Want to make a Cyser

1234 · 11-21-2009, 10:25 PM

I have never tasted a cyser or a mead, but for some reason I am dying to make a cyser. I love a nice hard cider and kicking it up a notch sounds like fun. Can somebody help me with a recipe and some instructions? How long from start to finish? Thanks for any help you can provide.

**summersolstice** · 11-22-2009, 12:29 AM

Check out the mead recipes section.

1234 · 11-22-2009, 08:43 PM

I did check out the mead recipe section, but I couldn't find anything. Maybe I need to check again.

**jezter6** · 11-22-2009, 09:15 PM

All from the recipe area:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/easy-campside-honey-cyser-136212/
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/cyser-question-131105/
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/simple-cyser-98464/

1066NormanInvader · 11-23-2009, 07:23 PM

I just made a simple cyser. Five gallons of good, no preservative cider, 2lbs of honey and dry wine yeast. Let is sit for a couple of weeks and then move to a secondary for a couple of months. It came out tasting like a dry white wine with apple flavoring. Awesome for turkey dinners!

Emerald · 11-23-2009, 09:05 PM

I just made a one gallon cyser first(9-20-09) and it was:
2lbs wildflower honey
1/4 teaspoon citric acid
1 12oz container of thawed frozen apple juice concentrate (non diluted)
and most of a 3 quart jug of apple juice.
it is clear now and I racked off the lees about a week or so ago and when I topped off I topped with another almost 12oz of the thawed frozen apple juice concentrate, I have it airlocked and aging out of sight-- but the taste test was good (little hot/strong but nice honey/apple after taste) and I am going to have to hide it from myself to let it age well!

Kauai_Kahuna · 11-24-2009, 07:37 AM

I always thought to be a cyser you needed more than 50% honey.
I just made a 5 gallon batch with 3.5 lbs of amber honey and I'm thinking it only bumped up the OG by maybe 1/2.
Now that middle recipe of 15 lbs honey to 4 gallons cider is what I would call an imperial cyser.
I would think 6 lbs honey, 5 lbs cider, let it ferment in primary till its down to SG 1.015, rack, wait till it clears, bottle, wait until you can't wait any more.

I think I'll call mine "A Wannabe Cyser", or "Cyser light".

**summersolstice** · 11-24-2009, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kauai_Kahuna

I always thought to be a cyser you needed more than 50% honey.

No, the BJCP guidlines don't specify ratios at all. Any combination of honey and apple juice results in a cyser with the results being classified according to strength:

Standard description applies. Cyser is a standard mead made with the addition of apples or apple juice. Traditionally, cysers are made by the addition of honey to apple juice without additional water. A spiced cyser, or a cyser with other ingredients, should be entered as an Open Category Mead.