ec-1118 temps

[Bearclaw215]

So I did my first hard cider today and used ec-1118. And I'm wondering what temps produce the "best" cider with this yeast?
Anyone that has experience using this yeast and wants to share advice it's greatly appreciated!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Here ya go:
http://www.lalvinyeast.com/images/library/EC1118_Yeast.pdf
I'd go with 65*F.
Regards, GF.

 

[jkoegel]

That yeast is a beast at any temp. My basement is 62deg.
I have used it a couple times in the past. It is a fast clean fermenter that will take your cider all the way to dry. It clears very well given time and does not like to cold crash. Very hard to stop if you are trying to make a sweet cider. I let mine go dry then back-sweeten with xylitol (a natural tasting non-fermentable sugar) at bottling time.

 

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

That yeast is a beast at any temp. My basement is 62deg.
I have used it a couple times in the past. It is a fast clean fermenter that will take your cider all the way to dry. It clears very well given time and does not like to cold crash. Very hard to stop if you are trying to make a sweet cider. I let mine go dry then back-sweeten with xylitol (a natural tasting non-fermentable sugar) at bottling time.

+1 I dont find this strain is to picky about temps, it is indeed a beast. Im pretty sure after nuclear war all that will be left is cockroaches and ec1118

 

[Bearclaw215]

Awesome stuff! I'll have to check out xylitol. I was gonna try to back sweeten with a bit of honey but I like the I idea of non fermentables and having to mess with it less.
Does wine yeast give off esters and other flavors at a high end of its temp range like a beer yeast would? And what do you mean doesn't like a cold crash? Is it going to just keep chugging through or do these guys go dormant at lower temps?
Sorry about all the questions ciders still new to me, just want to learn enough to make a great one.

 

[Fuzzymittenbrewing]

That being said, Id say ditch the wine yeast and use White Labs English Dry Cider yeast.

 

[Robusto]

I was gonna try to back sweeten with a bit of honey but I like the I idea of non fermentables and having to mess with it less.

Does wine yeast give off esters and other flavors at a high end of its temp range like a beer yeast would? And what do you mean doesn't like a cold crash? Is it going to just keep chugging through or do these guys go dormant at lower temps

A word of wisdom (or at least caution)- if you are going to backsweeten after using 1118, you will have to sorbate or pasteurize or something. EC-1118 is a beast of a yeast and may restart fermentation is you add sugars. I have a cork-shaped dent in my ceiling from a mead that was made with 1118. It took it dry, then I sorbated before backsweetening. Two or three days later I heard a loud POP in the middle of the night. Went down stairs and there was mead everywhere and the aforementioned dent.

Ec-1118 is very clean and throws very few esters. It is a vast, vigorous fermenter, and will kill off or out compete other yeast. If you cold crash this the 1118 may continue to keep going. I have used it at lager temps (as an experiment) and it only slowed it down.

 

[Bearclaw215]

Wow sounds like an absolute monster of a yeast. Id planned on pasteurizing it once I get it to a nice carb level.

Thanks for all the great info, always appreciated!