2003©The Beverage People and Jeff Sternfeld
Sonoma County produces a wide range of agricultural products
in addition to wine grapes. Apples are especially abundant
in the Sebastopol-Forestville area and high quality honeys
are produced by local apiaries. Apple juice and honey
combine to made a wonderful fermented beverage called
Cyser.
Depending on the amount of honey added, the Cyser Maker
can produce dry, light-bodies "wines" reminiscent
of chenin blanc or heavier, sweeter apple-flavored meads.
I prefer the lighter style (recipe follows) which brings
out the pleasant aromatic qualities of the apples and
also makes for a crisp, refreshing summer drink.
The blending of compatible honeys and apple juices is
essential if you want a balanced cyser. Neutral flavored
honeys, such as clover or star thistle, are best. "Meadmakers
Magic" clover honey sold by the Beverage People is
an excellent choice. Be wary of honeys with distinctive
floral or fruity attributes as they may overwhelm or conflict
with the delicate apple character.
Choose apples varieties, or blends of apples, that have
medium to high acid levels and pronounced aromatic properties.
Apples with good acidity are jonathon, winesap, gravenstein,
granny smith and pippens. Aromatic apples include gravenstein,
mcintosh and pippens. Sweet dessert-type apples, like
red delicious, golden delicious, or rome beauty, are less
expensive and can contribute sugars to the blend but add
little to the final flavor or aroma.
Gravenstein apples, the pride of Sonoma County, are my
favorite because they possess good flavor, good acidity
and are quite aromatic. Their high malic acid contents
contribute sufficiently high levels of acidity so that
acid additions are not necessary to balance the syrupy
sweetness of the honey. Fermenting cyser at the cooler
temperatures of 50 - 60 oF, like a white wine or lager,
seems to preserve more of the apple-y character.
4 3/4 gallons unfiltered Gravenstein Juice (or a blend
of apple juices)
7 1/2 pounds of Honey
1/2 gallon Water
2 oz. Beverage People Mead Nutrient
1/4 tsp. Irish Moss
Adequate amount of Acid Blend to bring total acid level
to 0.5%
10 gm. Prise de Mousse Wine Yeast
Campden Tablets for sulfiting after fermentation is complete
Starting Gravity: 1.092 (23 Brix)
1. Heat the water in your boiling kettle until warm (170
oF), turn off the heat and stir in the honey until dissolved.
2. Heat the honey solution to boiling, add Irish moss
and boil for 10 minutes; use a spoon to remove the scum
that forms on the surface. (Note: by heating the honey
in water instead of apple juice to remove the honey's
impurities, you will not set the pectins in the juice
which will give a cloudiness to the final product.)
3. Stir in mead nutrient and cool to room temperature.
4. Transfer honey solution to glass fermentors and add
apple juice. Test for sugar and acid levels and adjust
with acid blend as needed.
5. Stir yeast into 1 cup of 80 oF water. Wait 10 minutes
and add yeast to surface of must. After 4 hours, stir
in.
6. Ferment for two to three weeks at room temperature
until visible signs of fermentation have ceased.
7. Rack cyser off of sediment into a 5 gallon glass fermentor
and add 3 crushed campden tablets. Age cyser under airlock
for 2 - 3 months. (Option: cold stabilize by placing the
carboy in a refrigerator for 2 - 3 weeks prior to bottling
to help clarify the cyser.)
8. Bottle cyser in beer bottles, champagne bottles or
wine bottles and age for additional 3 months. (Option:
adjust final sweetness by adding sugar syrup to taste
and remember to stir in potassium sorbate as a wine stabilizer.)
2003©The Beverage People and Jeff Sternfeld
1.800.544.1867 