Ingredient list:
1 gallon wildflower honey (12 lbs)
5 gallons Musselmans "Fresh Pressed" 100% apple cider
2 lbs Amber DME
3 tbs yeast nutrient
1 tbs organic bee pollen
Pectin enzyme powder
1 tsp yeast energizer
1.5 tsp tannin extract powder
1 tbs acid blend (tartaric, malic stuff sold LHBS)
1 tsp Penzey's Double Strength Vanilla
3 packets Red Star Premier Cuvee
Water
D1/D2 Kieselsol/ Chitosan
PREPARATION:
Add honey to 4 gallons of Musselmans "Fresh Pressed" 100% Apple Cider. Dissolve completely in larger carboy. To this, add half of yeast nutrient, 1 tbs bee pollen (all of it!) tannin, acid blend, pectin enzyme. In a separate carboy, dissolve 2 pounds amber DME in remaining apple cider and the other half of yeast nutrient, tannin, acid blend and pectin enzyme.
Begin yeast starter with 2 packets Red Star Premier Cuvee, a pinch of yeast energizer and nutrient and about a tbs worth of amber DME or use turbinado sugar. Aerate this in about a quart of water for half hour. Pitch this into your first carboy after complete rehydration of yeast and activity starts. (aerate your secondary carboy with the amber DME and cider for about 1/2 hour before you mix to primary carboy later...)
Once fermentation begins in primary carboy with honey, cider and list of additives, pour into larger vessel. I went from 5 gal plastic beer carboys to the 7.8 gal conical fermenter. Simply POUR and be sure to really agitate and de-gas it. It took about 2 days for my must to really get fizzling. Important note is DO NOT ADD the secondary carboy to this first one until you have a strong fermentation going. This is a pretty high gravity ferment and Premier Cuvee wants to choke some. (my first attempts at this resulted in stuck ferments without doing this staggered additions)
Add the secondary to your first. Add water to top off to 6.5 gallons, or 7 depending on your SG. My must was about 1.120~1.124 (checked before by taking sample of each mixed to get estimated total SG) If your SG is over this, it would be better to add a touch more water to help prevent yeast choking.
4 days into fermentation, add your vanilla extract and last packet of Premier Cuvee yeast. Sprinkle yeast directly into must and stir in.
14 days water trap slowed to about a bubble per minute. During the first 7 days I de-gassed the mead by stirring.
14 days later...STILL BUBBLING ABOUT SAME...
then it stopped. Check your SG after 30 days. You need to be between 1.015~1.025. Past 1.025 it is too syrupy initially.
30 days later...take your kieselsol and chitosan and fine your mead. I fined only once and at this point (60 days into this) the mead was cleared. Stabilize with potassium sorbate and campden as per your volume to achieve stability.
WHAT TO EXPECT...
I made this liquid amber cyser on 7/27/2015. At Christmas 2015 we opened up a bottle. The mouthfeel is heavy, yet smooth, not syrupy tasting but sweet, just HEAVY. Taste of wild flowers, honey, reminiscent of healthy beehive smell (I keep bees and if you do too then you will instantly know this smell!) hints of vanilla and malt nuances. Please note this mead is pretty heady: don't drive after having a glass of this mead. The heaviness and smoothness masks the high alcohol content of this.
Picture will be posted once I open another bottle and do a 7-8 month evaluation.
Enjoy!
1 gallon wildflower honey (12 lbs)
5 gallons Musselmans "Fresh Pressed" 100% apple cider
2 lbs Amber DME
3 tbs yeast nutrient
1 tbs organic bee pollen
Pectin enzyme powder
1 tsp yeast energizer
1.5 tsp tannin extract powder
1 tbs acid blend (tartaric, malic stuff sold LHBS)
1 tsp Penzey's Double Strength Vanilla
3 packets Red Star Premier Cuvee
Water
D1/D2 Kieselsol/ Chitosan
PREPARATION:
Add honey to 4 gallons of Musselmans "Fresh Pressed" 100% Apple Cider. Dissolve completely in larger carboy. To this, add half of yeast nutrient, 1 tbs bee pollen (all of it!) tannin, acid blend, pectin enzyme. In a separate carboy, dissolve 2 pounds amber DME in remaining apple cider and the other half of yeast nutrient, tannin, acid blend and pectin enzyme.
Begin yeast starter with 2 packets Red Star Premier Cuvee, a pinch of yeast energizer and nutrient and about a tbs worth of amber DME or use turbinado sugar. Aerate this in about a quart of water for half hour. Pitch this into your first carboy after complete rehydration of yeast and activity starts. (aerate your secondary carboy with the amber DME and cider for about 1/2 hour before you mix to primary carboy later...)
Once fermentation begins in primary carboy with honey, cider and list of additives, pour into larger vessel. I went from 5 gal plastic beer carboys to the 7.8 gal conical fermenter. Simply POUR and be sure to really agitate and de-gas it. It took about 2 days for my must to really get fizzling. Important note is DO NOT ADD the secondary carboy to this first one until you have a strong fermentation going. This is a pretty high gravity ferment and Premier Cuvee wants to choke some. (my first attempts at this resulted in stuck ferments without doing this staggered additions)
Add the secondary to your first. Add water to top off to 6.5 gallons, or 7 depending on your SG. My must was about 1.120~1.124 (checked before by taking sample of each mixed to get estimated total SG) If your SG is over this, it would be better to add a touch more water to help prevent yeast choking.
4 days into fermentation, add your vanilla extract and last packet of Premier Cuvee yeast. Sprinkle yeast directly into must and stir in.
14 days water trap slowed to about a bubble per minute. During the first 7 days I de-gassed the mead by stirring.
14 days later...STILL BUBBLING ABOUT SAME...
then it stopped. Check your SG after 30 days. You need to be between 1.015~1.025. Past 1.025 it is too syrupy initially.
30 days later...take your kieselsol and chitosan and fine your mead. I fined only once and at this point (60 days into this) the mead was cleared. Stabilize with potassium sorbate and campden as per your volume to achieve stability.
WHAT TO EXPECT...
I made this liquid amber cyser on 7/27/2015. At Christmas 2015 we opened up a bottle. The mouthfeel is heavy, yet smooth, not syrupy tasting but sweet, just HEAVY. Taste of wild flowers, honey, reminiscent of healthy beehive smell (I keep bees and if you do too then you will instantly know this smell!) hints of vanilla and malt nuances. Please note this mead is pretty heady: don't drive after having a glass of this mead. The heaviness and smoothness masks the high alcohol content of this.
Picture will be posted once I open another bottle and do a 7-8 month evaluation.
Enjoy!
