I have a big pitch of Kolsch yeast and I finished my first keg of cider on the weekend. So, I’m wondering about using the Kolsch yeast for the next batch of cider. My last one was with lager yeast WY2035 and it was actually very good. I’ve read before that the yeast doesn’t seem to be as important for ciders as for beer but I was wondering if Kolsch yeast was too far off. Given that it naturally produces some fruity characteristics in beer, I was thinking it might lend itself to cider. I know it’s gonna take a while to clear.
Right now, unless someone says its gonna be a total disaster, I’m probably going to give it a try.
For the last 5 years I’ve experimented with different yeast to make ciders. I have found all of the yeast to ferment down to FG of 1.000 or even .995 with apple cider. That being said my best experiences have been fermenting at around 60 F using a Kolsch yeast or using any lager yeast fermenting at 50 F to 55 F. In my opinion the wine yeast and champagne yeast have fermetned quickly and scrubed out most of the apple flavor. My belief is a slow steady fermentation will ferment out the cider and leave more apple smell and flavor. The other key is to add nutrients much like mead makers do. Cider just doesn’t contain the nutrient levels a wort would. I use Fermaid K and DAP doing small additions as the gravity goes down. Over the first 3 to 5 days I take readings with a refractometer (adjusting for alcohol) and make additions based on the gravity. I use a mead making spreadsheet but only input cider. I also will adjust my acid levels so I am between 3.8 ph and 3.2 ph at the end of the ferment (I suppose you could adjust at the beginning). I use malic and/or tartaric acid to drop the ph. The link to the mead making spreadsheet I use is on Hightest’s Honey Haven site http://home.comcast.net/~mzapx1/
I haven’t tried that yeast. Which one is it, brand or number? I just got tired of losing the “Apple” in the cider. Lager and kolsch yeast have been working for me so far.
This is it. I use it with no added nutrients, I underpitch, and keep it as cold as possible. I’m trying to slow fermentation down and nutrients would just help it along.
Oh no. Kolsch yeast could be contaminated. I’m not gonna use it. But the cider is ready to go so here’s my question.
I have WLP002 and WLP007 ready with good sized pitches.
Which would you suggest in this case? I’m leaning toward the 007.
Or WLP833 without a starter. Or Wyeast French Saison rep itched.
Ended up going with the Kolsch yeast.
I had put the kolsch into the cold room to lager and had the blowoff in a cup of water. As it cooled, it sucked some of that water into the hose and possibly into the beer. It wasn’t the freshest water.
But, after tasting the kolsch and it tasted ok, and debating cost/risk I went with the Kolsch yeast simply because if it turns out bad, I’m out $15 for cider and that’s it. I saved the other yeasts for regular brews. Cider is fermenting and smells fine but it’s only been on for a week.