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A bunch of mead/cyser questions

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Charlene

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 28, 2005
46
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Is dead yeast a good nutrient? I'm wondering if it would make sense to add some cheap yeast to a quart of water, let it rehydrate, boil it, and then cool it down.

How clear will cyser or melomel get? If I start off with cloudy juice can I end up with a clear final product?

Can quick mead be made without citrus? I'd like to try it, but I can't have any citrus whatsoever - not even a drop.
 
Charlene said:
Is dead yeast a good nutrient? I'm wondering if it would make sense to add some cheap yeast to a quart of water, let it rehydrate, boil it, and then cool it down.
Click to expand...

I've suggested it before using just that method for those that don't have access to yeast hulls.

Charlene said:
How clear will cyser or melomel get? If I start off with cloudy juice can I end up with a clear final product?
Click to expand...

That depends on a number of factors, including the type of fruit... filtered / pasteurized juices seem to clear the best. It is also best to use the no heat method for fruit recipes as heat will set the pectin and you will end up with a hazy mead.

Charlene said:
Can quick mead be made without citrus? I'd like to try it, but I can't have any citrus whatsoever - not even a drop.
Click to expand...

I should think so... what do you consider a quick mead? Try the link below for some ideas and see if any of the recipes will work for you.

http://www.gotmead.com/component/option,com_pccookbook/page,viewcategory/cat_id,69/

Wrathwilde
 
Charlene,

Take a look in the brewlog section at my Christmas Cyser. It worked really well and can be scaled to whatever size you need.

Depending on the raw apple juice you use, you will not need nutrients. When I fermented the raw juice using 12 different yeasts, many of them blew the traps (some repeatedly). The only reason my cyser doesn't do this is that I heat the must prior to pitching the yeast. This reduces the foaminess since I skim the must while heating.

One of the feedbacks I got on my Christmas Cyser at Pennsic War was that I should try it without the citrus since the apple juice has a lot of acid by itself. I have another batch in process without citrus. Seems like you could do the same...

My Christmas Cyser cleared really nicely and was ready for bottling after two rackings. I used EC-1118 yeast, which is known to drop clear pretty easily. I might recommend it but you will have to adjust honey upwards if you want something sweet since it is a champaigne yeast.

Anyway, good luck,
Pewter
 
Charlene said:
How clear will cyser or melomel get? If I start off with cloudy juice can I end up with a clear final product?

Can quick mead be made without citrus? I'd like to try it, but I can't have any citrus whatsoever - not even a drop.
Click to expand...

Crystal-clear. Last fall I ran a batch of ThirstyViking's 4-week quick cyser with local raw cider. Started out brown, ended up a beautiful amber that I can read through.

Also, if you heat a cyser or melomel and set the pectin accidentally, you can add a couple of drops of pectase, a natural enzyme available from brewing suppliers that clears it up.

In answer to your quick-mead question, run a search for the four-week quick cyser (which, I should note, rapidly improves with age over the few weeks after you bottle it.)
 
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