Pure Madness? THIS IS CINNAMON CYSER!!!

Cleaning out my brew closet listening to Fallout 3 music I came across 3 forgotten bottles of an attempt at a Cinnamon Cyser. It was bottled around 4/13. Crystal clear yellow up until you reach the bottom which seemed to have a layer of god knows what that lingered from the Krudsen Apple Juice I used to make this. The taste is incredible and one of the few drinks I've made that actually warms you up. Strong cinnamon nose but very subtle flavor, nice apple bite and after taste is very smooth cinnamon, Sort of like a cross between an apple pie and melted butter cinnamon toast.

This was a 1gal recipe and now finding myself with 4 empty carboys and a list of projects in mind, I really want to try and recreate this. I just have terrible skills when it comes to scaling recipes. The original called for the following.

3lbs mountain fireweed honey
5grams lalvlin d-47 yeast
½ tsp fermaid K
10-15 raisins or yeast nutrient
1gl krudsen apple juice
8 sticks cinnamon (4 in primary, 4 in secondary)


So if I were to double this the honey would be safe(I assume) at roughly 15-16lbs. But the crazy part, the part I feel would make most people's eyes bug out is the thought of 40 cinnamon sticks (20 in primary, 20 in secondary) Insane? Possible. However if it gives me Blue eyes and the ability to ride worms I do believe I can check off a Dune mead from my to-do list and I'll call it "Water of Life"

Any thoughts on the cinnamon ratio, scaling recipe, fear and loathing? Thank you in advance.

 

the cinnamon might seem like a lot but since you're not boiling it or steeping it, it's not going to be really harsh. Whatever floats your boat...or in this case shai'halud. Good luck.

 

Personally 10 cinnamon sticks, half/half for primary and secondary I would bet is plenty. Just as long as you let them sit in secondary for a month or two before racking off them. Everything else can be scaled easily just by multiplying it by the number of gallons you want to make. I might use a few more raisins per gallon but that is just me. I would use like 25ish raisins per gallon or better yet nix them and use DAP at 1tsp/gallon as your yeast nutrient source.

 

I have some apple juice I have been waiting to find the right recipe to use it in. This sounds like a winner since I like cinnamon and I am a beekeeper so honey sits around everywhere.

Would you share the rest of your process?

Thanks

 

I made pretty much the same thing in march, just sampled it two days ago, like you I had forgotten about it. I used 5# wildflower honey in a 2 gallon batch, ceylon cinnamon, the water steeped in hibiscus for color. I was considering adding a pinch of cayenne for kick, but it has plenty. I originally made this for an xmas present for the mother in law, who loves Fireball whiskey (cinnamon flavored whiskey) Now Im keeping a gl for me!
I cant believe how awesome it tastes, I'm going to bottle it in clear flip tops, still and dry, come november.

 

Looking back at my notes I heated 64oz of apple juice on the stove too roughly 150, took off the heat and added the honey, Don't have to but was told at the time it really helps it dissolve faster. Once cooled I added to the carboy and filled to pretty close to the neck. Had to remember to leave room for the cinnamon. Funny enough I didn't use the raisins listed as planned, I didn't care to look at the box I picked up and later saw it was craisins. So I used fermaid k and pectic enzyme. rehydrated the yeast and left it alone for 2 weeks.

The original gravity was 1.140. I gave it 2 weeks in primary with 4 cinnamon sticks, and then a full month in secondary with 4 cinnamon sticks. Two other brewers were working on similar ideas and used different methods. One gave his 2 weeks primary, 2 weeks secondary and bottled. Another went 1 month each. Both seemed happy with their results I just went with what seemed to work well for me in the past.

this stuff finished at 1.030 which was fine by me as I wanted this a bit sweet, but believe me it's not sickeningly sweet what so ever. Mellowed out really nicely in fact.

If I can help with anything more lemme know. Hunting down cinnamon on the web and planning a visit to my honey source, he said he still had a few things left of mountain fireweed honey.


On a side note when I brought this up to a few friends and our LHBS some suggested steeping the cinnamon or soaking it in vodka. Just their experience to help against possible infection. I didn't have any problems just tossing them in but never know.

 

Thanks. As soon as I get some equipment free I want to try this.