Yeast for Cider

A forum for cider makers
Jambo
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by Jambo » Tue Oct 21, 2014 9:36 am

Thanks JMC.

Yeah I fired more yeast into one of my two starters, fermentation took off like a scalded cat! So I then mixed the two starters together and split them again, and they both fermented out to less than 1.000 in what seemed like no time at all.

I pressed 5 gallons of juice over the weekend, about half what I was hoping for, so actually only needed one of my starters.

I dosed each gallon with 2 tsp of pectolase and half a crushed campden tablet, and sat it in my airing cupboard for 24 hrs so that the pectolase could do its thing (needs to be 20 deg+). Yesterday each demijohn was beautifully clear with a bit of sludge at the bottom, which I assume was pectin remnants. Juice had an SG of over 1.050, and when I tasted it, it wasn't enjoyable as apple juice but it had a beautiful mixture of sweet/sour/bitter/tannin/aromatics, so I'm hopeful for an excellent cider! The juice is at least 50% bramley cookers, but also a lot of foraged hedgerow ones ranging from crabs, to tiny apples that look like crabs but are actually sweet, some big sweet ones and some medium size bitter yet aromatic ones.

Tipped both the starters into the fermenter with the 5 gallons of juice, and some yeast nutrient (double the dosage recommended for beer). Fermenting very happily now. Happy days :)

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out with this Lalvin 71B yeast!

I currently have a lager in my brew fridge so I only have the options of moving my cider between rooms for temperature control, but what is the accepted wisdom for cider fermentation temperature?

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jmc
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by jmc » Mon Oct 27, 2014 1:04 pm

Jambo wrote:Thanks JMC.

Yeah I fired more yeast into one of my two starters, fermentation took off like a scalded cat! So I then mixed the two starters together and split them again, and they both fermented out to less than 1.000 in what seemed like no time at all.

I pressed 5 gallons of juice over the weekend, about half what I was hoping for, so actually only needed one of my starters.

I dosed each gallon with 2 tsp of pectolase and half a crushed campden tablet, and sat it in my airing cupboard for 24 hrs so that the pectolase could do its thing (needs to be 20 deg+). Yesterday each demijohn was beautifully clear with a bit of sludge at the bottom, which I assume was pectin remnants. Juice had an SG of over 1.050, and when I tasted it, it wasn't enjoyable as apple juice but it had a beautiful mixture of sweet/sour/bitter/tannin/aromatics, so I'm hopeful for an excellent cider! The juice is at least 50% bramley cookers, but also a lot of foraged hedgerow ones ranging from crabs, to tiny apples that look like crabs but are actually sweet, some big sweet ones and some medium size bitter yet aromatic ones.

Tipped both the starters into the fermenter with the 5 gallons of juice, and some yeast nutrient (double the dosage recommended for beer). Fermenting very happily now. Happy days :)

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out with this Lalvin 71B yeast!

I currently have a lager in my brew fridge so I only have the options of moving my cider between rooms for temperature control, but what is the accepted wisdom for cider fermentation temperature?
Sorry Jambo. I thought I'd replied to this.

For real cider I've heard that 'low & slow' is best. A lot of real cider is brewed in unheated areas or even outside.
Mine is all brewing in my unheated garage at the moment. The Lavlin yeast is happy with that.

Jambo
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by Jambo » Tue Nov 04, 2014 2:00 pm

Thanks JMC. Mine appears to have been stuck for a while, I thought it was finished so was amazed to find the gravity still up at 1.010. I tipped in some syrup (170g sugar per gallon of cider) which I had planned to do anyway to increase the ABV and storage potential of it, and gave it a good stir. Fermenting like the clappers again this morning!

Think I need a second fermentation fridge!!

Jambo
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by Jambo » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:45 pm

Bah it keeps slowing right down at 1.010 ish! Has yours done the same JMC?

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dean_wales
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by dean_wales » Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:23 am

If your cider *actually* finishes at 1.010 you are very lucky indeed.

That's about where I would want mine to finish. Stops it being outrageously dry!

