First time making cider

[redrocker652002]

Both my wife and daughter do not like beer so I am going to try a low ABV hard cider to see what they think. I found a cool recipe that included cinnamon sticks. My question is simple, but probably not. Which is the best yeast to use? I am going to order a bunch of other stuff for a couple of beer recipes and thought this would be a good time. I have an extra package of S05 and Bry97, but have seen some using S04 instead. What say the pro's? I am thinking S04 as I have never used that one. Also, it will most likely be a gallon to start with so I am guessing a full packet is too much. Any input would be most appreciated. Oh, and if I already asked this my memory isn't so good, so please be kind. LOL.

 

[danlad]

Been making cider for the last few years from apples scrounged locally and I've tried a few different yeasts. I prefer dry ciders and don't mind them being tart particularly.

Anyway, D47 wine yeast has proven itself and that is all I've used in recent years (that and with no added yeast to let it ferment naturally anyway). It tends to ferment dry but with a kind of full-bodied feel, not sweet as such but the impression of being so.

 

[dmtaylor]

I've had better success using wine yeasts than ale yeasts. My favorite wine yeast for cider is Cote des Blancs. It ferments clean and clear and leaves a slight hint of sweetness and apple flavor which is consistently better than the other ~dozen yeasts I have tried. It is also relatively cheap yeast. You could use just 1/4 pack or 1/2 pack and save the rest for another batch.

One thing to keep in mind with CdB yeast or with fermenting any cider with any yeast is that it will throw a lot of sulfur. The extra sulfur is just a natural part of the apples. And this sulfur might smell bad but it is nothing to be concerned about, as long as you are patient --- cider takes a long time to ferment completely and a long time for the sulfur to exit, but the sulfur WILL disappear with age. For this reason, I would estimate you might not want to drink your cider for at least a month if not 6 to 8 weeks before it becomes truly great.

Also, don't be surprised when you use a hydrometer in your finished cider and find the specific gravity around 0.997 plus or minus a few points. It is very common to finish below 1.000. The lowest I have seen is 0.992. This is because the alcohol can start to overtake the specific gravity of water because unlike beer wort the sugars in apple juice are more than 90% fermentable, and alcohol has a specific gravity much less than 1.000. So don't let it surprise you IF it happens after a month.

One final thought: If you want a low ABV cider then definitely do not add any sugar at all. Cider will naturally give you 6-7.5% ABV. If you want a lighter cider than that, you're actually going to need to add water instead of sugar. Common problem for new cider makers who expect every recipe to have sugar in it. Apple juice is very sweet on its own, it doesn't need any extra sugar added.

 

[fluketamer]

are you using store juice or fresh pressed apples.
i like so5 at 68 degrees for 4 weeks. then backs weetened and kegged.

 

[hottpeper13]

I use The Yeast Bay Belgian Dry liquid yeast. It ferments to 13.2% abv on all the fruit ferments I've tried. It produces a lot of glicerine so the mouth feel is smooth without any back sweetening.

 

[redrocker652002]

are you using store juice or fresh pressed apples.
i like so5 at 68 degrees for 4 weeks. then backs weetened and kegged.

My plan to start off with is store bought juice.

 

[redrocker652002]

Awesome info, thanks to all who replied.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I've always like Mangrove Jack's M02 cider yeast for cider. If it's not available, I find EC-1118 is good for anything that's not beer.

 

[Chalkyt]

All of the above is good advice. For the first time around, my recommendation would be to just make a "straight" fully fermented cider using something like S04 or D47 yeasts.

My reasoning is for you to understand just what the base product is and how it comes about before confusing the issue by adding cinnamon sticks, fruit, following a "monkey-see, monkey-do" recipe, etc. So, following are the "short-short" basics

Your store-bought juice will probably be made of eating apples and have a specific gravity close to 1.050 because in addition to water it will have around 110g/L sugar and 20g/L of flavour compounds like acids, tannins, esters etc. It will possibly be a bit low in acid and have a high pH, so be a bit "flabby" (i.e. unexciting) when fully fermented as cider, but this can be corrected somewhat by adding appropriate acid (malic, lemon or lime juice, etc), and tannin. Normally, when fully fermented, the cider will have no residual sugar, be dry and tart, so may need a little sweetening according to your taste.

You mention low ABV cider. It is the sugar that produces alcohol so SG1.050 juice has the potential for 6.5% ABV (as a rough guide Original SG minus Final SG X 130 = ABV%). So, lowering the sugar concentration will get you part of the way there (I understand that up to 15% dilution is O.K.). An alternative is to stop fermentation above SG1.000 which will leave some sugar not converted into alcohol, CO2, etc. You may see commercial ciders at 4.5% ABV and I imagine that this results from lowering the OG to 1.045 by dilution, then pasteurising to stop fermentation at 1.010.

Store-bought juice can be low in YAN (yeast assimilable nitrogen) which is a nutrient needed by the yeast, so nutrients like DAP or Fermaid are sometimes added as insurance against incomplete fermentation. Mind you, incomplete fermentation isn't necessarily a bad thing as yeasts like S04 can run out of nutrients and stop fermenting above SG1.000 leaving some residual unfermented sugar and lower ABV.

Having got these basics into your head, you are then able to explore whatever path you like... adding other flavours, sweetening and pasteurising, carbonating, maturing, etc.

Enjoy the cider adventure!

