Cider with us-05?

[Brewski221]

Gonna make a quick simple batch of cider and just want to use what I have on hand. Got a pack of us-05 and plan on adding it to 5 gal of 100% apple juice ( commercial brand) and was gonna add 1.5-2 lbs of corn sugar. Will this yeast be able to eat up the additional sugar? Any guesses on what this may turn out to taste like. I'm hoping medium dry but not sure if the 05 will get it there . Thanks guys

 

[Pappers_]

Almost any beer yeast will eat through that - those simple sugars are nothing to them. You'll end up with dry cider would be my guess, which you could then backsweeten.

 

[JR_Brewer]

I've used US-05 before and it works fine. The corn sugar will dry it out, basically creating alcohol without much flavor. Not sure if I would add the corn sugar if I was looking for "medium dry." How about AJ concentrate?

 

[carlnpa]

If you run the OG with cane sugar up to 1.085 or so (likely about 4lbs cane sugar in 5 gal) the yeast will stall at like fg of 1.005-1.01. ABV will be around 9%

Doing it this way keeps some apple flavor and sweetness without having to back sweeten.

It will turn out very drinkable, most people will like it.

You may need a blow off tube for a couple days, it will be a pretty vigorous ferment.

Depending on temperature, ferment to 1.005 may be almost three weeks.

I would rack and cold crash at that point.

 

[Pappers_]

If you run the OG with cane sugar up to 1.085 or so (likely about 4lbs cane sugar in 5 gal) the yeast will stall at like fg of 1.005-1.01. ABV will be around 9%

Doing it this way keeps some apple flavor and sweetness without having to back sweeten.

It will turn out very drinkable, most people will like it.

You may need a blow off tube for a couple days, it will be a pretty vigorous ferment.

Depending on temperature, ferment to 1.005 may be almost three weeks.

I would rack and cold crash at that point.

@carlnpa I'm curious about whether you have done this

 

[carlnpa]

I do this on every batch I make using Safale 04 or US 05.

This recipe works very predictably for me, I give credit to Cvillekevin for the basic idea, but I run the sugar up higher than his recipes.

This should work with any of the yeasts that quit in the 9-10% ABV range, just push the initial sugar higher than the yeast you choose can consume. The drop between 1.01 to 1.00 takes several days, so monitor it and cold crash around 1.005.

At this moment I am cold crashing 5 gallons of the US05, and am enjoying the wonderful aroma of 5 gallons of Safale 04 I started on Monday with non pasteurized, unmolested cider (except for the cane sugar).

If you run the sugar up to like OG 1.10 (i did this by mistake on a batch) with Safale 04 it would not ferment lower than 1.035. Just stops at 9-10% ABV.

 

[Pappers_]

I do this on every batch I make using Safale 04 or US 05.

This recipe works very predictably for me, I give credit to Cvillekevin for the basic idea, but I run the sugar up higher than his recipes.

This should work with any of the yeasts that quit in the 9-10% ABV range, just push the initial sugar higher than the yeast you choose can consume. The drop between 1.01 to 1.00 takes several days, so monitor it and cold crash around 1.005.

At this moment I am cold crashing 5 gallons of the US05, and am enjoying the wonderful aroma of 5 gallons of Safale 04 I started on Monday with non pasteurized, unmolested cider (except for the cane sugar).

If you run the sugar up to like OG 1.10 (i did this by mistake on a batch) with Safale 04 it would not ferment lower than 1.035. Just stops at 9-10% ABV.

Thanks, that's very interesting. I was curious because US-05 will ferment big beers in the 10% abv or higher range - I've used it in a big RIS, the largest was right around 12%.