F, and gives some other details.
https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/how-to-make-hard-apple-cider
There are already a few threads on HBT about lager yeast in cider.
Thanks for posting, I'm going to try it this fall.
https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/the-final-word-for-now-on-homemade-hard-cider
From the same source, a previous post said they fermented the lager yeast cider in a "cold hallway" about 50F, and gives some other details.
https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/how-to-make-hard-apple-cider
There are already a few threads on HBT about lager yeast in cider.
Thanks for posting, I'm going to try it this fall.
Mer-man
Well-Known Member
Is it done yet?
Tomorrow will make it three weeks in primary fermentation, at 10C/50F. There's still airlock activity (one bubble per minute or so). This is my first time with a lager yeast, so I'm not quite sure how long to let it go, especially considering the low temperature. I'm still waiting for my hydrometer to arrive, so I can't check it that way yet.
GeneDaniels1963
Well-Known Member
I use Notty in all my cider, it seems to work great for me. Also, I harvest the dregs and reuse them 3 or 4 times before pitching new yeast. Works really well.
Short update for the OP:
I had two small batches going: one was a gallon of Kirkland (Costco) fresh-pressed juice, the other was one liter of cheap supermarket juice. The Kirkland batch stalled, but I wasn't aware of it. It was my first time using a lager yeast, and I just assumed it was progressing very slowly. I pitched a little more yeast, and now it seems to be going again, but needs more time.
The smaller batch had a little sulfur smell coming from it, but it eventually went away. I fermented it to 1.000, and then added some juice to it at a 1:3 ratio, then force carbed it. I was rather pleased with the results. I'm still a rookie at cider, but to me, the taste was somewhere between an ale yeast and a champagne yeast. This was with a cheaper juice, though, so I'll have to see how the other batch turns out before I decide whether it's something I want to do again.
I had two small batches going: one was a gallon of Kirkland (Costco) fresh-pressed juice, the other was one liter of cheap supermarket juice. The Kirkland batch stalled, but I wasn't aware of it. It was my first time using a lager yeast, and I just assumed it was progressing very slowly. I pitched a little more yeast, and now it seems to be going again, but needs more time.
The smaller batch had a little sulfur smell coming from it, but it eventually went away. I fermented it to 1.000, and then added some juice to it at a 1:3 ratio, then force carbed it. I was rather pleased with the results. I'm still a rookie at cider, but to me, the taste was somewhere between an ale yeast and a champagne yeast. This was with a cheaper juice, though, so I'll have to see how the other batch turns out before I decide whether it's something I want to do again.
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GeneDaniels1963
Well-Known Member
Just to make sure I understand correctly. You carbed it with plain apple juice at 1 part juice to 3 parts cider? Did you go straight to bottles?
I am wanting to try a batch bottle carbed, but I was going to use sugar in each bottle. So I would be interested if I can use apple juice or even FAJC. Anyone know? And is 1/3 a good ratio for a juice carb? What ratio would be for carbing with FAJC?
I use 1.5-liter PET bottles, and I carb with a CO2 tank and carbonator cap. I added the juice for backsweetening only, added potassium sorbate, force carbed it with the CO2 tank, and drank it within the next few days. I didn't think cold crashing would be that effective with a lager yeast.
You can definitely carb with juice and/or FAJC. But using that much juice for carbing would result in bottle bombs. You need to find out the exact sugar content of your juice or FAJC, then consult a calculator like this one: https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
You can definitely carb with juice and/or FAJC. But using that much juice for carbing would result in bottle bombs. You need to find out the exact sugar content of your juice or FAJC, then consult a calculator like this one: https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
GeneDaniels1963
Well-Known Member
Thanks! That was just what I needed to know
I finally got a chance to try the finished cider made with higher quality (Kirkland) juice and w34/70 lager yeast. I liked the taste. I'm not a beer critic, so I don't know the proper words to describe it, but the lager cider seemed to have similar characteristics to a lager beer (as opposed to an ale cider or a sparking wine cider). The flavor wasn't as pronounced as it would be with ale yeasts I've used (Nottingham and S-04) but also not as neutral as wine yeasts I've used (Premier Blanc, Premier Cuvee).
It was a little extra work, and it took longer, but it's something I would make again. In fact, I've got some more fermenting at this very moment.
It was a little extra work, and it took longer, but it's something I would make again. In fact, I've got some more fermenting at this very moment.
Mer-man
Well-Known Member
Mine turned out fantastic. It fermented down to 0.99, leaving me with a 7% cider.
It was 75% super cheap juice from concentrate, and 25% small farm local cloudy apple juice. The result is really nice flavour.
I kegged it, added 50g/L of sugar and mmmm. The wife loves it too.
I would say, the sulfur dissipated mostly before I kegged it, but that's a downside of lager yeast. And powdery yeast takes a while to drop, so maybe an ale yeast would be better anyway.
All in all, a delicious experiment. And I have 13L of the stuff!
It was 75% super cheap juice from concentrate, and 25% small farm local cloudy apple juice. The result is really nice flavour.
I kegged it, added 50g/L of sugar and mmmm. The wife loves it too.
I would say, the sulfur dissipated mostly before I kegged it, but that's a downside of lager yeast. And powdery yeast takes a while to drop, so maybe an ale yeast would be better anyway.
All in all, a delicious experiment. And I have 13L of the stuff!
