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What Apple juice for cyzer?

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pwizard

pwizard

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Oct 17, 2015
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Birmingham, AL
I use that unfiltered apple juice that comes in glass jugs (there are a variety of brands to choose from). The pulpy bits are just extra yeast food. You're ok as long as it doesn't use anything other than Vitamin C as a preservative (anything with potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, or any chemicals like that in it won't ferment).
 
Mazer828

Mazer828

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Sep 9, 2015
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Yeah hit the refrigerated section of your grocery produce department. There's usually some fresh apple juice (not from concentrate, not filtered, flash pasteurized). That's what I like to use mostly.

But also consider this. Most professional cider makers use a blend of varieties for cider, not a single variety. Some apples are sweet, others very tart, etc. But it takes a balance to produce a tasty cider. So you can always just go with 5 gallons of whatever you find, which I've done plenty of times, and made some good cider, trust me. Or you can do a little more research, actually blend them absolutely taste the blends before fermenting, and make a great cider.

If you're interested in learning more, here's a link to a pretty good podcast where the hosts interview a couple of cider makers, and they talk about just that.

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...8/poverty-lane-orchards-farnum-hill-cider.mp3
 
EbonHawk

EbonHawk

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Apr 24, 2014
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Dothan, AL, USA
Here's a post recently on the subject, and I copied it to save for future reference. by Mazer828, in this thread: http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php/25405-First-time-Cyser
by Mazer828:
I second the Cote des Blancs yeast for cysers. It's a match made in heaven. I'll share with you my easy cyser recipe and fermentation schedule, which has yet to fail, and produces some fine cyser in the 16.5% ABV range.

Start with 4 gallons of unfiltered, lightly pasteurized (if that's all you can find, otherwise unpasteurized, fresh-pressed) juice. I am blessed to live within an hour of Apple Hill, in El Dorado County, California, where numerous apple orchards exist, so getting fresh pressed juice is a cinch.

Pour them into a sanitized bucket, take a gravity reading, and then begin adding honey, using a sanitized paint stirrer attachment on a cordless drill, until you get to your desired OG. Mine is usually around 1.130. At the same time, mix in 5 tsp Fermaid-O.

Hydrate one packet of Cote des Blancs yeast using Go-Ferm, and 104 degree water, for 30 minutes. During this time, the temp will come down. Temperate by adding small amounts of the must to the hydration container at a time, and when the temp is the same as the must, pitch. Then I drain the whole thing into a 6.5 gallon glass carboy, drop an oxygenation stone in, and pump pure O2 in for about 30 seconds.

Fit an airlock, and wait. I try to keep the must temperature in the mid 60s throughout the ferment. When the lag phase is over, I stir in 2.5 tsp. Fermaid-O. When the SG gets to 1.075 (1/2 break), I degas and stir in another 2.5 tsp. Fermaid-O. Then I set it somewhere quiet and out of the way until I see the yeast drop out. At this point, I rack and begin testing for stability. When the SG stays the same for a couple of weeks in a row, I bottle (carbonated) using raw honey for the priming agent. I don't wait for full clarity because I like my ciders and cysers bottled like hefewiezens. You can pour them clear, or stir them up a little; however you like it.

If I'm going to add spice, I add it in large pieces (chunks, not powder) in a steeping bag, during secondary, until I get the flavor character I want. One of my next batches will involve using fresh ginger, which I will shred and add to the primary; probably 2-3 ounces.

Using this recipe/method I have yet to need to make any pH adjustments or acid additions.

Hope this helps you develop your own method, and make awesome cyser!
Click to expand...
 
EbonHawk

EbonHawk

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Apr 24, 2014
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Dothan, AL, USA
Has anyone tried to make any cysers out of Kiku apples? My wife keeps buying them and they're okay, but they're advertised "as quite possibly the sweetest apples you've ever tasted". I'm skeptical, because they just taste "ok" to me. I much prefer Jazz apples, they have a much better crispness and perfect tart to sweet ratio. My absolute favorite apples are McIntoshes, which are getting harder to find here and all I ever find are hybrids. I doubt they'd make good cyser though. Something about them just doesn't scream "Cyser!" to me.
 
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