I brewed up a batch of Cyser earlier today. Recipe is as follows.
2.00 Gal Apple Juice – White House
1.00 Gal Apple Juice – Indian Summer
7.00 lb Clover Honey – Generic Walmart Brand
1.00 lb Corn Sugar
1.00 lb Turbinado Raw Sugar
1.00 tsp Irish Moss 15.0 min
3.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient 15.0 min
0.50 oz Ginger Root 10.0 min
1 Cinnamon Stick 5.0 min
0.125 tsp Allspice 5.0 min
0.125 tsp Nutmeg 5.0 min
6 whole Cloves 5.0 min
1/8 tsp Vanilla Extract 5.0 Min
0.25 tsp Pectic Enzyme – Added to Primary after must was cooled
2 Pkgs 5g each Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast
Apple juice was placed in the fridge to cool it down.
I started dissolved all the fermentables in 1.5 gallons of tap water and brought it to a boil. For the first 5 minutes of the boil I skimmed off the proteins that clump on the top.
Boiling honey like this does destroy the delicate floral aroma and flavors that are present in honey, but I did not want to have any contamination issues with this considering the length of time that it needs to ferment and age. as a compromise I boiled for 20 minutes. It is long enough to kill any wild bacteria and yeast in the honey.
I added the rest of the items and spices per the schedule above. I cooled off the must in an ice bath. I then poured the chilled apple juice into my carboy and added the warm (not hot) must to the carboy, ensuring to filter out the spices and irish moss (I use a funnel that has a fine mesh strainer built in). The temp settled at 73 F. I topped up to the 5 gallon mark with apple juice and began aerating the must with the air stone and aquarium pump. After 45 minutes I pitched the rehydrated yeast (rehydrated per packet instructions). There is already signs of fermentation and airlock activity after only 4 hours.
SG of the must was 1.098@73F (1.10 corrected). Fermentation will take a few months. Should be drinkable by Christmas.