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Vox · 12-06-2012, 01:41 PM

I put some nutrients in there to help out as well.

aceparadis · 12-06-2012, 02:39 PM

Here is my recipe, I use Staggered nutirent additions also.

Start with 3 Gal of Cider and pitch wyeast 3787, let it grow to a strong healtlhy fermentation, 2-3 days. Add 6.5 lbs of honey and let it do its thing. About a week. When it starts slowing down, start a 2 gallon batch of cider with 2 pounds of honey in it, pitch 71-B. When that is fermenting very strong add it to the original 3 Gals of cyser. The 71-B should compleatly take over the ale yeast. When the full 5 gal is fermenting very strong add anounther 6.5 pounds of honey and let it ferment out.

Rack off the lees once fermentation is compleat as 71-B is not suitable for sur lees. Age it for a few months.

Tastes like cotton candy.

ColbyJack · 12-06-2012, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aceparadis

Tastes like cotton candy.

What color, pink or blue??? Haha. Seriously, what's the flavor really? Does ceyser still taste like cider? Is it a new animal altogether?

Vox · 01-07-2013, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greghark

Pretty much yes, cyser is a brew where the sugar comes from apple juice and honey. Now there are a lyt of technical definitions you can get into as well. But that is close enough. You can get into knockdown brawls over whether it is cider with honey our mead with apples, regardless it is good.

As to recipes, generally speaking the strength can be anywhere from 6-16% depending upon the amount of honey (and other sugar source you use). The more honey added the more honey flavor. And you do taste the honey provided you have added enough. Just like ciders there are plenty of different flavors to honey so choose wisely and maybe check out a thread or two in the mead forum to pick one.

I make a batch I call "Dude where's my pants!"
Start with 4 1/2 gallons of good juice. And campden and do whatever chemistry you prefer to get it ready to go.
Next, get a half gallon of something like motts or some other clear able juice to heat (i don't like heating good juice because it affects the constancy and flavor IMO). To the heated juice add 4# of dark brown sugar and 4# of orange blossom honey. Make sure it has all desolved. Take off the heat and cool.
When everything is ready add all the juice together in 5 gallon carboy. Pitch good champagne yeast (personal preferences is white labs wlp 715, always works for me).
Sit back and watch.
I rack after a month and rack again or bottle, depending upon clarity, after another month.

This cyser is high in alcohol and thick in the mouth more like a port so sip don't chug. It has a good honey smell and finishes slightly sweet but still has a low final gravity.
I make this one for christmas gifts every year. I bottle in regular beer bottles but caution drinkers in advance. Great desert drink.

I'm going to try some lighter cysers this season. Depending upon your taste, some folks use maple syrup, agave, or similar sugars to add to there ciders our to brew clean with water. Try what you liked and expirement whenever you can. Just remember it must be real sugars for the yeast to do it's business.

Isn't science great!

I took a sample of my batch that I made 12/05/12 yesterday and my wine thief showed a couple inches of honey at the bottom. I know I need to rack it to the secondary soon. Do I need to stir it before I rack to make sure the honey at the bottom transfers to the secondary? Also, is it ok to use a brew pale as a secondary with a cyser? I know typically buckets are not optimal for a secondary as there is more of a risk of oxidation with more surface area as opposed to a carboy.

jackfrost · 01-14-2013, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vox

Is this a slow starter? 18 hours since slapping the airlock on and no bubbling going on yet.

How dis this turn out?

Vox · 01-16-2013, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackfrost

How dis this turn out?

I need to rack it to the secondary, but here is a pic I took yesterday.

Vox · 01-19-2013, 04:53 AM

Do I need to stir this at any point to mix the honey in? I would think no since you risk oxygenating it, but when I took a sample, there was a layer of honey at the bottom. Will this be a problem when I rack to the secondary?

aceparadis · 01-23-2013, 05:04 PM

Colby, it tastes like the pink kind.

ColbyJack · 01-25-2013, 04:09 PM

Yummy.

Vox · 01-26-2013, 10:35 PM

Does anyone know if I need to stir before racking to mix the honey in that's at the bottom?