Cotes des Blanc Wine Yeast for a Beer?

[Tom from Raleigh]

Hey Fellow BN'ers-

My first cider is fermenting now. I bought 4.5 gallons of cider from stores and added 3 lbs of sugar and a pound of honey. In a month, I'll either have a warming cider or rocket fuel. I pitched a dry wine yeast, Cote des Blanc (aka Epernay II) along with some yeast nutrient. So far so good.

I thought I could brew up something pale and Belgiany, along the lines of a saison or a tripel. Has anyone tried to used this yeast to make beer? I don't remember if Shea Comfort mentions this on the 2008 Session appearance. Here's a link to the pdf info sheet: http://www.fermentis.com/FO/pdf/RedStar ... ancsEN.pdf

I've often thought of using cider to grow a starter. This is discouraged, since the yeast supposedly "forgets" how to eat maltose. I'd also like to test this idea.

[cornhole]

TFR,

I think (from my memory) Shea mentions during that show that yeast doesn't eat maltose to begin with, but will be able to do the finishing work nicely.