Cyser Q. Alcohol tolerance of Coopers Yeast?

[TeeJo]

Had a Kilo of honey in the bottom of a bucket, left after I repackaged some honey to give away.

Since the apples are starting to drop, and I just rebuilt the antique cider press and test ran it, I had a couple buckets of apple juice on hand...Well, y'all know how this story goes.

I added some juice to the bucket, stirred in the honey, actually took a gravity reading which I only remember as it said it should work out to 10 percent by volume, from apple juice that was reading to potentially 5 percent. Whassat? 1.040 for 5, and 1.060 for 10 percents?

Had Coopers on hand, used it. Wondering if it will stall out and leave me with a sweeter cyser or if it is like to go full dry?

Dunno...Gonna see, in any case, as it's bubbling nicely through the airlock at 67 degree in the basement...

TeeJo

 

[podz]

1.060 for 10 percents?

Impossible.

 

[TeeJo]

Impossible.

I'll take yer word for it. I was working pretty quick, read the scale that he potential alcohol, rather than the specific gravity.

Lesse now....(goes and finds Hydrometer)...

Yep, I was right about the potential alcohol readings. Equates to gravity of ~1.075. Whatever.

Happy? Got anything useful to tell us about Coopers yeast, math boy?

TeeJo

 

[podz]

There are at least three different strains of Cooper's yeast, maybe more. Alcohol tolerance varies by strain.

Cooper's has a DIY recipe on their site for a 9.2% ABV RIS, so assume that their ale yeast (A) will do at least that. Not sure about their lager yeast (L), their own strain yeast (AC), or their mixed yeast (AC+L). I'm guessing that you don't know which one of those you used. Hint: It's printed on the package with a dot matrix code.

 

[Arpolis]

I do not have experience with coopers but have tried many yeasts on wines, sake, beers & mead and find that with meads if given proper nutrients and degassed regularly most any yeast can get to 9.5% - 11% ABV. If you just have juice and honey mixed, the gravity will probably drop down to be pretty dry. The only concern could be if the PH drops too low then it may stall sooner. Just mix and degass daily and it should go full to almost full dry.

 

[TeeJo]

Thanks for the info, both ya!

Re: The code on the Coopers Yeast, all it has marked on it other than the graphics is the code "25612", about which, Google has nuthin' t' say.

This one is going to have to run unattended for the next two weeks anyways. Vacation time!

Truth of the matter is, if it stalls short of full dry, that would be just fine too.

TeeJo

 

[podz]

Re: The code on the Coopers Yeast, all it has marked on it other than the graphics is the code "25612", about which, Google has nuthin' t' say.

It's the julian date of packaging - 256th day of 2012, which puts us at September 12th since 2012 was a leap year.

Aparrently Coopers doesn't always mark the type on their yeast packets, I suspect mostly they omit it from their Original Series which uses yeast type Ac (Coopers own proprietary strain). On many of them (International Series and Thomas Coopers Selection), they do mark the type.

For example "25612 IS" would indicate that the yeast was packaged on the 256th day of 2012 - the IS part would indicate "Irish Stout", which Coopers simply maps to yeast type "A" (Ale). They don't say which kind of ale, and I suspect they use several different types (they buy them commercially).

 

[TeeJo]

Cool! Antique Yeasties! OK, maybe not so cool.

Stuff is cooking away though, so there must have been some survivors!

TeeJo

 

[podz]

Cool! Antique Yeasties! OK, maybe not so cool.

Stuff is cooking away though, so there must have been some survivors!

TeeJo

Antique yeasties would be like 45 million years old, and they are brewing with that stuff today.