Dean.
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jmc
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by jmc » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:22 pm

Jambo wrote:Bah it keeps slowing right down at 1.010 ish! Has yours done the same JMC?
How did you get on with the Lalvin 71B cider in the end. What was final FG?
Are you using it again this year?

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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by Pegasus » Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:14 am

jmc wrote:
Jambo wrote:Bah it keeps slowing right down at 1.010 ish! Has yours done the same JMC?
How did you get on with the Lalvin 71B cider in the end. What was final FG?
Are you using it again this year?
I just made 4 gallons this year with apples (neighbour's eaters - lovely sweet initially/sharp aftertaste), juice pH 3.0. Didn't need to use sulphite according to this excellent site but added 2 Campden tablets anyway just to be sure. Also used pectolase.

Next day, hydrated 3g of Lalvin 71B and pitched 30mins later. Incubated at 16C and got vigorous fermentation after a couple of days. OG was 1.052, at 4 weeks was 1.002, racked into DJs after another 2 weeks - still 1.002 - then topped up with stored juice. Now in shed for the winter. Checked it the other day - looks nice and clear.

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jmc
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by jmc » Mon Nov 23, 2015 4:21 pm

Pegasus wrote:
jmc wrote:
Jambo wrote:Bah it keeps slowing right down at 1.010 ish! Has yours done the same JMC?
How did you get on with the Lalvin 71B cider in the end. What was final FG?
Are you using it again this year?
I just made 4 gallons this year with apples (neighbour's eaters - lovely sweet initially/sharp aftertaste), juice pH 3.0. Didn't need to use sulphite according to this excellent site but added 2 Campden tablets anyway just to be sure. Also used pectolase.

Next day, hydrated 3g of Lalvin 71B and pitched 30mins later. Incubated at 16C and got vigorous fermentation after a couple of days. OG was 1.052, at 4 weeks was 1.002, racked into DJs after another 2 weeks - still 1.002 - then topped up with stored juice. Now in shed for the winter. Checked it the other day - looks nice and clear.
Thanks for the update. Lalvin 71B is such a good yeast reliable and very hardy. Its fine down to about 8-9C.
Recent batches of this year's cider in the garage have only just stopped as temp has got down to 5C. But if it warms up again I'm sure it will get going again.
Cider smooths out on storing too due to the way it reduces malic acid so it should help with your low pH apples,

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JamesF
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by JamesF » Mon Nov 23, 2015 6:43 pm

I now have about 75 litres of Dabinett, 90 litres of Bramley plus random other apples and 100 litres of Yarlington Mill sitting in fermenters in the beer shack. I can add more Yarlington Mill if I can get them collected and pressed before they rot. I hope the Lalvin does cope ok with the low temperature...

James

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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by hazelbrew » Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:19 pm

265 litres?!

What are you planning on doing? Swim or bath in it?!

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JamesF
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by JamesF » Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:26 pm

Or perhaps sell some of it? Not this year perhaps, but an experiment with a reasonable volume seems necessary before I come to any decisions.

James

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JamesF
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by JamesF » Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:29 pm

Come to think of it, that's only about the same as the amount of beer I've brewed in the last six months.

James

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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by hazelbrew » Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:49 pm

JamesF wrote:Come to think of it, that's only about the same as the amount of beer I've brewed in the last six months.

James
I suppose that is only 10-12 brews. a 40 pint kit being 23 litres.

Jambo
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Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by Jambo » Tue Nov 24, 2015 6:52 pm

jmc wrote:
Jambo wrote:Bah it keeps slowing right down at 1.010 ish! Has yours done the same JMC?
How did you get on with the Lalvin 71B cider in the end. What was final FG?
Are you using it again this year?
Hi JMC.

I haven't made any cider this year due to a change of job which leaves me with minimal free time, and everyone I know has had rubbish apple crops this year...!

Not sure what last year's FG was (will have it written down somewhere), but I haven't drank much of it, it's still in a corny and I have a bit now and again, it's still incredibly sour though even after 1 year of storage! Fantastic for cooking with though!!

Jamie.

guest5234

Re: Yeast for Cider

Post by guest5234 » Mon Dec 07, 2015 8:51 pm

I just let the wild yeast take over after pressing my apples, never had a problem.

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