Does early racking stress the yeast?

[GratefulBear]

Claude Jolicoeur's "The New Cider Maker's Handbook" states that one of the benefits of an early first racking is that it separates the cider from sediment/nitrogen and slows the fermentation down so that you can end up with some sweetness in the final cider. Does the reduction in nutrients also stress the yeast and lead to more fusel alcohols? I'm trying to reduce the hangovers from my cider and it sounds like fusel alcohols might make hangovers worse (I've seen conflicting info on this).

 

[Maylar]

Racking also reduces the yeast biomass, which is what slows down the ferment. Remember that the key to Jolicoeur's method is to ferment at low temperature. The yeast's nitrogen needs are greatly reduced at cold temps.