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So my cyser doesn't taste so good...suggestions?

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capoeirista13

capoeirista13

Honey Master
Registered Member
Aug 17, 2008
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Philadelphia
So my Spiced Winter Cyser, the recipe/process/brewlog of which can be found here
http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13554
had about 3.5 wine bottles leftover from the first racking (from primary to secondary). I am saving these to fill up any empty space in a carboy when I rack into the tertiary. I did take one of these bottles to a small family gathering though to have them try it, and later to a party with some friends. The consensus was that it was OK, or bad. And to be honest I agree with them concerning this drink. The problem with it is that it is far too hot and the apple juice flavor doesn't seem to come through at all, nor does the honey flavor. So I am wondering how can I remedy this? The only thing I can think of doing is blending it with some of the apple juice I brewed it from whenever I drink it.
 
Cap,

Anytime you add spices, it will take several months if not yrs (occasionally), to mellow out. My first JAO -Joes Ancient Orange-was scathingly hot at 3 months but at 9 months was a simple delight to drink.
I would just save them and taste test them every 3 months and make notes. If you like it after a year, make it again.
Just my .02 worth.

Cheers!

DD
 
Cap,

You started this on 11/28/08. You have folks drinking it about 4 weeks later.

Of course it tastes hot. It's going to taste hot because it is.

You've tested it at about 14% alcohol. That is 28 proof. The stuff is semi-rocket fuel at this time.

Give it some time. Mead takes time. Brew some beer or a small mead with beer yeast to drink while you wait.

I don't really understand the chemistry, but the magic that happens to mead as it ages is well worth the time.

I bet the unidentified taste is the spices coming up. They are going to taste odd for a while until you get some age on the brew. You added quite a bit more spice than I would recommend. I am unclear. Have you taken the mead off the spices? If not, I'd say to do so. You can always add more after you have bulk aged it for at least 6 to 8 months. But too much can take 5+ years to mellow out.

It sometimes takes a couple of years for the honey taste to emerge from a big mead like this.

I am sure with some time, it will be wonderful.

Leonora
 
Last edited:
hmmm, ok thanks for your tips yal'. Leonora, yes I took the mead off the spices, when I racked from primary to secondary I just took the spice-filled muslin bag out and dumped the spices and cleaned the bag. Right now the only thing in the secondary is the cider and some yeast that fell out. Only a surprisingly small amount of yeast has fallen out so far in comparison to my pyment and mead.

As a matter of curiosity, which spices would you have reduced, and by how much?
 
I don't think a low alcohol traditional mead is drinkable after five weeks. Given that you have a 14% abv mead means that it's going to take time to mellow out. Adding spices only adds more time.

From my experience, cinnamon can be tricky to work with. It's flavor grows over time while everything else mellows.

Hold onto to what you have for a year. From there, you can determine what needs to be done to tweak it.


Phil
 
Cap,

Sorry, can't give a real specific answer to your question on spices. As dog mentions cinnamon is tricky. I tend to add it in small increments as I bulk age. It will change over time.

If you are going to drink the mead quickly and like the taste of cinnamon, add more. If it's a storing mead, add way less, it will most likely reappear. (I have a Leap Year Day raspberry that won't see light of day until 2012 so I treated it differently than the Day at the Fair spiced cyser that is made to drink up in a year or so.)

Some types of cinnamon stick can go through an awkward "burned rubber" smelling phase. It will age out but it's pretty disheartening during the phase.

I bulk age everything and add spices slowly over time with the idea that less is more. So a rule of thumb is to cut amounts by half or 2/3.

I've had some meads that taste like sweet alcoholic cinnamon oil. It takes a LONG time for that to attenuate. It will eventually but why have to take that much time when you can just be more careful in the beginning.

Leonora
 
capoeirista13 said:
any idea on how long this will take to age, or how long I should wait to taste it again?
Click to expand...

In my limited experience with meads and cysers, most start to be quite drinkable at 6months and much more enjoyable at a year. I only have a couple meads over a year an they are still improving.

I would say save your winter cyser for next winter. It will be much better by then. I don't think you have anything wrong at this point, however mead is not beer. It takes months or years to make a great mead, not weeks.

Craig
 
I've tasted it recently actually and it is still very hot, however it isn't as bad as it was. Though it is by no means good. As for your suggestion of drinking it next year I agree with it, and was thinking the same thing actually. Next Halloween/Christmas season I imagine it will be good to go, hopefully. Hopefully time cures everything is what I'm saying, lol.

Ah, also Leonora I can't believe I missed what you said about cutting the spices, my apologies for asking a question you already answered.
 
capoeirista13 said:
So my Spiced Winter Cyser, the recipe/process/brewlog of which can be found here
http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13554
had about 3.5 wine bottles leftover from the first racking (from primary to secondary). I am saving these to fill up any empty space in a carboy when I rack into the tertiary. I did take one of these bottles to a small family gathering though to have them try it, and later to a party with some friends. The consensus was that it was OK, or bad. And to be honest I agree with them concerning this drink. The problem with it is that it is far too hot and the apple juice flavor doesn't seem to come through at all, nor does the honey flavor. So I am wondering how can I remedy this? The only thing I can think of doing is blending it with some of the apple juice I brewed it from whenever I drink it.
Click to expand...

let it rest for another half year or mix with the new batch ?
 
That post was almost a year old at this point. I've bottled it now. It still doesn't taste too great but it's not nearly as bad as it was.
 
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