What is your go to cider or cyser yeast?

[HawleyFarms]

Hi folks!

Well now that my mead is getting ready to be bottled and we are going to be heading to our LHBS for some more carboys and other supplies, I want to see what everyone's favorite yeast choice is for making either ciders or cysers.

We have a couple mixed bushels of Macoun, Crispin and 20oz apples, as well as a friend who has been on us to press all his apples. So the plan is to do a couple 5 gallon batches of cider and a couple 5 gallon batches of cyser.

I've already decided I want to use Nottie ale yeast for one batch of cider. So my question is:

What are your favorite yeasts for making ciders and cysers and why?

 

[bernardsmith]

Assuming you use 2lbs of honey to one gallon of apple juice how will Nottie be able to tolerate that amount of alcohol. Your starting gravity would be around 1.120 and that suggests a potential ABV of around 15.5 -16% .... I am about to start a batch of cysers using three or four different varieties of honey with the same apple juice and I think I will be using 71B or K1V

 

[UpstateMike]

That's easy: Nottingham. It is a reliable yeast that works well in temp ranges from high 50's to mid 70's. It starts quickly, no need to make a starter but you can if you want. And it's alcohol tolerance is good, I have successfully done 12% ABV brews with it.

 

[HawleyFarms]

Assuming you use 2lbs of honey to one gallon of apple juice how will Nottie be able to tolerate that amount of alcohol. Your starting gravity would be around 1.120 and that suggests a potential ABV of around 15.5 -16% .... I am about to start a batch of cysers using three or four different varieties of honey with the same apple juice and I think I will be using 71B or K1V

Only using the Nottie for one of the CIDER batches as I said above, not one of the cyser batches.

 

[HawleyFarms]

That's easy: Nottingham. It is a reliable yeast that works well in temp ranges from high 50's to mid 70's. It starts quickly, no need to make a starter but you can if you want. And it's alcohol tolerance is good, I have successfully done 12% ABV brews with it.

Thanks Mike!

 

[Paps]

Lavlin ec-1118
Why......it's ability to provide a high ABV %
It also isn't too finicky over what temp the room it's in is at.

 

[domingo]

Hi folks!

Well now that my mead is getting ready to be bottled and we are going to be heading to our LHBS for some more carboys and other supplies, I want to see what everyone's favorite yeast choice is for making either ciders or cysers.

We have a couple mixed bushels of Macoun, Crispin and 20oz apples, as well as a friend who has been on us to press all his apples. So the plan is to do a couple 5 gallon batches of cider and a couple 5 gallon batches of cyser.

I've already decided I want to use Nottie ale yeast for one batch of cider. So my question is:

What are your favorite yeasts for making ciders and cysers and why?

I'm actually not huge into Notty - I used it for my first cider and found it to be temperamental with regards to timing on bottling. I also don't think it ages well. Obviously, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and the apple mix you have should not get bland with aging like some sweet cider blends would.

For ciders, I've really appreciated White Labs Farmhouse Blend, White Labs Burton Ale, Wyeast London ESB, and S-05 for mixed fruit ciders.

Still working on my first cysers!

 

[Snowden]

S-04. Finished dry on a 5-gal batch that I made using store bought apple juice, but retained the apple flavor.

 

[HawleyFarms]

I'm actually not huge into Notty - I used it for my first cider and found it to be temperamental with regards to timing on bottling. I also don't think it ages well. Obviously, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and the apple mix you have should not get bland with aging like some sweet cider blends would.

For ciders, I've really appreciated White Labs Farmhouse Blend, White Labs Burton Ale, Wyeast London ESB, and S-05 for mixed fruit ciders.

Still working on my first cysers!

Thanks Domingo! Unfortunately, my LHBS has a rather limited selection of yeasts but I do think they carry S-05.

 

[HawleyFarms]

S-04. Finished dry on a 5-gal batch that I made using store bought apple juice, but retained the apple flavor.

Did you use this on a cider or cyser?

 

[Snowden]

Cider - I made a batch of https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/grahams-english-cider-107152/

 

[MarkKF]

That's easy: Nottingham. It is a reliable yeast that works well in temp ranges from high 50's to mid 70's. It starts quickly, no need to make a starter but you can if you want. And it's alcohol tolerance is good, I have successfully done 12% ABV brews with it.

Bingo. Used Notty last year including a >11% blueberry cider. But switched to S-04 this year. Hoping it's as alcohol tolerant. Like the aroma.

 

[MarkKF]

Cider - I made a batch of https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/grahams-english-cider-107152/

What does the tea bags and limes add to the finished product? Taste, aroma, mouthfeel? I thought citrus was a no-no.

 

[max384]

I only use Nottingham for ciders.

It's also my go-to for most ales as well. I like the high flocculation and fairly neutral taste, as I don't care for overly yeasty beers or ciders (depending on the style).

