Would love some help on this Cyser recipe

[moonshine]

Howdy all!

I was going down the YouTube rabbit hole today and saw an excellent video on a Applewood-Smoked Apple Cyser with Calypso Hops. Here's the base recipe:

Recipe: Apples All the Way Down

Primary

8 pounds applewood-smoked apple blossom honey
12 cans apple juice concentrate
1oz calypso hops
Water to five gallons
D47 yeast

Secondary

10 pounds chopped apples

Tertiary
Stabilized
4 pounds remaining raw apple blossom honey (back up to 1.030)
Racked and cleared

I got the impression in the video that the result was darn good, but could be polished up a bit. Has anybody played with something like this and have some pointers on the best way to improve it? I'm excited to use the smoker on the honey and think that'll add some interesting notes, but wonder if a wood blend at shorter exposure may give a better background smokey flavor. I'm also considering using EC-1118 yeast, but not sure that'll be too different.

Would love some thoughts on this! It'd be one of my more ambitious mead recipes so wanted to start a thread and gather some thoughts.

 

[moonshine]

Alright, well absent any immediate suggestions I think this is my roadmap moving forward:

1st - Smoking 8 pounds honey on apple wood pellets for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally

Recipe:

8 pounds smoked honey
12 cans apple juice concentrate
1 ounce Calypso hops
Water to 5 gallons
Lalvin EC-1118
6.525 grams FermaidO at pitch, same amount to follow at 24/48/72 hours

Once primary slows down will rack onto ~10 pounds sliced apples

I start smoking the honey Friday, so if anybody gets any wise ideas I'll be all ears!

 

[moonshine]

*scrrrrrrtchhhh*

Had a bit of an audible. We are going to opt for a bit more punch on the hops. Came across some German Hallertau Blanc, will stay at 1 ounce and forego the Calypso. Hoping this gives it just a bit more on the nose.

 

[Dan O]

Is this your first mead or have you made meads before?

 

[moonshine]

Is this your first mead or have you made meads before?

I've made meads before.

 

[Dan O]

I've made meads before.

Ok. I wasn't sure. This seems like a good recipe, but I certainly wouldn't recommend something as complex as this to a new mead maker.
Myself, I would scale it down to a 1 gallon batch to try it & see if it needed tweaking before going all out on the 5 gallon batch, but that's just the cautious side of me. Honey's expensive, and while I love smokey stuff, I'm not convinced that I would totally love the smokey flavor IN the mead. I would hate to make a 5 gallon batch of anything & find out it's not the right thing for me.
Best of luck to you, though. I look forward to hearing your results. It certainly is an interesting recipe.
Happy meading

 

[moonshine]

I'll let you know!

 

[moonshine]

Here we go! Dan got me thinking about being conservative on the smoke. May shoot for an hour or so.

 

[Bpwilly]

Kind of curious how the honey smoking went. Did it pick up much smoke and if so, what was your method. Also how is this mead batch coming along?

 

[madscientist451]

Recipe: Apples All the Way Down

Primary

8 pounds applewood-smoked apple blossom honey
12 cans apple juice concentrate
1oz calypso hops
Water to five gallons
D47 yeast

Secondary

10 pounds chopped apples

Tertiary
Stabilized
4 pounds remaining raw apple blossom honey (back up to 1.030)
Racked and cleared



Would love some thoughts on this! It'd be one of my more ambitious mead recipes so wanted to start a thread and gather some thoughts.

my thoughts based on 20+ seasons of making cider/cyser : If you use mediocre ingredients you should expect mediocre results. Get some decent cider apples and press them yourself, skip adding chopped apples in secondary, not sure about infusing a smoke flavor in honey, but I’m skeptical.