Apple pie cyser

[jmac]

Had a great flavor from a pub a month ago. It was called "caramel apple mead." Ordering it, I expected something like the Cyser - mead - Braggot that I brewed before, but I received something completely different. It was a smooth velvety apple pie flavor. No traces of Braggot. Really quite awesome.

So, on the hunt I went for something similar and came across the Apple Pie Cyser recipe that has been floating around that seemed to fit the description. Pitched 9days ago. Fermentation stopped a day ago. Tasted it today and was concerned about the strong cinnamon bitter that I was getting. So, just racked it to 2ndary. It has a thick, camel color. Flavor is a boozy apple with some bittery overtones. Og 1140, Sg 1002. Plan on backsweeten to the recipe and my tastes, after a couple more racking a year of bulk aging. Check it out.

5gal apple juice
5# wf honey
4# dark brown sugar
5 tbs apple pie spice (cinn, nmeg, gingr, allspice)
5 cinn sticks (in primary)
D47, pectin enz, nutes, engzr

 

[BernardSmith]

This sounds quite high in alcohol. By your measurements about 18% but I would have though that this ought to have been closer to 15% ABV.

 

[jmac]

Yes, I know. It's pretty boozy. I used the D47 to try to max out around 15% and still keep it from drying out too much, but it's still chugging along. Even in the secondary it's throwing out the occasional bubble. I know that airlock activities are not indicative of abv increase, but it usually does. Maybe Lav miss labeled a 1118 lol.

 

[BernardSmith]

Don't think it works quite that way. When a lab says that a yeast strain is good for, say, 14%. It is almost certainly good for another 3 or 4 percentage points but the lab cannot guarantee that. It's much like the load a piece of chain or rope is spec'ed for. You can probably double the load you apply but if the rope snaps that's your fault. You were warned.

 

[jmac]

Don't think it works quite that way. When a lab says that a yeast strain is good for, say, 14%. It is almost certainly good for another 3 or 4 percentage points but the lab cannot guarantee that. It's much like the load a piece of chain or rope is spec'ed for. You can probably double the load you apply but if the rope snaps that's your fault. You were warned.

I was joking about the yeast label. However, please clarify what you mean. I have often seen my D47 pop up a few points. The nature of any beast. As to the load, and it snapping.. Define. If by load, you mean the high OG/avail sugar? But the 'snapping' ...Stopping dead from carrying that load... or the inability for the yeast to go beyond the 14-16 abv? Either way they translate to the same. Yet I'm stalling at 15ish (per berry & balling) Like clockwork.

 

[BernardSmith]

Could be too few viable yeast cells. Could be poor nutrient protocol. Could be other things...

 

[jmac]

Thanks!

 

[Bodenski]

Total wine sells an apple pie mead (Kurt's Apple Pie IIRC) . I tried a bottle, and its was just OK. (Expensive for the 375ml bottle it was. Hard finding most meads in most stores it seems). I have 2.5 gallons of the caramel apple mead (the braggot version) aging right now. A very different taste than the Kurt's one. I'm digging it, and can't wait to see what it ages to!