 

[WVMJ]

We used RBS133 on a batch from our own wild apples on Sept 25, it was crystal clear a month later and we just bottled it Nov 9 and it was very good. We choose this yeas as it can eat some of the Malic acid and it work with MLF if we needed it. The cider has a very good body and smell. We fermented it around 65-70F with fermaidK as the nutrient. It would also work well in a cyser. Your choice of apples looks like a lot of acid is going to be in this batch so something that can eat some of the malic acid might be a good choice, morewines.com sells it in small 8 gram packs. We also like QA23 for both cysers, its a very easy yeast to use and makes a nice cyser. Other good choices are D47 if you can keep it cool, K1V1116, Pasteur Champagne, EC1118 are all nice in a cyser and easy sure yeasts. We are also playing with Mangrove Jacks cider yeast for fun, just racked out of the primary and it smells good so far. WVMJ

 

[bernardsmith]

What does the tea bags and limes add to the finished product? Taste, aroma, mouthfeel? I thought citrus was a no-no.

My guess is that tea bags (assuming black tea) add tannins and lime adds some additional acidity. Racking on to oak would also add tannins as would the addition of tannins. Lime is going to add citric acid but acid blend would provide that and tartaric and malic. Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer chance.
Increasing viscosity of cider is a challenge. You might add glycerin or lactose

 

[gratus fermentatio]

For ciders I use mostly Nottingham, but I've also had good results with US-04 & US-05. All 3 leave more apple flavour than wine yeast & can take a cider dry. They also flocc well & can be reused.

For cysers I like EC-1118 or K1-V1116. EC-1118 has a good alcohol tolerance, low foaming & is good for sparkling wines. K1-V1116 easily dominates any competition, retains fresh fruit flavour/aroma longer, good alcohol tolerance & floccs well.
Regards, GF.

 

[Chris_The_Rogue]

I have used Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast for cider, and Lalvin 71B-1122 for cyser.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Something different from the last 20 answers: Wy3711 French Saison, or dry danstar belle saison (no easily discrenible difference in flavor between them). Works at high temps, takes it down to around 1.004 for me.
I'm making a s04 batch now to compare, but the saison yeast batches got praise from everyone that's tried them. brulosophy blog just had a article on them also.

 

[ICWiener]

1118 for sure. It's happy at a wide temp. range, plus it finishes clean and quickly.

 

[estricklin]

In the past I've been a fan of D47, and I still am but I'm starting to like Cote De Blanc more and more. It leaves a tad bit of sweetness behind and plenty of aroma and flavor. I have used it for some melomels, and have the juice to do some cider with it just have to order some more packs.

 

[domingo]

Something different from the last 20 answers: Wy3711 French Saison, or dry danstar belle saison (no easily discrenible difference in flavor between them). Works at high temps, takes it down to around 1.004 for me.
I'm making a s04 batch now to compare, but the saison yeast batches got praise from everyone that's tried them. brulosophy blog just had a article on them also.

I also like Belle Saison it turns out (just finished a batch with it). Also, I would like to point out to you that one of the first eighteen posts (mine) was not a pro-Nottingham propaganda.

 

[OlDirtyJohn]

Something different from the last 20 answers: Wy3711 French Saison, or dry danstar belle saison (no easily discrenible difference in flavor between them). Works at high temps, takes it down to around 1.004 for me.
I'm making a s04 batch now to compare, but the saison yeast batches got praise from everyone that's tried them. brulosophy blog just had a article on them also.

Bringing up an old thread. Yesterday I was over at the brulosophy house, and tasted some of his brews. One of which being a mixed berry cider that he used the danstar belle saison on. It was REALLY good. It came out to just about 8%, was very clear, crisp and flavorful. That was the one drink that got me here researching cider.

 

[HawleyFarms]

Bringing up an old thread. Yesterday I was over at the brulosophy house, and tasted some of his brews. One of which being a mixed berry cider that he used the danstar belle saison on. It was REALLY good. It came out to just about 8%, was very clear, crisp and flavorful. That was the one drink that got me here researching cider.

Wow talk about an old thread. Since this thread was created, I definitely fell in love with Belle in ciders. I also am a HUGE fan of CDB but plan to age at least 6-8 months. The first time I used it for fresh pressed, it was gone by 8 months and it was JUST starting to become my favorite cider. I do use some ale yeasts as well. Next up is some experimentation with the new Nordic Yeast Blend from the White Labs vault (WLP611). Planning on growing multiple starters to split between a hefeweizen, Saison, cider and cyser.

 

[VasDeferensly]

Mangrove Jack's M02 cider yeast has been a winner for me, I had used notty as my go to before, but for my basic cider, M02 it is. There's a lot more apple flavor, and it tastes better young, even at an abv of 8%. I've got some Belle Saison which I plan on using as it warms up, Two Towns did a nice peach saison cider which gave me some ideas.