Rasberry Cyser idea, needs some help building on it.

[Bugeaud]

After reading a multitude of posts on ciders (a first for me, never made a cider before), cysers, and melomels, I'm now thinking up a storm about some type of raspberry cyser brewed using ale yeast. But what do all of you think? What spices would go with it (if any)? What would be the best ale yeast for the job? What about the type of honey? How dry/sweet should it be? How well should I expect it to clear after racking etc? Basically anything that you could add that I might consider remotely helpful would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[WIMARIPA]

I'm super excited about my cranberry ginger graff mead that is bubbling away in secondary now. For my money I think a great way to balance a tart fruit (such as cranberry or fermented raspberry) is with some malt. But I can't say from experience thus far, still waiting for results.

 

[Bugeaud]

Hmm, well, be sure to update me on how that goes. Would you care to share your recipe though? (Or um, link me if there is already a topic on it)

 

[WIMARIPA]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/cranberry-ginger-ale-cyser-275379/

here is the link to that cranberry experiment:

That being said I also have some blackberry going that is just some blackberries with honey and cider that I think will be good as well. As long as you are adhering to good sanitation and fermentation practices you will end up with a drinkable product. It all depends on what kind of style you are going for and how soon you are looking to drink it.

(sorry about the late reply, I've been away)

 

[WIMARIPA]

As far as your other questions I would go with a clean fermenting ale yeast, add fruit in secondary, some pectin enzyme with the fruit and time will help it clear as long as you aren't heating it. I've been fermenting my stuff to dryness and then stabilizing and sweetening and adding acid to taste with pretty good results. I always like the idea of mixing some red fruit with thyme although the only things I have under my belt are some vodka thyme infusions with raspberries and strawberries that turned out well so you'd be forging ahead on that front too if you try it. I personally can't think of any other spices that I would really think would add too much to the raspberry cider, but if anything tickles your fancy you should try it.


Raspberry Wine: How the pros do it | Washington Winemaker
also this post might help you if just think of your cyser as wine with the water (and some of the raspberries) replaced by cider and the sugar by honey, but that tis still a ton of raspberries they are using

 

[Atek]

The easiest way in my opinion would be to make a standard cyser, ferment it dry, then rack onto raspberries in secondary. Let sit until white and taste, if more raspberry flavor is desired rack onto more raspberries. Then sweeten to taste. Maybe?

 

[Bugeaud]

The easiest way in my opinion would be to make a standard cyser, ferment it dry, then rack onto raspberries in secondary. Let sit until white and taste, if more raspberry flavor is desired rack onto more raspberries. Then sweeten to taste. Maybe?

As far as your other questions I would go with a clean fermenting ale yeast, add fruit in secondary, some pectin enzyme with the fruit and time will help it clear as long as you aren't heating it.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about racking the cyser onto raspberries in the secondary. Figured it would give a bit more of a fresh raspberry taste I'm going for, instead of raspberry wine taste, But I'm not really sure, so I think I will try two one gallon batches one I will rack onto raspberries, and the other I will ferment with raspberries. Couldn't really hurt to try.

 

[BoxMan]

Try it out yet?

I'm planning on giving this a shot pretty soon, so I'm just curious.

 

[Bugeaud]

Yeah, I did. (Sorry, i just tend to leave my posts dormant lol.) But yeah, I ended up just making a one gallon batch, using nottingham ale yeast racking onto raspberries. Apple juice and honey from the grocery store. It came out an amber sort of color with a red tinge. Big raspberry nose, with predominant undertones of the honey. Very good, and very easy to drink. I'm going to age it for a year. Well, try to anyways lol.

 

[Atek]

Yeah, I did. (Sorry, i just tend to leave my posts dormant lol.) But yeah, I ended up just making a one gallon batch, using nottingham ale yeast racking onto raspberries. Apple juice and honey from the grocery store. It came out an amber sort of color with a red tinge. Big raspberry nose, with predominant undertones of the honey. Very good, and very easy to drink. I'm going to age it for a year. Well, try to anyways lol.

Do you have any gravity stats? ABV? Pics?

 

[Bugeaud]

No sorry, poor and/or lazy mead maker here.

 

[GeneDaniels1963]

wanting to resurrect an old thread here.

Did the OP finish out their Cyser? How did it turn out?

I am thinking about making a low ABV raspberry Cyser. 2 lbs of honey in 1 gal water, then rack onto pure raspberry juice 2 times. Should end up around 11%

What do you think?

 

[madscientist451]

So you are making a Cyser with honey, apple juice and water?
Or are you making a mead and then racking it on to the fruit?
2 lbs of honey plus a gallon of water should be a little under 11% ABV if it ferments all the way, but when you add fruit juice, you are increasing the volume, so your final ABV will be less than 11% unless you also add some more honey.
I recently made a low ABV mead, about 6%, and racked it on to raspberries when the mead stopped fermenting. The resulting taste is way too acidic and tart for me and I was going to blend it with some beer, BUT my G/F likes it so I left it alone.

 

[Shine0n]

Raspberries have a very strange taste imho when left alone or not sweet enough. I had to back sweeten mine to ballance it out.
Way to tart but I bet with a good cider it could be just about right.

I like the sound of this combo and my finish it off in my barrel.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

As far as your other questions I would go with a clean fermenting ale yeast, add fruit in secondary, some pectin enzyme with the fruit and time will help it clear as long as you aren't heating it. I've been fermenting my stuff to dryness and then stabilizing and sweetening and adding acid to taste with pretty good results. I always like the idea of mixing some red fruit with thyme although the only things I have under my belt are some vodka thyme infusions with raspberries and strawberries that turned out well so you'd be forging ahead on that front too if you try it. I personally can't think of any other spices that I would really think would add too much to the raspberry cider, but if anything tickles your fancy you should try it.


Raspberry Wine: How the pros do it | Washington Winemaker
also this post might help you if just think of your cyser as wine with the water (and some of the raspberries) replaced by cider and the sugar by honey, but that tis still a ton of raspberries they are using

Whoa, that is a lot of raspberries! I've got maybe a third that many in the blackberry mead I've got in secondary.

 

[Shine0n]

In a recent batch I used 25 lb for 5 gallon.
15 in primary and 10 in secondary.

Racking loss was pretty significant but the end results were well worth it.