Hey Everyone!!

[Emina]

Just a quick question, can you add honey to your cider mix as well as sugar. I'm new at all this and thought it would add favour but not sure if it would ruin it???

Thanks

 

[bottlebomber]

Just a quick question, can you add honey to your cider mix as well as sugar. I'm new at all this and thought it would add favour but not sure if it would ruin it???

Thanks

What kind of quantity are you taking about? I added 10 lbs of honey to one of my fermenters full of cider and it rocks. It's mead at that point, or cyser I guess. I would add honey before sugar for sure. The only reason people add sugar to cider is because they want to get drunk for cheap .

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

The only reason people add sugar to cider is because they want to get drunk for cheap .

I don't think that's a completely fair statement. I use brown sugar in my ciders for a caramel flavor. Not just to up the buzz.

 

[bottlebomber]

I don't think that's a completely fair statement. I use brown sugar in my ciders for a caramel flavor. Not just to up the buzz.

Ok, true. Sometimes people use it to up the flavor. But 9 times out of 10 when sugar is added to cider it is because someone wants to get drunk quick.

 

[divi2323]

Ok, true. Sometimes people use it to up the flavor. But 9 times out of 10 when sugar is added to cider it is because someone wants to get drunk quick.

I love the portrayal of a forum full of drunks just because we add sugar to our beverage of choice.

It also serves no purpose to this thread to make such an off kilter statement.

 

[bottlebomber]

Ok let me revise my statement. The only reason people add sugar to cider is to provide the OPTION to get more drunk, for more cheap.

 

[matrim]

Or because they just don't know any better.

I honestly thought sugar offered a valid - simply different - flavour from honey or other fermentables.

But then again, I do enjoy getting drunk.

 

[bottlebomber]

Or because they just don't know any better.

I honestly thought sugar offered a valid - simply different - flavour from honey or other fermentables.

But then again, I do enjoy getting drunk.

The only real discernable flavor you'll get from white sugar and dextrose, is a nail polish flavor if you overdo it. Honey, brown sugar and maple syrup offer some flavor.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Just a quick question, can you add honey to your cider mix as well as sugar. I'm new at all this and thought it would add favour but not sure if it would ruin it???

Thanks

Yes you can add honey, no it won't ruin it. Odds are good that the honey won't add much flavour as it's abot 99.8% fermentable, but you MIGHT get a wee bit of flavour out of it, depending on your method & yeast strain.
You'd actually get more honey flavour by using honey malt in your cider. I've actually done this & had some pretty good results.
Regards, GF.

 

[WIMARIPA]

If you've ever had a dry mead you know that while the sugars may be 99.8% fermentable the flavored are not.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

If you've ever had a dry mead you know that while the sugars may be 99.8% fermentable the flavored are not.

He's not making mead, he's making cider. Unless he adds a $hitload of honey, which would turn it into something closer to a cyser, odds are pretty good the added honey will not contribute any detectable flavour to the cider.
Regards, GF.

 

[WIMARIPA]

Your point about the fermentability of honey causing it to have no flavor is still way off base. Of course the relative amount of whatever sugar source you use will determine how much flavor it adds to the finished product. This is totally different from saying that there is no flavor because it has fermented away. And I, for one, will vouch that I can tell the difference in flavor (not just abv) between my plain ciders and my cysers to which I have added a pound of honey per gallon.

 

[Fizzycist]

This argument is way above the pay grade for this OP's question. Emina, go nuts! Throw in some honey, brown sugar, fruit syrup (no preservatives). Do whatever you want. Either you'll like it, or you won't even be able to taste it. I do between half a pound and a pound of brown sugar for my 5 gallon cider batches.

 

[WIBeerGeek]

Or because they just don't know any better.

I honestly thought sugar offered a valid - simply different - flavour from honey or other fermentables.

But then again, I do enjoy getting drunk.

Hey, I just added sugar to my first batch for a slight increase in added fermentables, even then it was only 3 tbsp in a 3 gallon batch..

Heck, most of the suggestions on here call for far more sugar than that.