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Cyser and Cinnamon

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BDub

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 4, 2012
6
0
0
I made my first cyser in a 1 gal batch back in May. Everything went smoothly and it has been aging after final racking now for 6 months. I took a taste a few days ago and there is a strong, hot cinnamon spice to it. No subtlety at all.

I know a bit of it may be coming through with the heat of the mead, but will the cinnamon mellow out with age too or was it just too much cinnamon?

The recipe for 1 Gallon:
4 – 12 oz cans Apple Juice Concentrate
½ lb Clover Honey
½ tsp Pectic Enzyme
1 g Fermaid
1 stick Cinnamon
Apple juice to fill
EC-1118

O.G. was 1.14
FG - 1.01 (17%)
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
One stick in a gallon isn't usually too much. How long was it in there?

It will mellow with time, and in this case the high alcohol is probably contributing to the burn. It's only a year old, so I'd give it more time.
 

BDub

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 4, 2012
6
0
0
My notes weren't too good on this one because I just threw it together as something to do while waiting on the big batches to age. The stick sat in there until the first rack which would be about 1-2 months.

I'm new to tasting cysers so what should I be looking for in terms of taste? The heat that I'm getting from the alcohol is normal and expected, but it doesn't really have a distinctive mead or cider taste. I'm just getting a mouthful of cinnamon.

Thanks for the help.
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
The cysers I've done do eventually taste of apples and honey, so that is likely where yours will wind up too. At 17% abv, it might just take a bit longer to get there. It seems that apples like to take their time aging, and even a 6% cider will not taste like much for about a year. I'd set this one back and forget about it (other than filling the airlock) for another 6 months.
 

YogiBearMead726

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 21, 2010
1,519
3
0
San Francisco, CA
I second akueck's recommendation.

I made a cyser that ended up around 18%, and it is just now tasting smooth and deliciously apple-y almost 3 years later. Patience is key! ;)
 

BDub

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 4, 2012
6
0
0
It looks like this thing is getting hidden in the cellar for a while longer.

Thanks all for the help
 

Mikeymu

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 6, 2012
168
0
0
Wath-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire
I have a cinnamon cyser fermenting in secondary at the moment. I added half a stick and this was nicely balanced for a time. now however, after three months the cinnamon has gone! I suppose a whole stick is therefore the right amount!
 

EbonHawk

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 24, 2014
491
0
0
Dothan, AL, USA
That must be some really potent cinnamon. I imagine it varies from brand to brand, or even batch to batch, just like a lot of things do. I have a favorite cyser recipe that I'll throw at least 4 sticks if not 6 into, and I break them up into lots of small pieces and let them stay in the boil the whole time. I do remove them at the very final step, but a lot of cinnamon "chips" wind up in the final must and I have to be careful to leave them behind when I rack to my secondary fermenter. This gives the final product a hint of cinnamon taste. So, maybe it has something to do with the rising alcohol content in the primary fermentation vessel and its ability to extract more of the cinnamon oil out of the stick. Alcohol is a great solvent; maybe that's why it gets so strong in your batch.
 

BDub

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 4, 2012
6
0
0
Ebon - the cinnamon I used was a generic brand from the lhbs. I use it whole and have used it in other ciders before that didn't have that kind of kick, so maybe it was the extended time with the higher alcohol?

Update to the brew:

I pulled it out of the cellar for the first time since last April (I did actually forget about it). It has aged now for 1 yr 8 mos and it is delicious. The cinnamon is still there, but it is balanced and tastes of a spiced mead with an apple-y finish. I need to make a new batch of this ASAP.

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