{"id":6485,"date":"2022-09-20T14:28:50","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T19:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brewtogether.com\/?p=6485"},"modified":"2022-09-20T14:28:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T19:28:54","slug":"best-cider-yeast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brewtogether.com\/2022\/09\/20\/best-cider-yeast\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Yeast For Making Your Own Homebrew Hard Cider"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first few times the average homebrewer makes a hard apple cider or apple wine, they\u2019re following the simplest possible instructions (like these!<\/a>) to ferment store bought apple juice using either inexpensive beer yeast, champagne yeast, or (unfortunately) bread yeast. In fact, unless the juice has been pasteurized, contains preservatives, or has been treated with campden tablets<\/a> or potassium sorbate<\/a>, the wild yeast in the natural fruit juices will ferment even without yeast being added. Fresh apples contain plenty of wild yeast and will ferment if allowed to. While this process technically works, it doesn\u2019t necessarily make the best <\/em>possible cider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in learning more about cider? Click here to check out our Ultimate Guide to Hard Apple Cider!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you can make great cider from grocery store apple juice (click here to learn how), and you can use just about any yeast to ferment apple juice, there are a few great ways to improve the quality of your cider. The two main ways to improve your cider as a homebrewer is to alter the juice you use, whether that\u2019s through buying farm-fresh unfermented cider from an apple orchard or even pressing your own apples (click here to read our guide to the best apples for making hard cider<\/a>), and the other is to try using different yeasts to impart different characteristics to the finished cider. Advanced cider makers benefit greatly from a strong understanding of the effects of yeast on the final product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a ton of great yeast options for hard cider. While there are some great cider-specific yeasts, there are also some really solid beer yeast and white wine yeast options that make great cider. While these yeasts are all great for cider and will thrive in that environment, we recommend adding yeast nutrient for best results. For making a high-alcohol cider, you may want to also consider making a yeast starter. Like anything you ferment, keep it out of direct sunlight and within the stated fermentation temperature range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few of our picks for the best cider yeast, which make cider making easy even for beginners. All of these are designed for making five gallons of cider, which is perfect for most homebrewers. For each, we will provide the achievable alcohol content, the temperature range for fermentation, the price, flocculation, attenuation, and expectations on how each cider tastes depending on the strain of yeast used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best Yeast for Cider Infographic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This infographic provides an overview of the most important pieces of information about each of the recommended cider yeasts below. Click the graphic to download a PDF copy, or continue reading to learn more about each specific yeast strain.<\/p>\n\n\n

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