Just finishing up a American Ale and was told by another homebrewer that I could use the yeast cake in the fermentor to brew a hard apple cider when I transfered the beer to bottles for conditioning. The yeast I used was a Wyeast activator pack 1272 american 2. Is this true and does anyone have any suggestions.
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I frequently re-use yeast cakes. It obviates the need for a starter and allows fermentation to start much quicker. It may also reduce the need for thorough aeration of the wort since the yeast have already reproduced to large numbers.
However reusing a yeast cake from a beer for a batch of cider is likely to introduce different flavors to your cider. In particular I would be concerned about hops flavors/aftertaste. This may or may not be a negative thing to you, depending upon taste. It's safer to reuse yeast cakes for similar styles to avoid this.
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Sorry, downvoted accidentally and I can't figure out how to undo it. – Denny Conn Apr 05 '12 at 04:10
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@denny conn, you can undo the downvote within 5 minutes by clicking on the downvote icon again. or after the answer has been edited. – mdma Apr 05 '12 at 10:03
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1You can wash the yeast to remove most of the hop residue. This will help prevent beer flavors in your cider. – FishesCycle Apr 05 '12 at 14:13
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@DennyConn i upvoted to counter your accidental downvote. I also probably would have upvoted because of the comment about hop flavor in cider. – tomcocca Apr 05 '12 at 16:37
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Can I just add store bought apple juce or do I have to simmer it first? – Husker Steve Apr 07 '12 at 20:35