First post, first batch -- "Refrigerator Velcro" Cherry-Pom Cyser (Frankencyser?)
Hi all,
Been lurking about the past few weeks and have a first batch nearing the end of 1' fermentation. This is my first foray into honey! I'm modestly experienced in brewing and winemaking (microbiologist by training, it's inevitable) from back in the day, but have been away from the hobby (and the lab) for far too many years (kids, work, moving, life). Finally at a point in life where opportunity and enthusiasm have coincided again.
(The notion amongst certain local friends that my renewed interest is out of anticipation of my mother-in-law moving in with us in a few months, hence a stereotypical need for "more to drink" on my part, is completely untrue. Well, mostly. She's actually an enthusiast and a reasonably knowledgeable palate, so I'm looking forward to having another drinking buddy and something crafted to serve.)
But enough about me; let's talk about my brew
I originally intended to try a raisin cyser and held out a couple weeks to get my favorite unclarified apple juice -- 'tis the season for it. Unfortunately the stuff flew off the grocery shelves the day it arrived, and I only got my hands on about half the amount I wanted.
Feeling an overwhelming urge to BREW NOW, I picked up some substitutes, rummaged the kitchen, and generally took the refrigerator velcro approach. A purist I'm not; heck, I might just be making a high gravity mishmash hooch here, but that's OK. Sometimes, I like hooch. (Do give me credit for resisting the urge to toss in the leftover candy canes I found from last Christmas.)
The Recipe, 3 gallon total volume:
5 lb Virginia wildflower honey (decent bargain at $12)
1.35 gal Simply Apple unclarified juice
1/4 gal Fruit Fast tart cherry juice concentrate (grocery selling cheap, I think they overstocked)
1/8 gal POM pomegranate juice (I had a coupon)
~1/2 lb light brown sugar (the exact quantity found in the back of the cupboard)
10 oz raisins, pureed in juice
10 oz dried cranberries (found next to the sugar), pureed in juice
6 oz dried cherries (found next to the cranberries), pureed in juice
6 Earl Grey tea bags (what the heck)
1 tsp pectinase
brought up to 3 gal (US) total vol in fermenter bucket with boiled, cooled tap water (our city water is hard, but good), must temp=75*F
All ingredients went in at room temp, no boil or pasteurization by my hands.
Initial SG = 1.140
Pitched 5 g Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast (chose this to handle the high SG), hydrated 20' in lukewarm water.
Incubated at 70-75*F (my house doesn't have a basement so chose a coolish spot behind the sofa, where the kids hide from the Daleks)
Gave it a good stir once a day for the first three days. Removed tea bags at two days, as they should've given their all by then and at some point would just be a mold magnet.
Fermentation took off like a champ, surprisingly little foaming for all that fruit-stuff, but the batch sounded like 3 gallons of Rice Krispies through day 5 (when I could hear it over the kids whimpering behind the couch, that is). Premier Cuvee (same pedigree as Lalvin EC1118, I'm told) is indeed a muscle car:
TIME: SG
0: 1.14
28h: 1.13
48h: 1.11
68h: 1.095
84h: 1.085
5d: 1.062
7d: 1.04
9d: 1.03
Business trip to Columbus a few days later, stopped by a lovely HBS there. Added 3/4 tsp LD Carlson yeast energizer thus acquired, at 84 hours, just past the 1/3 sugar break. Maybe not necessary -- there's gotta be enough available N in all those fruit bits, but I wasn't sure about vitamins/micronutrients and didn't want it too poop out early. If anyone have a sense for how much nutritional content, compared to an energizer+DAP scheme, there is in dried raisins, and/or cherries, cranberries, etc., I'd love to hear about it or be pointed to a thread.
---
So I'm now at day 9, still have a bit to go on 1' fermentation but am contemplating next steps. I did a first "considered" tasting on the hydrometer sample tonight.
- color has stayed a pretty deep purple, past a syrah, almost "wine dregs" color (http://www.colourlovers.com/color/3A0324/Dregs_of_Wine)
- not much on the nose other than a lot of alcohol at this point. My wife couldn't get it past her nose, but then, she's not much of a drinker.
- tastes medicinal, throat burning -- I expected this, given an ABV maybe 15% already; fast and warmish fermentation; there's no doubt some phenol in there. I know what to drink next time I have a sore throat.
- pretty dry already, even if the SG is still on the high side for a FG. Probably all the tannins and other polyphenols from the dry fruits. I like and intend fairly dry, will let 1' fermentation go as long as it keeps going (and eventually backsweeten if it gets too harsh).
- definite cherry and other fruit flavor in there beneath the alcohols, a relief that it didn't all get blown out by the strong fermentation rate, which I learned here can happen with cherry. Though I didn't get apple out of it at all.
- overall impression is reminiscent to this old altar boy of cheap Communion wine (the stuff Padre bought so no one would want to take more than a sip). Not a bad result at all, for this stage of making.
---
SO, I'm looking for a bit of advice. I had been contemplating racking onto fresh or frozen cherries for the secondary, if the fruit had been blown out in 1'. I'm leaning against that now, since those notes still seem to be in there somewhere, and Lord knows I won't need to give it more potential alcohol as it could already close in on 18% ABV.
The apple might be a lost cause underneath the cherry. Mild irony noted vis a vis the original plan. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it re-emerges down the road.
Instead, wondering what I might do in secondary to help tame the medicine, besides allow passage of time. I'm holding out hope that this might be shareable by spring '13. Would oaking be helpful? -- I'm thinking dark toast American, might that help calm astringency a bit? Also contemplating throwing into secondary the vanilla bean I found in the back of the cupboard, the one behind those dried cherries.
If you're still reading, thanks, and yikes, sorry for the Melvillean-length post. That sample might've been stronger than I realized.
