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Mead Lovers Digest #1420
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1420, 26 April 2009
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1420 26 April 2009
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
RE: Apple cider for cyser? (Mike Jansen)
Lilac in mead (Scoville Steve)
RE: Apple cider for cyser? ("Mike Bennett")
Re: Orange Spiced Mead (ashford@whisperpc.com)
Re: Apple cider for cyser? (mail-box)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1419, 22 April 2009 ("Dennis Key")
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Apple cider for cyser?
From: Mike Jansen <mike@7jansens.net>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:38:59 -0400
Hi Louis --
>> This question is regarding "supermarket" cider for cyser. I know that a
great
>> deal of the cider you buy in the supermarket is treated with potassium
>> sorbate, which inhibits yeast, but on occasion I'll find one that doesn't
list
>> it as an ingredient. Typically these say they're pasteurized.
I have a *really* small experimental batch (1 qt) of mead that just stopped
fermenting recently that was all cider (no water) and 1 lb of honey. The
cider (I forget the brand, I bought it at WalMart!) was 100% cider,
pasteurized, may have had ascorbic acid if I'm remembering correctly. I
even used WalMart honey.
My only ingredients were 1 qt cider, 1 lb clover honey, cinnamon stick and
whole clove (when I simmered the cider), Red Star dry wine yeast, and yeast
nutrient (1/4 tsp added at beginning and another 1/4 tsp when I racked to
secondary).
A small sample I took while racking into secondary tasted good but still too
sweet, but it had definitely fermented quite a bit and was still going. I
used a 14% ABV tolerance yeast (I think it was just Red Star dry wine
yeast). It has finished fermenting. I've got it in the fridge to
precipitate anything else before I take another small sample and bottle it.
I'll let you know how it turns out!
I'm looking forward to hearing other responses too, because from what I've
tasted, I think this is definitely a repeat. I was mainly experimenting and
didn't want to sink too much money in if it was all wrong :) (Yes, I am a
cheap skate!) I'm not planning on trying to clear this batch, but I might
on the next.
Mike
------------------------------
Subject: Lilac in mead
From: Scoville Steve <Steve@scovilleandassociates.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:41:33 -0500
Mead folk,
Can anyone provide advice on the use of Lilac in mead?
Part of plant used.
Plant variety.
Amount.
How/when used in the process?
Any info would be appreciated.
Regards,
The Earl
------------------------------
Subject: RE: Apple cider for cyser?
From: "Mike Bennett" <mjb@efn.org>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:59:10 -0700
Hi Lou,
By law, all commercial ciders in the US must be pasteurized. I've had
problems with Potassium Sorbate and stay away from it like the plague. When
I use a supermarket cider, I go toward the frozen varieties for 2 reasons.
One they tend to be sorbate free, and the concentrate allows me to "dial-in"
any SG I desire.
The only tip I can give you to improve fermentation is to monitor the pH and
don't let it drop below about 5.2. Yeast is very pH sensitive and
ciders/meads don't have the ability to self-buffer like beer does. I have
very soft water here in Oregon, and if I don't harden the water a little
with some CaCO3 and Na2CO3, my pHs drop like a rock.
- --
Mike Bennett
Professional Brewer (retired)
St. Barts (Home) Brewing
mjbennett69<at>gmail.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Orange Spiced Mead
From: ashford@whisperpc.com
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:06:54 -0700 (PDT)
Dennis,
>> Champagne yeast dried the living hell out of a mead. There are other
>> yeasts to try that will not ferment a batch out as much, leaving some
>> honey sweetness behind.
>
> That's easily cured by adding about 1/4 cup per gallon of honey when it
> slows way down. Keep doing this until it stops fermenting completely.
> You'll end up with an 18-20% ABV with Champagne yeast. With a little
> practice, you can get just the sweetness you want every time. I usually go
> for a semi-sweet to off dry mead. Yum! (Check out Duncan and Acton's Making
> Mead to see how to use SG for this. They call it "pushing the mead.")
