# Newbie apple cider mead



## G259 (Oct 13, 2019)

I saw some apple cider in the store, without preservatives. I made a mead with 2 gallons of it, 6 pounds of honey, and topped up with 5-16.9 oz. bottles of water (3 gal.). Initial SG was surprising, as I hit 1.100 exactly (luck)! Should I have made a naked mead, and then sweetened with the cider, or is this acceptable?


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## G259 (Oct 13, 2019)

It has been almost a week, and I still see rapid fermentation, 1 every 3 sec. on the airlock so . . .
I'm kind of surprised at that, and I used D47 yeast for the first time, as it was recommended for mead.


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## MJD (Oct 13, 2019)

It depends. What's your current SG, and what kind of residual sweetness are you looking for?

If you made a naked mead fermented to completion and added juice to back sweeten, you run the risk of the residual sugar going beyond what you wanted without getting quite the flavor you wanted. I think your approach is what I would have done personally.


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## Rice_Guy (Oct 13, 2019)

Depends what you really want, you get more apple by putting it in at the start.
The cyser I have going mirrors yours, am on day 8 with 1.040 last night. To add tannic/ long flavors about half of it is crab apple.


G259 said:


> Should I have made a naked mead, and then sweetened with the cider, or is this acceptable?


* expect lots of lees, what do you have to rack it into? My schedule is 4 gallons in the primary now - rack to a flexible 5 gallon with a silicone burper, , (cubitainer/ camping water container) - rack to a 3 gallon glass and hold it for at least a year, , , approx a gallon lees loss
* the honey flavor should improve with age, can you hide it in the corner at least a year, , or two


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## G259 (Oct 13, 2019)

I have a couple of 3 gallon, several 4L (gallon +) carboys, and some 500ml swing caps that I use. From what you are saying, I'll expect about 2-4L, and 2 500's or so, and maybe a sample  .

I think I will backsweeten with some smaller (14oz.) jars of honey, to maybe give it a 'honey' edge. With wine, I usually try for 1.000 SG. With mead, do you think drier or sweeter is better, knowing that personal preference gets the nod?


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## G259 (Oct 13, 2019)

I have a perfectly clear, pale yellow, 4L naked mead aging from 4/15/19. It is getting tough to not try it now! I want to wait at least a year before bottling, I'll try to put both of these in as many 500ml's as I can, to draw out the tastings over time.


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## tradowsk (Oct 16, 2019)

I think you did it the right way by using the cider in place of water in the must. I tried sweetening with cider once, and you need to add a lot to get the sweetness up beyond a semi-dry. It also blew away most of the honey aspects of the mead and tanked the ABV. If you want to sweeten with apple, I use the frozen apple juice concentrate.

But a true cyser uses apple juice in the must, so I think you're good!


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## G259 (Oct 16, 2019)

. . . but is it a true cyser , or a cyser-(something) because of the spices?

I have some 1lb. jars of honey that I plan to sweeten with, I stocked up and set aside when the price was right!


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## tradowsk (Oct 16, 2019)

G259 said:


> . . . but is it a true cyser , or a cyser-(something) because of the spices?
> 
> I have some 1lb. jars of honey that I plan to sweeten with, I stocked up and set aside when the price was right!



A metheglin cyser!!


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## Rice_Guy (Oct 16, 2019)

G259 said:


> . . . but is it a true cyser , or a cyser-(something) because of the spices?
> 
> I have some 1lb. jars of honey that I plan to sweeten with, I stocked up and set aside when the price was right!


Costco was selling clover honey at $2 per pound last month.


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## G259 (Oct 19, 2019)

$2 a pound is pretty good! I'd have to put a few tons aside at that price!


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## Merrywine (Nov 1, 2019)

G259 said:


> $2 a pound is pretty good! I'd have to put a few tons aside at that price!


It is Costco, the small package is a ton.


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## G259 (Nov 2, 2019)

My naked mead (4/7) was bottled today (1 gal.), interesting flavor, my first mead. I back sweetened to .999 with a few ounces of honey, interesting! I think my apple cider mead (3 gal.) will be killer!


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## Rice_Guy (Nov 3, 2019)

When I have back sweetened with honey I create turbidity. I don’t use honey in wine for contests


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## G259 (Nov 6, 2019)

I wondered about that, and thought about extra clearing time. It looked pretty clear, but as sediments are considered a fault, I was still wondering. I have bottled my naked mead now, and will deal with the results as it is only 1 gallon (less now!) But I am trying to let it age a good deal, to get to know the evolution of mead vs. wine.


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## G259 (Nov 8, 2019)

Next question: I have seen several different types of honey, clover, wildflower, orange blossom, etc (and some that just states 'raw honey'. Does anyone have type preferences, and I'll assume that each one will apply to a select type of fruit juice, if any.


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## G259 (Sep 3, 2020)

G259 said:


> Next question: I have seen several different types of honey, clover, wildflower, orange blossom, etc (and some that just states 'raw honey'. Does anyone have type preferences, and I'll assume that each one will apply to a select type of fruit juice, if any.



No responses, so I'll assume that no one has considered this, or that it doesn't matter.


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## Merrywine (Sep 4, 2020)

Different varieties have different flavors, naturally. A cyser or metheglin wildflower or clover is fine, orange blossom and others not likely to shine, but that’s just my thought on it.


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## MJD (Sep 4, 2020)

Agreed with the above....the different types of honey will really shine when it is a straight mead. Since you are adding in another component, I personally wouldn't worry too much about it.


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## BernardSmith (Sep 4, 2020)

I tend to agree. Clover and wildflower are great vehicles for other flavors. Varietals want to dominate the the stage and if you are making a cyser then I think the apple needs to have its moment in the limelight


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## MJD (Sep 4, 2020)

Beautifully stated by @BernardSmith. 

Spend the money on special varietals when you want those flavors to shine. 
Clover for all the rest!


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## Rice_Guy (Sep 4, 2020)

a processed honey will have less flavor, use unfiltered “raw” off the hive.
FYI ... The Costco $2/lb is a processed product.


G259 said:


> Next question: I have seen several different types of honey, clover, wildflower, orange blossom, etc (and some that just states 'raw honey'. Does anyone have type preferences, and I'll assume that each one will apply to a select type of fruit juice, if any.


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## G259 (Sep 4, 2020)

OK, good info to chew on (or sip on), I'll take some notes from this!


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## G259 (Sep 6, 2020)

MJD said:


> Beautifully stated by @BernardSmith.
> 
> Spend the money on special varietals when you want those flavors to shine.
> Clover for all the rest!




So clover seems to be the 'generic', not what I initially thought, but good info.


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## MrsAbe (Sep 6, 2020)

If you can find a local source of honey, the spring honey has a very delicate flavor and is light in color (almost a straw color) vs the fall honey which has a bolder flavor and is a darker amber in color.


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## BernardSmith (Sep 7, 2020)

clover is not so much generic but clover seems, to me, to be a better vehicle for other flavors (fruits or nuts or flowers) than as a flavor that can take center stage and hold your attention in ways that orange blossom or tupelo or meadowfoam, or heather honey can. With varietals, I would argue, that it is often a waste to use them in ways that they are not the star of the show. They are the Robin Williamses and the Meryl Streeps of honey world.


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## G259 (Oct 6, 2021)

(Late) Thanks, I have been doing kit wines for a bit, but a year wait gnaws at me, and I was looking at the jars of honey waiting! So I'm getting that clover would be for, like a cyser or pyment, but the others would be more for naked meads (there are always exceptions though).


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