Apple mead (semi-cyser)

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Hello Everybody!

I'm new into mead making, but I will take the plunge tomorrow. I have thought out a recipe (for about 5 litres) which I think is almost fool proof:

3 litres water
0.75 litres Apple Juice (not from concentrate)
1.8 kg organic wildflower honey
Juice from one organic lemon
Kitzinger Sauternes yeast

These ingredients will be used from the start. Later on, when I have got the mead moved from the first carboy to the second one, I will add cubes of fresh apples to get a freshness to the mead - BUT I'm worried about wild yeast would make it ferment a second time, should I skip this step?

My hopes are that it will make a "fresh", mild flavored medium-sweet mead.

Are there anything I should be aware of regarding my homemade recipe?
 
Even when adding fruit to secondary carboy as long as your Sauternes yeast are viable , and they should be, they will ferment that sugar. So you may consider adding apples to carboy allow to ferment dry, let mead clear (rack per process) and then stabilize with k-meta and sorbate and then sweeten it up with perhaps apple juice concentrate or a honey/juice syrup.
 
Thanks for the advice so far!

When should I add the nutrient? (I have bought some VinoFerm Nutrisal - it's Diammoniumphosphate)
 
I suspect that the apple flavour will pretty much be lost.

I'd suggest changing it too honey and apple juice only.

The nutrient you mention sounds like its from brouwland. They have one thats almost all DAP and another one thats more of a combined one that has other non-nitrogen elements......the later is better if one one is used........
 
Marshmallow: How do I know when I reach the 1/3 sugar break? With my Hydrometer?

fatbloke: I think I will take a try with the apple juice ratio for this time - learning by burning ;) The nutrient is bought in a little shop in Denmark, and it was the only type he had.
 
I just maked a 5 litre batch yesterday. The OG was 1.111. How long will it take before the bubble begin in the airlock?
 
And I think the fermentation has started, there is a slightly uneven activity in the airlock, but I think it's okay :) 9-10 hours since I added the yeast.
 
When using fruit juices, it depends on their provenance but, people will often sulphite it first for at least 24 hours, to prevent any possible contamination from wild yeasts that fruit often carries on the skins.

Not necessary if it's carton juice from a store/supermarket.

Equally, people also will often add pectic enzyme before it's fermented, as they use less of it and it will work more efficiently without the presence of alcohol.....

If a batch of must or even just the juice has been sulphited before fermentation the waiting period is too allow the sulphites to dissipate.

The time between pitching the yeast and actually seeing signs of active fermentation is known as "lag phase"......... Which can be as little as an hour, to many days.......

Yeast is a natural substance after all, and doesn't like being pushed around.....
 
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