The problem with increasing the alcohol to the limit of the yeast is that it
stresses them near the end of the ferment. As we all know, unhappy yeasts put
nasty tasting stuff into the mead, which increases the amount of ageing time
needed.
A simpler way to get off-dry, semi-sweet, or even sweet, mead, without
increasing the aging time of the mead, might be to add some non-fermentable
sugar. Check your local brewing supply shop for Dextrin.
Good luck.
Peter Ashford
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Apple cider for cyser?
From: mail-box <mail-box@comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:01:09 -0400
> Subject: Apple cider for cyser?
> From: "Louis J. LeBlanc" <leblanc@keyslapper.net>
> Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:40:49 -0400 (EDT)
>
> Hello everyone.
>
> This question is regarding "supermarket" cider for cyser. I know that a great
> deal of the cider you buy in the supermarket is treated with potassium
> sorbate, which inhibits yeast, but on occasion I'll find one that doesn't list
> it as an ingredient. Typically these say they're pasteurized.
>
> So, does anyone have any experience using these ciders for cyser - or even
> hard cider? Is there any special treatment you find helps improve the
> fermentation in any way? Any bad experiences with these ciders?
>
> What about clearing a cyser? I recently dropped a little bentonite into a
> batch of Maple, and it's almost as clear and light as water right now (though
> it still tastes amazing). I'm not entirely sure this is desirable in all
> cases though.
>
> Any "fine tuning" techniques you may have, particularly where cyser is
> considered, are appreciated.
>
> Thank you all.
>
> Lou
>
Lou,
You've pretty much got it all figured out! Find a cider w/o
preservatives, country market type places or orchards are good for this,
and substitute all water in your mead for cider. If you have the
luxury, a tart apple tends to make a better cider/hard cider/cyser. If
you like to hit close to a target OG either take a gravity reading of
your cider or estimate at 1.045 and a little algebra will tell you how
much honey to add. For clarifying I'd try pectic enzyme first since
apples have a good bit of pectin, but your favorite clarifying agent
might do the trick. I've never needed anything other than pectic enzyme
for a sparkling clear cyser, but your mileage may vary.
Cheers,
Ken Taborek
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1419, 22 April 2009
From: "Dennis Key" <dione13@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:25:00 -0600
> Subject: Apple cider for cyser?
> From: "Louis J. LeBlanc" <leblanc@keyslapper.net>
> Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:40:49 -0400 (EDT)
>
> Hello everyone.
>
> This question is regarding "supermarket" cider for cyser. I know that a
> great
> deal of the cider you buy in the supermarket is treated with potassium
> sorbate, which inhibits yeast, but on occasion I'll find one that doesn't
> list
> it as an ingredient. Typically these say they're pasteurized.
>
> So, does anyone have any experience using these ciders for cyser - or even
> hard cider? Is there any special treatment you find helps improve the
> fermentation in any way? Any bad experiences with these ciders?
>
> What about clearing a cyser? I recently dropped a little bentonite into a
> batch of Maple, and it's almost as clear and light as water right now
> (though
> it still tastes amazing). I'm not entirely sure this is desirable in all
> cases though.
>
I have made several batches of cyser using Knudsen's organic cider. There
is a lot of sediment in theirs so you can filter it into your primary using
sanitized cheesecloth. You can find supermarket cider that is pasteurized
or uses ascorbic acid for a preservative that will work for you. I just
prefer getting it from an orchard or stores like Whole Foods or Wild Oats.
I am fortunate in that there are several orchards in my part of the state
where I can buy flash-pasteurized cider by the gallon. Most of them are
organic. You might do an internet search for nearby orchards or those that
ship. Check out Manzano Mountain Retreat at
http://www.manzanoretreat.com/index.html and click on Apple Store and
Festival in the left column. That's where I've bought cider for the past
couple of years.
Dione Greywolfe
Dragonweyr, NM
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1420
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