# Cyser Progress



## Sticks (Jan 5, 2006)

Just wanted to get some feedback on my Cyser.

Started Jan 11, 2006

17 pounds of Wildflower Honey
5 Gallons of Apple Cider
Wyeast 1056 American Ale XL
(Recipe indicated Ale Yeast).
S.G. 1.130
After 24 hours rapid Fermentation was underway.


February 22, 2006
Fermentation had slowed down quite abit. (1 bubble every minute).
First Racking
S.G. 1.060

My Questions, 

How much lower should I expect the S.G. to go?
Is there something else I need to be doing to encourage fermentation?

Thanks,

Bill


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Bill, that is a pretty high O.G. Short of pitching another yeast (like KV1-1116), the only thing that I can think of is to add some yeast hulls and to gradually warm it up to 85 degrees or so. A bubble a minute is actually quite good for a beer yeast in something that alcoholic. Maybe just let it rest for a while.


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## Sticks (Jan 5, 2006)

Aspera,

Thanks for your reply. I will leave things sit for a month. I still am getting a slow fermentation.

I did look up the Stats on Lalvin K1V-1116. Maybe a Starter with K1V-1116 if nothing changes.

I did sneek a taste and the Cyser had a very smooth sweet taste. I hope to keep most of that taste and bring down the O.G.

Bill


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## Propolis30 (Aug 25, 2005)

I notcied that they sell fresh apple cider by the gallon in the vegtable isle now at Wal Mart. I was thinking about trying it out for a similar receipe. Any opinions?


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Make sure it doesn't have any sorbates. This will reduce your fermentation rate down to virtually nothing. Usually "fresh" cider, as opposed to the pasteurized stuff has some type of additive. Honey mixed with apple concentrate makes an enexpectedly good drink (nothing beats fresh pressed though).


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

What Aspera's said. You probably won't get a lot more reduction in sugars with the chico yeast, though it's attenuative for ale yeast. If you want some residual sweetness after pitching a new strain, you could also consider a less aggressive wine yeast than the K1-V (like RC-212 or D-47, the latter of which has been a good cider/cyser strain for me). The K1-V would just about ferment out straight honey







.


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## Sticks (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks Ben for your reply,

I will check out the stats on the D47.
Will I need to augment it in any way to finish the fermentation?

Bill


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Depends on what you mean by "finish". If you mean ferment to dryness (all the sugars gone) maybe, maybe not. If you're leaving some residual sweeteness likely not. Cysers and ciders tend to be very readily fermentable. If it sticks, you could use more aggressive yeasts (K1-V is the "go-to guy" for restarting stuck ferments) or consider adding some nutrients if they weren't included in the original must.

Do you have a target alcohol content or sweetness/dryness preference, or will you take what Nature gives you?


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## Sticks (Jan 5, 2006)

Ben,

This is my first attempt at making a Cyser so I am in unknown territory here. I did just want to let nature take its course.

So let me back up.

Is an O.G. of 1.060 typical for a finished Cyser?
Or was this as far as the 1056 Ale yeast could take it? Should I try to take it down farther?

My preference is for a semi sweet Cyser.
After reading your comments my thought is that the Ale yeast was not the best use for this.

Ben, thanks for your imput.

Bill


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Actually I like ale yeast quite a bit for some ferments, the fruity esters that personify ale strains can be very nice. That strain (I'd have to look it up, I'm blanking) I believe tops out at maybe 10 percent alcohol. 


> Is an O.G. of 1.060 typical for a finished Cyser?
> Or was this as far as the 1056 Ale yeast could take it? Should I try to take it down farther?


Well it's an FG now (final gravity), or just SG specific gravity. A cyser can finish anywhere from extremely sweet dessert-wine like (you're in that territory now) to bone dry like SG 0.993. It a matter of taste. I suspect you could tweak a few more gravity points out of the chico yeast, but for a substantial reduction a more alcohol-tolerant strain is indicated. 

That's a little sweet for a traidtional cyser; a terminal gravity at 1.020 is still fairly sweet to taste. But then I've long advocated for style guidelines to be used as _guidelines_ and not militant ironclad rules. Make it the way you dig it I say; that's one of the biggest reasons to make your own. To get this to "semi-sweet", try a modestly alcohol tolerant strain like 12 to 14%. Or leave it a while and see where it goes; chico'll suprise you sometimes, and mead always needs time anyway. Aspera's recommendation of yeast hulls is the nutrient that could help the ale yeast perk up and take care of a little more business; used in moderation unlikely to harm anything.


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## nursebee (Sep 29, 2003)

I'd consider diluting it with either more cider or water and then repitching. Assuming it is a 5 gallon batch, you could go to up to 10.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

I could've read your opening readings more carefully; you have about 13% alcohol now. Along Nusebee's line, what I might do to reduce the sugars could be to ferment out 5 gal straight cider to dryness and blend it with this batch. Or even better if you have more honey would be to make a 13% batch fermented to bone dry (cider plus 8 lbs honey would do the trick) and then blend. You'd then have a less than 1.030 FG cyser, sweet but not cough syrup anymore.

That's assuming you share my preference for cysers that are moderate in alcoholic strength. For a sweeter, stronger cyser which may require more aging, dilution with juice would be a way to go. If adding water, be sure to preboil to drive off chlorine. I'd also sample a small amount with a measured dilution... with water dilutions you also dilute the components that make it cyser-like.


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

1056 is one of my favorite mead yeast, but I usually have a lower OG than you started with. D-47 has a nice flavor as well. If you like the 1056, then just buy Sfale 56. Its the same strain as a dry yeast (which I like) for 1/2 the price (which I really like). Sfale makes a very clean product.


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## Sticks (Jan 5, 2006)

Ben, Aspera et al 

Thank you for all your comments. I'm going to let this Cyser set for a month and see what happens. Give Nature a chance to do its magic.

As for the current alcohol content, my software indicates currently 9.4% by volume not 13%. Did I screw something up?

Looking at the Cycer thru the glass Carboy it is clearing and has a perfect golden color. But nothing really happening via the airlock.

I will keep you all informed.

Thanks,

Bill


P.S. I don't think I can find any more fresh pressed Cider.

[ March 01, 2006, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: Sticks ]


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Nope that's about right. I was looking at 1.060 as your starting gravity; had 60 on the brain I guess!


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