Hi all,
Been lurking about the past few weeks and have a first batch nearing the end of 1' fermentation. This is my first foray into honey! I'm modestly experienced in brewing and winemaking (microbiologist by training, it's inevitable) from back in the day, but have been away from the hobby (and the lab) for far too many years (kids, work, moving, life). Finally at a point in life where opportunity and enthusiasm have coincided again.
(The notion amongst certain local friends that my renewed interest is out of anticipation of my mother-in-law moving in with us in a few months, hence a stereotypical need for "more to drink" on my part, is completely untrue. Well, mostly. She's actually an enthusiast and a reasonably knowledgeable palate, so I'm looking forward to having another drinking buddy and something crafted to serve.)
But enough about me; let's talk about my brew
I originally intended to try a raisin cyser and held out a couple weeks to get my favorite unclarified apple juice -- 'tis the season for it. Unfortunately the stuff flew off the grocery shelves the day it arrived, and I only got my hands on about half the amount I wanted.
Feeling an overwhelming urge to BREW NOW, I picked up some substitutes, rummaged the kitchen, and generally took the refrigerator velcro approach. A purist I'm not; heck, I might just be making a high gravity mishmash hooch here, but that's OK. Sometimes, I like hooch. (Do give me credit for resisting the urge to toss in the leftover candy canes I found from last Christmas.)
The Recipe, 3 gallon total volume:
5 lb Virginia wildflower honey (decent bargain at $12)
1.35 gal Simply Apple unclarified juice
1/4 gal Fruit Fast tart cherry juice concentrate (grocery selling cheap, I think they overstocked)
1/8 gal POM pomegranate juice (I had a coupon)
~1/2 lb light brown sugar (the exact quantity found in the back of the cupboard)
10 oz raisins, pureed in juice
10 oz dried cranberries (found next to the sugar), pureed in juice
6 oz dried cherries (found next to the cranberries), pureed in juice
6 Earl Grey tea bags (what the heck)
1 tsp pectinase
brought up to 3 gal (US) total vol in fermenter bucket with boiled, cooled tap water (our city water is hard, but good), must temp=75*F
All ingredients went in at room temp, no boil or pasteurization by my hands.
Initial SG = 1.140
Pitched 5 g Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast (chose this to handle the high SG), hydrated 20' in lukewarm water.
Incubated at 70-75*F (my house doesn't have a basement so chose a coolish spot behind the sofa, where the kids hide from the Daleks)
Gave it a good stir once a day for the first three days. Removed tea bags at two days, as they should've given their all by then and at some point would just be a mold magnet.
Fermentation took off like a champ, surprisingly little foaming for all that fruit-stuff, but the batch sounded like 3 gallons of Rice Krispies through day 5 (when I could hear it over the kids whimpering behind the couch, that is). Premier Cuvee (same pedigree as Lalvin EC1118, I'm told) is indeed a muscle car:
TIME: SG
0: 1.14
28h: 1.13
48h: 1.11
68h: 1.095
84h: 1.085
5d: 1.062
7d: 1.04
9d: 1.03
Business trip to Columbus a few days later, stopped by a lovely HBS there. Added 3/4 tsp LD Carlson yeast energizer thus acquired, at 84 hours, just past the 1/3 sugar break. Maybe not necessary -- there's gotta be enough available N in all those fruit bits, but I wasn't sure about vitamins/micronutrients and didn't want it too poop out early. If anyone have a sense for how much nutritional content, compared to an energizer+DAP scheme, there is in dried raisins, and/or cherries, cranberries, etc., I'd love to hear about it or be pointed to a thread.
---
So I'm now at day 9, still have a bit to go on 1' fermentation but am contemplating next steps. I did a first "considered" tasting on the hydrometer sample tonight.
- color has stayed a pretty deep purple, past a syrah, almost "wine dregs" color (http://www.colourlovers.com/color/3A0324/Dregs_of_Wine)
- not much on the nose other than a lot of alcohol at this point. My wife couldn't get it past her nose, but then, she's not much of a drinker.
- tastes medicinal, throat burning -- I expected this, given an ABV maybe 15% already; fast and warmish fermentation; there's no doubt some phenol in there. I know what to drink next time I have a sore throat.
- pretty dry already, even if the SG is still on the high side for a FG. Probably all the tannins and other polyphenols from the dry fruits. I like and intend fairly dry, will let 1' fermentation go as long as it keeps going (and eventually backsweeten if it gets too harsh).
- definite cherry and other fruit flavor in there beneath the alcohols, a relief that it didn't all get blown out by the strong fermentation rate, which I learned here can happen with cherry. Though I didn't get apple out of it at all.
- overall impression is reminiscent to this old altar boy of cheap Communion wine (the stuff Padre bought so no one would want to take more than a sip). Not a bad result at all, for this stage of making.
---
SO, I'm looking for a bit of advice. I had been contemplating racking onto fresh or frozen cherries for the secondary, if the fruit had been blown out in 1'. I'm leaning against that now, since those notes still seem to be in there somewhere, and Lord knows I won't need to give it more potential alcohol as it could already close in on 18% ABV.
The apple might be a lost cause underneath the cherry. Mild irony noted vis a vis the original plan. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it re-emerges down the road.
Instead, wondering what I might do in secondary to help tame the medicine, besides allow passage of time. I'm holding out hope that this might be shareable by spring '13. Would oaking be helpful? -- I'm thinking dark toast American, might that help calm astringency a bit? Also contemplating throwing into secondary the vanilla bean I found in the back of the cupboard, the one behind those dried cherries.
If you're still reading, thanks, and yikes, sorry for the Melvillean-length post. That sample might've been stronger than I realized.
