We're Off Like a Herd of Turtles

   In my previously limited research on cider making, it was my impression that one used either a wine (predominantly champagne) yeast, or a cider specific yeast.  Wine yeasts are fine, and great because of their resilience and attenuation.  Perfect for making a dry sparkling cider.  However, I've since learned that there's as much experimentation by home brewers with various yeasts in cider as in beer.  Especially when looking for a sweeter cider, many times ale yeasts are used.

    The two most significant elements in brewing, in general, are temperature, and yeast.  I believe yeast plays a greater part than temperature, but only just since although yeast gives the overall character to the beverage, temperature can greatly effect how a yeast behaves.

   This post in www.homebrewtalk.com by a member was very informative, in layman's terms, about the outcome of using various ale yeasts.  One such ale yeast is Danstar's Nottingham Ale dry yeast:

   Based on this poster's results, and my own research into the qualities of individual yeast strains I came up with a list of five various yeasts, which I'd like to eventually try.  For the two batches I'm making now, I decided on the tried and true Nottingham yeast, and White Lab's WLP380 Hefeweizen IV liquid yeast.  I chose it over WLP300, the basic hefeweizen yeast because of WLP380's pronounced fruity flavors, in addition to the banana and clove hefeweizens are known for.  The profile of WLP380 can be found here.

   Apple juice is also lacking in the nutrients needed for yeast to thrive, as opposed to beer wort and grape juice.  Although fermentation can and will still happen, in an effort to help make sure the yeast does it's job, and is healthier, I purchased some yeast nutrient.  There are various options, chemical and natural.  All work well, and are used for ciders, beers, everything.  Think of it as cheap insurance.  I opted for the natural kind, Fermaid K.  A little of this stuff goes a long way.  The package recommends 1g/1 US gallon.  Based on info at Making Hard Cider, I just used 1/4 teaspoon.  It may work out the same, I didn't measure.

   So here's what I used:

• 2 gallons Lattin's Old Country Cider (http://www.lattinscider.com/)
• 2g Danstar Nottingham Ale yeast (in gallon 1, though the whole packet can be used)
• White Labs WLP380 Hefeweizen IV liquid yeast (whole tube)
• 2 1 gallon glass jugs
• 2 #6 1/2 bungs
• 2 airlocks
• Iodophor Sanitizer
• 1 funnel
• Hydrometer (measures specific gravity of a liquid)

   I left the cider and yeasts on the kitchen counter to warm up to room temperature while I left for work.  Upon returning I sanitized both glass jugs using about 1/2 teaspoon sanitizer.  Iodophor is an iodine based commercial sanitizer used by home brewers and restaurants and does not need to be rinsed if diluted down enough.  I also filled a Tupperware container with sanitizer solution where I sanitized the airlocks and bungs, as well as my hydrometer and funnel.

   I transferred the cider from the plastic jugs, to the glass carboys.  Although the Nottingham packet says the entire 11g packet can be used for batches as small as 1 gallon, since they're usually used for full 5 gallon batches I added 2g, plus the 1/4 teaspoon Fermaid K.  I then placed the bung, and gently mixed.

   The process for the other gallon was identical save that I used the entire tube of liquid WLP380.  Mostly because liquid yeast does not keep well without making a starter, and for convenience sake.  Over pitching really isn't a valid worry as I'll be stopping fermentation via pasteurization once I reach my target gravity.

   At this time I took Original Gravity readings.  The Nottingham cider came to 1.050, the WLP380 (hefeweizen) came out to 1.051.  That is average gravity for apple juice/cider.  However, with a targeted final gravity of 1.015-1.010, this will only produce a 4% abv beverage.  What cider makers do, and which I forgot, was to raise the original gravity by adding fermentable sugars.  This usually comes in the form of brown sugar, black strap or regular molasses, or honey.  I imagine Dry Malt Extract could be used, and would also give the cider a bit more body.  Usually, enough added fermentable sugars are added to raise the original gravity of the juice to somewhere around 1.070 (Beersmith software puts the og at 1.045-1.065 for Common Cider).  The goal of a cider is to be between 5-6%, though some commercial ciders are 4%.  With an OG of 1.065, and a FG of 1.015, my ABV would be 6.53%.

   Forgetting to raise the OG simply means that I will have lower alcohol content, and possibly less body.  Next time I'll make the same ciders, but use either maple brown sugar or black strap molasses to add some flavor complexity.

   The ciders will sit in primary fermentation for four days before being racked to secondary.  The very warm temperatures, mid-high 70's in the area helped speed things up, and I'm sure the Fermaid did it's part.  Very vigorous fermentation and thick layer of krausen (foam caused during fermentation) was seen within the first 2-3 hours!  Usually fermentation isn't going strong for 24-48 hours in my experience!  My only concern now was the heat, and the inconsistent ambient temperature.

   In my next post, I hope to have you all caught up with how the process is going now.  It's going much more quickly, and a bit differently than I'd expected, but will allow me to use conventional as well as unconventional finishing methods.