MeadMiser17
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2017
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 2
This is a very Unique recipe that I created. It is unlike any traditional tasting mead or cider, but it is quite good I can assure that (since I drank the whole gallon and have to make a new batch....).
Apple Cyser 1 gallon batch
Ingredients
1 gallon preservative free apple cider (Apple juice is ok too).
2 lbs orange blossom honey (raw unpasteurized is ideal).
1 lb alfalfa honey (raw unpasteurized is ideal).
Lalvin EC 1118 yeast
Yeast nutrient (optional)
1 cinnamon stick
6-8 good sized French oak chips
Vanilla Hazelnut extract to taste
Procedure
Sanitize your equipment (thats a given). Fill up your 1 gallon fermenter about half way with apple cider/juice. Heat up all your honey in microwave for about 1-2 minutes to make it easier to pour. Add Honey to fermenter. Rehydrate your yeast by warming up 3-4 oz of reserved apple cider/juice to 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit then adding yeast to that warm liquid. Let the rehydrating yeast mixture sit in microwave with door closed for 15-20 minutes. This is a little trick I learned to keep gnats from swarming your yeast while it rehydrates. While yeast it doing its magic, shake your apple juice and honey mixture vigorously to make sure all the sugars are blended together thoroughly. After your yeast looks like beer with a 2 inch thick head on top, it is ready to add to your fermenter. So pitch your rehydrated yeast to fermenter then fill up to ¾ full at this time with apple cider/juice. As soon as you do that, secure your airlock. Again, those pesky gnats are lurking around intent on ruining your brew, so the less time you have your must exposed to the open air, the better off you will be.
Yeast nutrient is optional, but is never a bad idea. I use a technique where you add the yeast nutrient at different intervals during primary fermentation rather than adding the nutrient all at once. You can do whatever you want. My nutrient says to add 1tsb per gallon. I add ½ a tsb right after I pitch yeast, then I add the other ½ tsp 2-3 days later. In my experience, this yields the best outcome. Especially in recipes like this one that includes a sizable amount of sugar for the yeast to consume. Regardless of whether or not you added the yeast nutrient, you need to let the must ferment for 7-10 days (10 days seems to be the magic number for experienced brewers).
After 10 days, rack your wine off of the lees (dead yeast) into a clean secondary fermenter. Add your cinnamon stick and French oak chips and allow this beautiful concoction you have created to sit for 2 months. I know, I know .2 months seems like an eternity when you just want to drink it now, but I assure you, it will be 80% better tasting in 2 months. Luckily for you, there is something else you have to do in the meantime to keep you busy.
You need to make hazelnut extract. Sure you could buy hazelnut extract, but thats no fun. To make hazelnut extract you need 2 vanilla beans, 8oz of vodka (80 Proof), and 1 cup of hazelnuts toasted in the oven on 350 for 6-8 minutes. All you do is toast the hazelnuts, put in a mason jar, add vanilla beans split down the middle with a knife, cover with a cup of vodka and secure lid. You have to let that mixture steep for a minimum of 3 weeks, but more time will only enhance flavor, so let it set for 2 months while your wine is in secondary fermenter. After 2 months, add hazelnut extract to taste. Dont add the whole cup of extract or it will overpower the other flavors of your wine! At this point you are ready to bottle your wine for aging to a richer more mature flavor or invite friends over and drink it. Experts will have you add potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate before bottling, which is not a bad idea for long term aging, but many people do not like adding sulfites to their homebrew. So do your own research and make your an informed decision. Enjoy!
Apple Cyser 1 gallon batch
Ingredients
1 gallon preservative free apple cider (Apple juice is ok too).
2 lbs orange blossom honey (raw unpasteurized is ideal).
1 lb alfalfa honey (raw unpasteurized is ideal).
Lalvin EC 1118 yeast
Yeast nutrient (optional)
1 cinnamon stick
6-8 good sized French oak chips
Vanilla Hazelnut extract to taste
Procedure
Sanitize your equipment (thats a given). Fill up your 1 gallon fermenter about half way with apple cider/juice. Heat up all your honey in microwave for about 1-2 minutes to make it easier to pour. Add Honey to fermenter. Rehydrate your yeast by warming up 3-4 oz of reserved apple cider/juice to 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit then adding yeast to that warm liquid. Let the rehydrating yeast mixture sit in microwave with door closed for 15-20 minutes. This is a little trick I learned to keep gnats from swarming your yeast while it rehydrates. While yeast it doing its magic, shake your apple juice and honey mixture vigorously to make sure all the sugars are blended together thoroughly. After your yeast looks like beer with a 2 inch thick head on top, it is ready to add to your fermenter. So pitch your rehydrated yeast to fermenter then fill up to ¾ full at this time with apple cider/juice. As soon as you do that, secure your airlock. Again, those pesky gnats are lurking around intent on ruining your brew, so the less time you have your must exposed to the open air, the better off you will be.
Yeast nutrient is optional, but is never a bad idea. I use a technique where you add the yeast nutrient at different intervals during primary fermentation rather than adding the nutrient all at once. You can do whatever you want. My nutrient says to add 1tsb per gallon. I add ½ a tsb right after I pitch yeast, then I add the other ½ tsp 2-3 days later. In my experience, this yields the best outcome. Especially in recipes like this one that includes a sizable amount of sugar for the yeast to consume. Regardless of whether or not you added the yeast nutrient, you need to let the must ferment for 7-10 days (10 days seems to be the magic number for experienced brewers).
After 10 days, rack your wine off of the lees (dead yeast) into a clean secondary fermenter. Add your cinnamon stick and French oak chips and allow this beautiful concoction you have created to sit for 2 months. I know, I know .2 months seems like an eternity when you just want to drink it now, but I assure you, it will be 80% better tasting in 2 months. Luckily for you, there is something else you have to do in the meantime to keep you busy.
You need to make hazelnut extract. Sure you could buy hazelnut extract, but thats no fun. To make hazelnut extract you need 2 vanilla beans, 8oz of vodka (80 Proof), and 1 cup of hazelnuts toasted in the oven on 350 for 6-8 minutes. All you do is toast the hazelnuts, put in a mason jar, add vanilla beans split down the middle with a knife, cover with a cup of vodka and secure lid. You have to let that mixture steep for a minimum of 3 weeks, but more time will only enhance flavor, so let it set for 2 months while your wine is in secondary fermenter. After 2 months, add hazelnut extract to taste. Dont add the whole cup of extract or it will overpower the other flavors of your wine! At this point you are ready to bottle your wine for aging to a richer more mature flavor or invite friends over and drink it. Experts will have you add potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate before bottling, which is not a bad idea for long term aging, but many people do not like adding sulfites to their homebrew. So do your own research and make your an informed decision. Enjoy!
