Which yeast?

[Newsman]

Ok. We have established my previous cyser batch was a dumper (thanks, PP).
Going to try again with what ingredients I have.
So here's the yeast selection I have on-hand,
EC-118
RC-212
WLP677
QA23
COTE DES BLANCS
Nottingham

All have been sitting in my fridge for a very long time

Ec-118 and RC-212 are what I have plenty of, so I can double pitch, if necessary.

What would y'all use? Not caring so much about alcohol content. Want a medium dry beverage

 

[bkboiler]

TLDR: NOTTY!

Hmm...medium dry but what ABV? Do you like it really fizzy or just a little sparkle? Kegging?
I've worked with all those you list except wlp677 and qa23...
My preference on the list would be notty, but I'm really impatient... I've done notty in both mead and cider and liked each of them (separately).
I've used rc-212 in a raspberry wine and cote de blanc in a strawberry wine. I believe I once used ec1118 in a rocket fuel mead I made once, it was a trainwreck, but that may have just been me...I don't exactly "get" the nutrient additions stuff very well yet.

 

[Newsman]

Again, I don't really care about ANV. Probably kegging

 

[Newsman]

Oh, I also have bread yeast as well, which, if I want a medium ABV Cyser might be a good option as wel.
Just ordered a sachet of 71B. Leaning towards mixture of 71B and QA23 since both are supposed to enhance fruity flavors. Goodness knows I'm going to need help keeping this from being flavoless rocket fuel!

 

[Maylar]

71B will rob you of malic acid, which cider or a cyser needs.
What kind of honey are you expecting to use?

 

[Newsman]

Kirkland Wildflower Honey. I can always add a bit of acid, if necessary. I also have plenty of yeast nutrient, if that would help. TBH, I've never made a cyser before other than that one I ignored for like 2 years.

 

[Maylar]

Any wine yeast will work then. I would definitely avoid bread yeast. Cysers tend to be higher ABV than ale yeasts can handle, so I'd avoid them too.

 

[Newsman]

Any wine yeast will work then. I would definitely avoid bread yeast. Cysers tend to be higher ABV than ale yeasts can handle, so I'd avoid them too.

Well, as I said before, I want semi-sweet, so I don't want it to be pure rocket fuel. I'm not really concerned about how much alcohol I can get out of it.

 

[Maylar]

Well, as I said before, I want semi-sweet, so I don't want it to be pure rocket fuel. I'm not really concerned about how much alcohol I can get out of it.

I've got 15% ABV from bread yeast in a JAOM. Unless you start with a really high OG don't expect it to finish semi-sweet.
You also want your cyser to taste good and be balanced between the apple and honey. Typically we split the sugar between both, like 1.050 cider and 1.050 or more of honey. That puts you in the 13% bracket or more. Even a 14% yeast will usually go dry.
IMO an ale yeast just doesn't have the flavor profile to compliment a cyser.
My best to date was an orange blossom cyser with orchard juice and Renaissance Fresco yeast - Fresco
The citrus character of the yeast was a perfect match for the OB honey.

Yeast pairing is an art and science. If you pitch whatever you have in the fridge then you're just gambling that it'll come out right.

 

[Newsman]

Interesting. According to the calculator at Brewer's Friend, putting those two together, I should be getting I should get between just under 14 and just over 15% ABV with 10# of honey and 5 gallons of apple juice. If I drop to 5# of honey, I should get about 9-10% ABV. Not sure which way to go. Thinking I may do it with 5# of honey, cold crash, keg and add 5# of honey to back-sweeten, depending on how it tastes.

 

[bernardsmith]

In my opinion, 71B has a very special affinity for apple wines, cysers and cider. Sure it does metabolize SOME of the malic but the increased smoothness that that can create after 9 -12 months bottle aging puts any apple based wine in a whole new league. Sure many folk on this forum swear by ale yeast as their yeast of choice for hard cider, but speak to professional cider makers.

 

[Maylar]

Sure many folk on this forum swear by ale yeast as their yeast of choice for hard cider, but speak to professional cider makers.

We had a pro here a few years ago who was responsible for the production of 250,000 gallons of cider a year. He made a point that using 71B was absurd since they'd just have to add the malic acid back to make up for what the yeast metabolized.

 

[Newsman]

Boy, now I'm confused..

 

[Newsman]

So, which of the listed yeasts WOULD you go with?

 

[Dan O]

I've used 71B for my cysers & they've come out just fine.

 

[Newsman]

I've used 71B for my cysers & they've come out just fine.

Thanks, Dan. Or should that be Dan-O?

 

[Maylar]

Of your choices, probably the QA23.

 

[Newsman]

Of your choices, probably the QA23.

Was going to ask why, but then I re-read the description on Google. Would you recommend adding any other of the previously mentioned yeasts? Wj

 

[Maylar]

May I ask why?

It's listed as being for white wines and cider.

 

[Newsman]

It's listed as being for white wines and cider.

Yeah. I looked it up on Google after I asked that question

 

[Dan O]

Thanks, Dan. Or should that be Dan-O?

Either will do

 

[Newsman]

Any reason I should not combine the 71B and the QA23? They both seem to be good at making "fruity" alcohol. There is a pinned post by Meadist stating that both are ideal for making mead.
I'm sure one will outcompete the other, on the other hand, maybe the 71B will help smooth it out, as according to Meadist, it helps meads mature faster.

 

[Dan O]

Any reason I should not combine the 71B and the QA23? They both seem to be good at making "fruity" alcohol. There is a pinned post by Meadist stating that both are ideal for making mead.
I'm sure one will outcompete the other, on the other hand, maybe the 71B will help smooth it out, as according to Meadist, it helps meads mature faster.

One will dominate for sure. If you want to try them both, split the must into 2 smaller vessels & do a side by side experiment/comparison, then you'll know that going into it the next time you make it. TAKE NOTES!

 

[Dan O]

So, which of the listed yeasts WOULD you go with?

Sorry I can't offer anything on the yeasts you have listed, as I have never used any of them to date.

 

[Maylar]

Any reason I should not combine the 71B and the QA23?

QA23 has the competitive (kill) factor, and 71B is sensitive to that. Basically, the QA23 would kill the 71B.

 

[Newsman]

QA23 has the competitive (kill) factor, and 71B is sensitive to that. Basically, the QA23 would kill the 71B.

Bummer. Guess I'll save the 71B for something else.

 

[Newsman]

Just started my new batch. Made a quick starter, mainly to confirm yeast viability. Dumped two packet starter into 4 gallons of juice along with 10# of honey.
I need one more gallon of juice, but I'll dump that later to help negate the need for a blowout tube.
I also put 2 TBSP of yeast nutrient in the bottom of the BMB before I dumped anything else in.
Hopefully that'll get me going. I'll check on it again a couple weeks after I add the 5th gallon of juice.
I discovered I had another 5# of honey, but I figured adding that would make rocket fuel

 

[Newsman]

Here's a pic of my new batch. 2 packets of QA23. My fermentation chamber is set to 65* (current temp showing as 67.5)
Seems to be coming along fine. I didn't take a starting gravity. I will probably slip the Hydrometer in there after the krausen dies down, not that there's that much now.
I did add a 5th gallon of juice. That was a different brand, Motts, but I doubt it will change.

 

[Maylar]

How can you start ANY ferment without taking the starting gravity?

 

[Newsman]

How can you start ANY ferment without taking the starting gravity?

Because I don't really care. I just want sometalcohilic to drink. I'm not planning on entering it in a competition or boasting I got every bit of alcohol out of that yeast.
I just want something to drink.