Starting a cyser tomorrow.

[Brett_Bellmore]

It's my first one. So, aside from the usual nutrients and yeast, I take it I just use apple cider (I had some in the freezer from when we went apple picking.) instead of water, and adjust the amount of honey to get a reasonable starting specific gravity, say about 1.10, and that's about it?

Anything I should watch out for?

 

[Seamonkey84]

It’ll foam a lot, make sure there’s plenty of headspace if your primary is a carboy. Or start it in a bucket and transfer when the bubbling calms down.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

It’ll foam a lot, make sure there’s plenty of headspace if your primary is a carboy. Or start it in a bucket and transfer when the bubbling calms down.

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll be doing it in a FastFerment conical, but I'll leave extra headspace.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Anything I should watch out for?

Me. Showing up unannounced, with an empty glass in hand.....once it's ready of course.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

No worry, if you did, I'd fill it.

I'm actually kind of stoked, my wife originally just tolerated this hobby, but the last week she spontaneously moved things around to make more room for me in the closet where I keep my fermenters and bottles, asked if I didn't need to buy more bottles, and put in a request for this cyser. I think it was the cranberry orange mead that did it, she really likes that one.

She did say I needed to age the stuff a bit longer, but didn't blink when I pointed out that meant I'd have to start making it faster than we were drinking it.

 

[AzOr]

Don’t drink them all too quickly. My first batch ( I believe it was Schramm’s recipe) was good at about 4 months but it was great st about 6-9 months. The honey developed a richer flavor and it was delicious both carbed and still.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

Well, that was interesting: I pitched it twice, Monday then Tuesday, and nothing. Looked at the cider jugs: Preservatives, even though I bought it right at the orchard.

Wednesday night I was considering whether to just toss it in some jugs in the freezer, and plan on mulling it for holidays, and I peek in the closet this morning to find it perking away.

Usually I've got a decent rate of fermentation by the day after pitching. Never had it take this long and then suddenly just take off like nothing was wrong.

 

[Seamonkey84]

What was the preservative?

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

Sodium Benzoate.

 

[Maylar]

A friend of mine forced his benzoate laced cider to ferment by massive over pitching yeast and making a big starter.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

A friend of mine forced his benzoate laced cider to ferment by massive over pitching yeast and making a big starter.

I may have done that myself without realizing it was the cure.

I looked up how sodium benzoate works, living cells concentrate it and get poisoned by having their ph shift too much. So I suppose the excess yeast when you over-pitch captures all the benzoate, and lets the survivors reproduce.

I should dump the dead yeast out of the bottom of the fermenter tomorrow morning.

 

[Seamonkey84]

Don’t try to get the dead yeast out, it’ll be in suspension anyway from all the carbonation being generated.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

Don’t try to get the dead yeast out, it’ll be in suspension anyway from all the carbonation being generated.

Actually, quite a bit of it dropped out before the fermentation started, due to the first pitch being a dud. But, looking at it closely, it does look like there's some activity there, so I'll leave it be for now.

 

[Blacksmith1]

No worry, if you did, I'd fill it.

I'm actually kind of stoked, my wife originally just tolerated this hobby, but the last week she spontaneously moved things around to make more room for me in the closet where I keep my fermenters and bottles, asked if I didn't need to buy more bottles, and put in a request for this cyser. I think it was the cranberry orange mead that did it, she really likes that one.

She did say I needed to age the stuff a bit longer, but didn't blink when I pointed out that meant I'd have to start making it faster than we were drinking it.

First, my harley says you're in riding distance.
Second, sounds alot like my wife and I.