tastes like some one poured dirt in my Carboy

[Firstnten]

I just bottles 5 gallons of cider 5 lb's honey, I left a cinnamon stick on the secondary for about a year. Big mistake, it's drinkable but tastes kinda musty can't really describe it other than a bad off taste. Anyone else have a situation similar?

 

[RukusDM]

I just bottles 5 gallons of cider 5 lb's honey, I left a cinnamon stick on the secondary for about a year. Big mistake, it's drinkable but tastes kinda musty can't really describe it other than a bad off taste. Anyone else have a situation similar?

What kind of yeast did you use? What was the ABV%? Final SG?

I have one that I made with Champagne yeast that I hope will mellow after several months. Its ok, but not what I would chose to drink. The ABV was fairly high.

I have read that cysers take a while to mellow.

 

[Fletch78]

That's definitely the honey. You've made a cyser, as Rukus said. Those are really good but need age to mellow out. I've got one about a year old and it's still a little gamey.

Musty, Carpet, Mold, etc. That's textbook honey fermentation without age or other methods of mead making.

 

[Fletch78]

Oh wait... a year this has been in secondary? Forget whatever I just said. I don't know.

 

[RukusDM]

I just bottles 5 gallons of cider 5 lb's honey, I left a cinnamon stick on the secondary for about a year. Big mistake, it's drinkable but tastes kinda musty can't really describe it other than a bad off taste. Anyone else have a situation similar?

I missed the 1 year aging as well. Maybe its just the cinnamon. I never tried spices. I have a hard enough time getting it right with just the basics

 

[Firstnten]

I missed the 1 year aging as well. Maybe its just the cinnamon. I never tried spices. I have a hard enough time getting it right with just the basics

ABV = 12

Is was just a year this month...BUT the carpet mold thing you're describing is exactly the taste maybe it needs more time to "mello"

 

[Fletch78]

Unless it fermented really slowly, and thus hasn't necessarily aged that long because it hadn't finished fermenting, then I don't know what to tell you. The musty moldy character should definitely be gone within a year of fermentation. Did you use buckwheat honey? I've read that has a funky character for a long time, but I've never used it.

 

[Fletch78]

You might want to post a link to this question in the Mead Forum.

 

[Firstnten]

You might want to post a link to this question in the Mead Forum.

It was clove honey. I'm gonna let it sit for another six months before I try it again. I have a five Gallon batch I made with molasses I can suck on until then. I need to get to the orchard and start more batches before it's too late.

Think I'm gonna stick with regular sugar this year, I've never had poor results with that.

 

[RukusDM]

It was clove honey. I'm gonna let it sit for another six months before I try it again. I have a five Gallon batch I made with molasses I can suck on until then. I need to get to the orchard and start more batches before it's too late.

Think I'm gonna stick with regular sugar this year, I've never had poor results with that.

I had been wondering about Cider with Molasses. How does that taste? I tried with brown sugar, but it was a tad bitter. That was with Champagne yeast though. Seems like everything I do with Champagne yeast its a touch bitter. Perhaps because it ferments so fast.

 

[Firstnten]

I had been wondering about Cider with Molasses. How does that taste? I tried with brown sugar, but it was a tad bitter. That was with Champagne yeast though. Seems like everything I do with Champagne yeast its a touch bitter. Perhaps because it ferments so fast.

I used Red Star Montrachet but I have used Champagne with Molasses before, you're right on with the bitter thing it's less bitter with the Montrachet an I get a nice apple after bite. I love the Molasses but most people I give this too do not. With this batch it was in the secondary for over a year and it's the most smooth one I made. Normally I can't wait a year and dig into it way too soon.

If I had to compare it with something I would say it's similar to a barley wine Sam Adams made years back call "sam adams triple bock"

but less viscous, and slightly sweeter.