 

[redrocker652002]

All of the above is good advice. For the first time around, my recommendation would be to just make a "straight" fully fermented cider using something like S04 or D47 yeasts.

My reasoning is for you to understand just what the base product is and how it comes about before confusing the issue by adding cinnamon sticks, fruit, following a "monkey-see, monkey-do" recipe, etc. So, following are the "short-short" basics

Your store-bought juice will probably be made of eating apples and have a specific gravity close to 1.050 because in addition to water it will have around 110g/L sugar and 20g/L of flavour compounds like acids, tannins, esters etc. It will possibly be a bit low in acid and have a high pH, so be a bit "flabby" (i.e. unexciting) when fully fermented as cider, but this can be corrected somewhat by adding appropriate acid (malic, lemon or lime juice, etc), and tannin. Normally, when fully fermented, the cider will have no residual sugar, be dry and tart, so may need a little sweetening according to your taste.

You mention low ABV cider. It is the sugar that produces alcohol so SG1.050 juice has the potential for 6.5% ABV (as a rough guide Original SG minus Final SG X 130 = ABV%). So, lowering the sugar concentration will get you part of the way there (I understand that up to 15% dilution is O.K.). An alternative is to stop fermentation above SG1.000 which will leave some sugar not converted into alcohol, CO2, etc. You may see commercial ciders at 4.5% ABV and I imagine that this results from lowering the OG to 1.045 by dilution, then pasteurising to stop fermentation at 1.010.

Store-bought juice can be low in YAN (yeast assimilable nitrogen) which is a nutrient needed by the yeast, so nutrients like DAP or Fermaid are sometimes added as insurance against incomplete fermentation. Mind you, incomplete fermentation isn't necessarily a bad thing as yeasts like S04 can run out of nutrients and stop fermenting above SG1.000 leaving some residual unfermented sugar and lower ABV.

Having got these basics into your head, you are then able to explore whatever path you like... adding other flavours, sweetening and pasteurising, carbonating, maturing, etc.

Enjoy the cider adventure!

Thank you so much for taking the time to write that up. I think you are right about starting simple and going from there. I am thinking a gallon or so would be about right for my wife and daughter to try it. I only mention the low ABV simply because my wife and daughter don't drink, so anything too high would ruin the experience I think. I was thinking S04 as I have seen that yeast used quite a bit in recipes for cider and have never used it to give it a try.

Once again, thanks to all who took the time to reply, this is all great info to have.

 

[Kickass]

One of my 4 taps is always cider. It’s a favorite in our house with my wife or family/friends that aren’t crazy about beer. I go super simple.

- 5.5 gallons of store bought juice, no preservatives.
- 1/2 pound brown sugar.
- Yeast nutrient.
- Wine yeast, D47 or EC1118

Ferment 2-3 weeks, stabilize and back sweeten with 1.5 cans apple juice concentrate and 1 can pineapple concentrate. Add about a tablespoon of cinnamon tincture. Carbonate and serve.

With the brown sugar it weighs in at about 6.5% ABV. You can skip that or cut with a little water to drop the abv.

 

[Brewer Mike]

I've got a question about back sweetening. Why doesn't that sugar addition get fermented out? Wouldn't you need something like sorbate or pasteurization to kill off the yeast?

 

[AzOr]

I've got a question about back sweetening. Why doesn't that sugar addition get fermented out? Wouldn't you need something like sorbate or pasteurization to kill off the yeast?

Yes but they are probably referring to kegging. If you drink it in a reasonable amount of time, it’ll be ok. My kegerator sits at about 34f.

If you plan to bottle and backsweeten, then yes pasteurize.

 

[redrocker652002]

So, after reading a lot of posts here and other places I am finding some interesting things I did not know. It is true that cider must be aged? I was thinking, ferment for a couple of weeks, cold crash and carbonate and serve. Some places I have read show that the cider sits and ages for up to a year? I don't mind, just want to make sure I am getting the best out of the cider I can so my wife and daughter have something good to try. Also, I am thinking of trying S04 simply because I don't think I have ever used it.

 

[Kickass]

I go from mixing ingredients to glass in about a 1-1.5 months. That’s with store bought juice. Just a guess, but if you’re using fresh pressed juice from cider apples, aging might be beneficial.

Lots of cider makers use s-04 so I think you’d be good. I like buying 10 packs of ec-1118 from Amazon because it’s cheap, crazy effective and I make a lot of cider.

 

[Fixerman]

Like wine, cider can benefit from aging. I let mine sit in the primary fermenter for six to eight months. This year I plan on leaving one fermenter for a year to see if I notice a difference. I don't bother with racking into a secondary fermenter; I believe it benefits from sitting on the lees. From there, I rack into a keg for stabilizing, back sweetening, forced carbonating and bottling.

 

[Maylar]

It is true that cider must be aged?

No, but it does improve with age.

A quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin: "Give me yesterday's bread, this day's flesh, and last year's cider."

 

[fluketamer]

i almost forgot my wham cider recipe which works really great.

after you rack beer into a keg and are left with a nice thick yeast cake on the bottom. just dump juice, and lime and tannin in the keg and in two weeks - wham - cider. no nutrient needed. this is really fool proof and i find makes better cider than starting with fresh yeast. i wouldnt do this with a stout obviously,.



and yes they taste better with age but i find 1 month to glass is not unusual espeically when kegging cider.