Cider help- what yeast
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TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
The ONLY one I use is SafCider. It'll leave you with about 5-6% ABV and not strip the apple aromas or flavors that other yeasts do. When yeast is made for a specific application, you'll rarely find something that can do a better job (in my humble opinion).
TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
I'll add - I've tried champagne yeast, Nottingham, S-04, and some Belgium yeast just to see. The worst outcome was Champagne yeast. Yes, you'll get rocket fuel cider, and yes, it will taste like rocket fuel cider. And yes, that means you have to back sweeten it. Don't trust anyone who drinks it as is; they have no palate (intended to ridicule you wackadoodles out there). Also, for bottle conditioning, see the link in my signature.
Sebass
Well-Known Member
What happens when one adds extra sugar to bump it up to 8% with this yeast? Will it go that high or will leave residual sweetness of that extra sugar since it will not consume it?
Btw i just finished the batch with Champaign yeast, premier blanc and i would describe it as dry and flat. It's not terrible or bad. It's just flat. Not going to use Champaign east for anything again. I'm sure there is way better yeast to be found among choices.
To OP:
I just got Montrachet and will use it in Cider and Mead next. It says it's good for everything fruity. There is guy on youtube that did shoot out between yeast. Rouge did very good.
You should have got glass gallon version from whole foods. You would have had free gallon glass car boy. Probably for $3 more.
Jewel-Osco now has Spiced Cider $6 for gallon. It's got cinnamon, allspice, orange oil, lemon extract in it. It will be interesting how it comes out.
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TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
Likely yes, but I've not tried. I've used SafCider on other styles to see what it did, and it took it down as much as the other two yeasts (a Belgium and a S-04). So, there's some anecdotal evidence that might suggest I'm wrong.
You can also just add liquor at the time of bottling if you really wanted to just boost it, but you're going to have a slightly harder time at carbing in the bottle (at least in my experience). It'll have some carbonation, so you'll likely fine. I just prefer my cider extra bubbly.
You can also play with adding in some champagne yeast. A little goes a long way! Divide up a gallon into smaller containers if possible to experiment different tattoos until you find your happy place.
If you're after the sweetness, add a non-fermentable of course.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
We started a batch about 3 weeks ago using Wyeast Sweet Mead yeast. Mostly because the target is to have some sweet left in the cider (not much, but enough) without having to treat/stabilize it and such. It should be in the 5-6% range. Expect to keg it this weekend, chill and carbonate it and then see what the people it was made for think (nephew and his GF).
I did some other research before I picked the sweet mead yeast. Of all the choices, it looked like it would give what we wanted. NOT needing to chemically (or thermally) treat the cider in order to back sweeten it made it the choice. I also fermented under pressure, so it SHOULD retain enough apple character/flavors to be good. We shall see if it was a success, of flop.
We used 3-1/2 gallons of cider in the batch, so we should get close to 3 gallons to keg. We simmered the 1/2 gallon with some cinnamon sticks and a clove (flavors they wanted). Poured the rest of the cold cider on top of that into the fermenter (hot went in first). In went the yeast and off it went. Took off pretty fast too.
I did some other research before I picked the sweet mead yeast. Of all the choices, it looked like it would give what we wanted. NOT needing to chemically (or thermally) treat the cider in order to back sweeten it made it the choice. I also fermented under pressure, so it SHOULD retain enough apple character/flavors to be good. We shall see if it was a success, of flop.
We used 3-1/2 gallons of cider in the batch, so we should get close to 3 gallons to keg. We simmered the 1/2 gallon with some cinnamon sticks and a clove (flavors they wanted). Poured the rest of the cold cider on top of that into the fermenter (hot went in first). In went the yeast and off it went. Took off pretty fast too.
Steveruch
Well-Known Member
The last cider I brewed used S-189 at 55f. It turned out pretty good.
Have you tried D47 or Mangrove Jack's M02? In my yeast tests with store juice, both of those beat out Safcider. But I haven't made cider with fresh pressed juice yet, so I don't know how it does there.
To the OP those two are ones I'd suggest. But again I haven't tried unfiltered juice like you have, just typical cheap store filtered juice. I compared D47, Mangrove Jack's M02, D47, EC-1118, Safcider, S-04 and S-05. The order I'd put those in is a tie at D47 and M02, Safcider, EC-1118, S-04, and S-05. Do NOT use S-05 for a cider.
I need to experiment more with D47 and M02 and see which ends up being my favorite.
Should also mention these were all fermented for a month and a half at about 67, different temps and times will change things obviously.
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Safecider or Cote des blancs and if I’m not mistaken Fermentis SafCider which is my favorite, is classified as a champagne yeast. I only use fresh pressed cider and have around 50 gallons brewing now. You can’t go wrong with SafCider
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Sebass
Well-Known Member
Guys...BTW Safecider is same thing exact yeast as Premier Blanc. I looked at the ingredients list on both and it's same thing but Blanc is 10x cheaper then Safecider. Just FYI so you guys can save some money. Go to ur yeast retailer and look at the ingredients on both. You're welcome 
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TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
SafeCider?
To be clear, this is what I use.
To be clear, this is what I use.
TwistedGray
El Jefe Brewing Company
No, I have not (yet).
What did they have that SafCider didn't, or in other words, why?
Sebass
Well-Known Member
Same yeast. Look at active ingredient BAYANUS for both. Same thing. Paid $8 for 11 5g packets. SafCider cost $5 each lol
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More fruit flavor.
I've tried Safale S-04, Mangrove Jack's and Nottingham Ale yeast. Here are some options: Best Hard Cider Yeast: Reviews and Recommendations - DIY Hard Cider . I use Lalvin 71B-1122 for some of my fruit wines, but I have not tried it for cider.
I like the idea of using a cider or ale yeast rather than a champagne yeast.
I like the idea of using a cider or ale yeast rather than a champagne yeast.
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I hope you will prove me wrong, but I'm pretty sure this will ferment out to 1.000 or 0.980. I'm on the same quest to have a cider/cyser finish around 1.005 for a bit of natural finished flavor. There are other cider threads out there and the conclusion seems to be you're on a unicorn quest. Please prove me wrong!
Nottingham is my workhorse yeast, and does well with a cyser. I had the White Labs Scottish Cider yeast, which I liked but failed to keep some in my yeast bank. Both Notty and Scottish Cider finished drier with less perceived apple flavor than I am hoping for.
