Restocked on ec1118

[phug]

I picked up some more yeast today to keep some in inventory. At 65 cents per packet I picked up four, and maybe should have gotten more. At that price I'm not ever going to bother harvesting that strain other than to pitch onto a yeast cake from a previous batch.

 

[MarkKF]

It's a great price and a very reliable yeast but it just strips all the flavor and sweetness from cider. I'll stick with Ale yeast.

 

[phug]

Sweetness yes, flavour, I'm going to disagree. but even if I didn't, I have to keep in as part of the rotation with my other yeasts, because I just picked up a BOS with my ec1118 cider. So I have to keep that in rotation from now until forever, have to chase that batch.

 

[phug]

edit isn't working for me.

*edit* maybe there's something in my process that lets ec1118 work for me, I dunno.

 

[Maylar]

Do you control fermentation temps, phug? I've read that EC-1118 works well on cider if you keep it cool.

 

[phug]

Do you control fermentation temps, phug? I've read that EC-1118 works well on cider if you keep it cool.

Control is a strong word. I ferment at ambient basement temps wich for me range from 55-65 depending on the season. That may have something to do with it, as it's cool enough that ec1118 doesn't get out of hand.

 

[fuelish]

1118 works great for cider, if ya enjoy dry cider....my Mrs and I do enjoy dry ....ferments crisp and dry, plenty of life left to bottle carb...plenty of apple flavor, just no sweetness. I need to free up a fermentor, as I need to do another run of cider - cider is my go-to in between meads, but am tied up with 25 gallons of mead in bulk aging...perhaps time to invest in at least another brew bucket? I honestly think 1118 gets a bum rap about "stripping flavor"...the flavor is there, the sugar is gone, daddy, gone