Simple Cyser

Poobah's Simple Cyser
Original Gravity: 1.086
Final Gravity: 0.993
Alcohol by Vol: 12.2 %

3 Gallons Apple Cider, Unpasteurized
2 lbs Clover Honey
1 lbs Corn Sugar
4 oz White Wine Raisins
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
Yeast: Lalvin D-47 rehydrated with Go-Ferm

Step 1our a half gallon of each jug of cider into fermenter. Add honey, sugar and yeast nutrient to remaining jugs of cider and shake the snot out of them. Add to fermenter along with rehydrated yeast. Aerate well with O2 or air.
Step 2: After 1 month, rack onto raisins. Top off with filtered apple juice.
Step 3: After 1 month rack again. Top off with filtered apple juice.
Step 4: After 1 month bottle/keg if clear. If not clear either wait until it is or cold condition.

Note: No heat or sulfites used. Ready in 3 months but will get better with age. This tastes good still or carbonated. Apples come thru with a little blend of honey. Not as dry tasting as 0.993 would indicate. The raisins give it a little something extra.

When you say filtered apple juice, do you mean any kind? Is this part of the recipe for backsweetening... so pasteurized stuff with preservatives would be fine?

I was looking to make my first cyser. I liked the no heat & no sulfites along with the simple method and ingredients. So, I made this on 7/7/13 with a few slight mods:

3.5g AJ (unfiltered, pasteurized, no additives)
2 lbs orange blossom honey
1 lb brown sugar
Lalvin D-47 rehydrated with water
1.25 tsp ea nutrient and energizer staggered over first couple days
swirling a couple times per day to degass
mid 60's F ferm temps
didn't take SG readings

It's been chugging away since the morning after pitching and smells great. I have high hopes for this one. Thanks Poobah!

I may have to do this one again in the fall. Let us know how it turns out!

dapete said:

I was looking to make my first cyser. I liked the no heat & no sulfites along with the simple method and ingredients. So, I made this on 7/7/13 with a few slight mods:

3.5g AJ (unfiltered, pasteurized, no additives)
2 lbs orange blossom honey
1 lb brown sugar
Lalvin D-47 rehydrated with water
1.25 tsp ea nutrient and energizer staggered over first couple days
swirling a couple times per day to degass
mid 60's F ferm temps
didn't take SG readings

It's been chugging away since the morning after pitching and smells great. I have high hopes for this one. Thanks Poobah!

Click to expand...

When did you pitch your yeast in this recipe, before you added in the nutrient & energizer or after adding them. Also did you add in the nutrient one day then on the next day add in the energizer? Thanks

I'm no expert. Just getting started with Cider & Mead actually.

I pitched the yeast after I got everything in the carboy. I think I started nutrient additions the next day. I divided the total additions and staggered them over three different days. Not very scientific though and all during the first week. When it smelled like sulfur, I figured it needed nutrients. I added nutrient and energizer at the same time.

I racked to a secondary on Monday, 7/29. Hydro sample was just about 1.0000 It tasted mostly yeasty and vinegary, but its very young, so I'm not worried. It was drinkable and I didn't detect any bad flavors. I'm just going to have to be patient and give this one some time.

Thank you for your quick answer, I too am just getting started in mead making and need all the help I can get. So far on this forum I have found lots of great information. Thanks once more, Lewis

won't continuing to add the apple juice make it more cloudy and continue to feed the yeast?? I like the idea of not watering down the product, but I just worry that you'll continue to delay the clearing process. I'm sure it's not a lot, just trying to think the process through for when i give it a shot.

Thanks.

millsbrew said:

won't continuing to add the apple juice make it more cloudy and continue to feed the yeast?? I like the idea of not watering down the product, but I just worry that you'll continue to delay the clearing process. I'm sure it's not a lot, just trying to think the process through for when i give it a shot.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

You need to top off with juice after racking to avoid oxidation. Doesn't take much and doesn't cloud up...

I'm just starting to drink this @5.5 months and, although it tastes great, I think it may need even more time. I still detect some tartness and maybe a yeasty flavor that I hope will mellow. I never went back and added raisins (just forgot) and only racked it once (came out perfectly clear anyway). I let it bulk-age for 4 months before bottling and decided to carb it lightly.
Some of my friends can't get enough though!