How long before cyser is ready to drink?

[NeilV]

For my next project, I plan to make the cyser that is in Ken Schramm's book. He calls it Fall's Bounty Cyser. The basics are 4 gallons of cider, 8 lbs honey, energizer & nutrient, 1lb dark brown sugar, dates & raisins (1/2 pound each) and Lalvin D47 yeast.

About how long will it take from the beginning for that recipe to be ready to drink, and at what age would it be best?

Also, would that recipe benefit from oaking? (It's not in the recipe, but I was wondering if that would make it better.)

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Squatchy]

You are asking a loaded question

"How long" depends a lot on how well you manage the process. Anyone can put together a list of ingredients and toss it in a bucket. What you do before and during is paramount to the quality of your finished product. If you were to make this in the next few weeks it would be ready for thanksgiving next year, or even sooner if you make it right. I see you only have 4 post. Are you as new to making Mead as your are to this forum?

There are several things you can do right, or wrong, that would have huge consequences on when your batch could be drinkable. There is also many different ideas of what is "drinkable".

A general rule of thumb is one month for every ABV point. I think if you are current with the most up to date protocols you could shorten that a good bit. If you made it all wrong it could take years. Can you tell us in chronological order the things you would touch on from after you have sanitized everything? We can then answer your question better.

 

[NeilV]

Brand new to mead. I've been keeping bees for about 9 years and decided to try making some mead too.

What I will do after sanitizing is mix the honey and sugar in warm water to dissolve the sugars. I have started 2 batches so far (one show mead and one JAOM) and I've aerated everything by running it through a sanitized blender real fast, which oxygenates everything really well. I will use a 6.5 gallon bucket for primary. I have been putting an airlock on from the start. However, what I've read on here suggests that maybe I should just use a sanitized cloth for the first 3 days or so. I also intend to mix it good for the first 3 days.

Also, on the batch of show mead, I added about 2 teaspoons of calcium carbonate due to concerns about acidity. The honey I've got is very sharp stuff, and I think it is more acidic than average.

On the first batch, I put all the nutrients in at the beginning. What I've read since suggests that I should maybe add the nutrient in stages.

I will keep the temps between 60 and 65 degrees F until May. From May to September, the temps will be about 75-80. (That's what the house temps will be.)

After the primary fermentation is done, I'll rack to a 5 gallon carboy with an airlock. I figure I'll need to rack at least once more with cider.

FWIW, the first batch of show mead, which also used D47 yeast, has done what I think it was supposed to do. The primary fermentation basically came to a near stop on day 13.

 

[Squatchy]

So you can help yourself a good bit by learing/doing these things
Rehydration of your yeast with G0-ferm, atemperation of yeast slurry and must, Staggered feedings of nutrients, degassing, aeration,

Those temps are awful high. I keep my d-47 at 60 degrees. 86 is the max listed temp. Usually if you can keep a ferment in the lower third it comes out much better. Can you keep your fermentor in a larger container with ice water in it to lower the temps some? That would help TONS.

Keep mixing until the half way part. After that keep stirring gently every other day so as to keep your yeast in suspension.

Your time frame is a little faster than what you might get if you can keep your temps lower. Lower temps would slow things down a bit but would make less fussels so you wont have to age it near as long.

 

[mercuriusrex]

Hey Neil. Some research on apples and cider will be helpful I think, Check out episode 19 on cyser of meadmkr
http://www.meadmakr.com/meadmakr-podcast/
And basic brewing radio, you go through the archives youll find interviews on ciders and meads
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio
Good luck !

 

[EbonHawk]

I tend to take the hands-off approach for my cysers, just to give a difference of opinion. NOT saying the the others (who are way more experienced than I am) are wrong, just there are different ways to approach the process. One day, I plan to switch over to micro-managing my cyser batches, as well as my meads.

I have made dozens of cysers and I usually start in the mid- to late summer months (August is a usual starting point for me for some reason). I'll mix up and prepare the apple cider, honey, and spices and never go above 80 degrees now for the entire process. I used to boil my apple cider and cook the spices into it, but have since changed that approach. I can mix it all up even at no more than 80 degrees for the honey incorporation, then when I add the cool cider it drops to pitching temp.

I don't touch my batches after they go into primary, and the only time I mess with them is when transferring them to secondary, which usually ranges from 2 weeks to about a month, depending on what else is going on in life. I would hate to think I had to mix and stir and aerate and nutrient feed over the course of the first few days, because I usually just don't have that kind of time to babysit the stuff. I think it's great that folks can do that, but I'm good with an initial whipping the hell out of it, and then putting the oxygen to it using an oxygenation kit and a SS micro-pore diffusion stone.

They're always done and perfectly drinkable by Christmas. Sometimes as early as Thanksgiving, if I'm especially lucky, but by Christmas time (say, the 2nd week of Dec), it's good. It only gets better though, but it's good stuff at that point, which is about 4 months.

With that being said, I hope to soon change those habits, and start earlier in the year. And by earlier, I really mean year-round, so that "time" is no longer an issue, as far as timing is concerned. I want to start corking this stuff into bottles for longer storage, as well as to have a variety to choose from at any one time.

Mead-making and beer-brewing can be as simple or as complicated as you'd like to make it. It can only help improve your final product by taking the time and forethought to do things "right" but it's not nearly as fun that way, not in my opinion. Everyone is different though.