Starting too soon!

I cant wait for the apples to start going on sale from the orchards.

So im going to do a test run and make a cyser from frozen concentrate or from concentrate apple juice. Any difference? Opinions ?

I have seen lots of recipes using 100% juice, with no added water, and im abit concerned. Wont all this acid make it difficult for the yeast to do its job ? Im going to be using a more fragile yeast this time Lalvins ICV D47 and dont want to mess things up.

My original plan was to use 50% apple juice, and 50% honey+water to get an SG of around 1.080. I plan to age most of this. Any suggestions ??

I have done several batches of mead with just water + honey and it seemed to ferment fully with lalvin ec 1118, but this ICV D47 is got me abit worried.

You can always experiment and find out

It seems to me like your cyser would end up very diluted with little to no apple taste.

Edit: My recommendation for adding water to frozen concentrate is the obvious one. Use what it recommends on the side of the can.

Well I made meads with no flavours at all, and they came out great when aged for 6+months. Im thinking of not dominating the batch with apple taste.

I made a mead using orange quarters, about 7 large oranges, and just let them soak in the musts while it fermented, i questioned it, "SHOULDNT I JUICE THEM INSTEAD TO IMPART THE FLAVOUR MORE", and I guess no one responded. The turned out product came out great, tastes like a hint of orange zest, can barely notice it though.

Should I use a yeast starter for this one ? Was thinkin of just honey and water but should the starter contain apple juice to get the yeast used to the acid ? ?

I use juice in my starter, mostly because I want to preserve the purity of the must/juice without adding extra water, but also because apples contain enough sugar to feed the yeast. I'm sure you already know (because you've brewed before) but don't forget that you can use yeast nutrient and yeast energizer if you feel that your yeast might need a little help.

Also, if you're concerned about the acidity, you can just use pH test papers and adjust from there.

I would just say with adding honey, your actually diluting the apple flavor, and extending the fermentation, conditioning and clarifying time line. Which with making meads you got it down.
I love a good cyster more than most, but it's not a cider.
If you really want to kick up the flavor and the ABV, just start adding concentrate cans until your ABV meets your hangover expectations.
Just don't be calling me early in the morning becuase your calling in hung-over becuase it tasted sooo goood, but the next morning you can't even find your keys, car, or wallet.

I hate using yeast nutrient, i dont know why! I have some in my fridge still, but I dont like using it. I used it on some lemonade, and some fruitopia wine, and IDK neither turned out very good....im not saying its cuz the nutrient but, i highly doubt marketted beverages have to use DAP/nutrient for their best sellers.

I don't know if commercial brewers use it or not. Yeast nutrients aid in the production of nitrogen and contain lipid. When yeast cells reproduce, they need to absorb lipid that is around them to strengthen their cell wall, which they can get more of from the nutrient powder.

Lemonade and fruitopia wine?? Is fruitopia that juice in a packet stuff that kids drink for school lunches? I'd say stick to the orchard apples

Well if a yeast can ferment fine on its own, then I doubt there is any benefit to the final product if you did help the yeast.

Frutopia is fruit cocktail juice they had a big sale here one day and selling 1.8L jugs for 1$

Sum1Stu said:

Well if a yeast can ferment fine on its own, then I doubt there is any benefit to the final product if you did help the yeast.

Frutopia is fruit cocktail juice they had a big sale here one day and selling 1.8L jugs for 1$

Click to expand...

Fruitopia: Water; High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sucrose, Grape, Pear, Pineapple and Apple Juices from Concentrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Polyphosphates, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate and EDTA

Mine had no preservatives, I checked1

Sum1Stu said:

Well if a yeast can ferment fine on its own, then I doubt there is any benefit to the final product if you did help the yeast.

Frutopia is fruit cocktail juice they had a big sale here one day and selling 1.8L jugs for 1$

Click to expand...

Yeast nutrients can help prevent a stuck fermentation. It's not really something you can predict 100% of the time, so using it on a regular basis can help. It also helps in preventing hydrogen sulfide contamination or "rhino farts" as another forum member noted

Well Ive made my cyser!

Fermenting very very well, I think I used too much yeast but im sure that wont harm!

The recipe is as followed : 3 (330ml) cans of frozen apple concentrate mixed to produce a batch of 2gallons. Tap water as usual, and honey to SG of 1.074, 3/4 AT MOSTpacket yeast. the yeast is SPECIALLY ordered and took me quite awhile to get ahold of its LALVINS ICV D47.

I also made a pink lemonade mead from concentrate to an SG of 1.060, and used the other 1/4 of the packet on it, and it seems to not be going so well. The entire packett was rehydrated, and in a honey water starter for a day. I bet the label lied and there was preservatives in it, either that or its alot more acidy than the apple juice concentrate.

Darn I wish I invested in a wine thief right now......

clearing well now, might rack since its been on the lee's for some time now. A bubble every now and then, pretty sure it has to be under 1.010.

Its pretty good, still young, and taste of yeast is still there.

Suprised me how this doesnt need to be aged at all like other meads, perhasp its because of the lower alcohol 10%-11%.

The finished product has a nice wine-like taste most likely due to the acids, which gives it a nice taste. Using only 50% apple juice the rest honey water was a great idea as the apple flavour doesnt take over, although it would be nice to have a 75-25% mix, problem is to make a cyser most of your fermentables must come from honey, not sugar.

Since I used apple juice concentrate, there was probobly alot of added sugar. The SG of the apple juice when mixed 1 can with 1.5l water gave an SG of a whopping 1.045!!

The sugar to honey ratio is 60% sugar and 40% honey, not a true cyser I know

I gotta try and find me some apple orchards that are selling cider, or better yet buy a bushel or so and have them press it for me