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Cyser aging question.... at cold temp or room temp?

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EbonHawk

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Apr 24, 2014
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Dothan, AL, USA
Been waiting for my first batch to "mature", and it has...with flying colours, really. But, my question is this: is it better to age at room temp (pantry) at around 72°, or should I cold crash/age them at refrigerator temps, around 35°? What's the difference? I'm not sure what's the best approach.

Original log here: http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php/23099-Brewlog-Mike-s-Famous-Christmas-Cyser
A recap: a tried and true apple cyser mead went a little south and didn't turn out like I expected. I think now that it was the cloves, since I used 24 of them, fresh organic bad-boys. And before anyone says "TWENTY-FOUR?!?!?!" I had my reasons, albeit misinformed and shortsighted as it was. Anyway, 9 months later, the stuff tastes pretty good, but I'm wondering if I should do something different?

I have some that I've been storing in the fridge and some that are still at room temp. Does anyone have any experience aging cysers at different temps?

Thanks for any and all input.
 

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron
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Nov 3, 2014
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Denver
I haven't tried comparing two different temps but I store my at 64-68 and it's fine. I had a batch that was overdosed with cloves. Over time it did mello out some. No more than 2 a gallon for me from now on out!
 

EbonHawk

NewBee
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Apr 24, 2014
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1 to 2 for me as well. Because I did 3 for my latest batch and it's still a little overly strong right now. However, in a few months' time or so, it should be mellow enough to be fantastic if that first batch with 24 cloves in it is any indication of how much clears out of it over time.

The justification I used for the 24 cloves was that I had tried 6, then 12, then 24 and it still wasn't strong enough. These were some really, really, really ancient cloves though is probably why it took so many. Hooray for fresh ingredients, but watch out!! :)
 

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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Miami Beach, FL
I don't think there are any hard and fast rules for mead/cyser or if there were they have been lost to antiquity but my common sense tells me that the cooler the better to a point. Most likely 55 to 65 (I know that's a big range) is ideal, but I can barely manage 68 here in the tropics. The only way to really know would be to age identical meads at different temps over a couple of years and see which one ages best and at what temp/humidity. That's not even taking into account the vessel. Certain temps may be better for corks and wine bottles and others may be better for crown caps and champagne bottles. It can get complicated.

BUT.... many on here have been doing this for years and make REALLY good mead. I bet if you followed their example you will be able to at least know it works for them. Me, still a noob and I use champagne bottles with crown caps at 68-70F. Not ideal, but I can't afford a walk-in I can set at 55F yet.
 

EbonHawk

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Apr 24, 2014
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Dothan, AL, USA
I really need a cold storage room too, but don't see it anytime in my near future. Going to have to settle for a thermostat-controlled lay-down freezer for that type stuff, but again, that's a little way off. Maybe one day soon.
 

EJM3

Honey Master
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Nov 21, 2013
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The Boozevarian Village of Leavenworth WA
I have a choice of the house that gets to 85ºF+ in the Summer and 60ºF in the Winter. Or the basement at 35ºF in the Winter (or lower, our pipes almost froze one year) and 70's in the Summer. Problem is there is no place to put a bunch of bottles down there now, and it takes 10 minutes to move the chairs, table, plants, and rugs to get to the access door for it. I'm keeping what few I have in cabinets near the floor, best I can do in a house that has no A/C in an environment that regularly tops 100ºF in the Summer and bottoms out at -10ºF in the Winter.
 

mannye

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I would check at what temps sherry and port are cellared. This and things like Sauternes, which being non fortified may be the closest grape equivalent to mead.


Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now.
U g
 

EbonHawk

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 24, 2014
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Dothan, AL, USA
I have a choice of the house that gets to 85ºF+ in the Summer and 60ºF in the Winter. Or the basement at 35ºF in the Winter (or lower, our pipes almost froze one year) and 70's in the Summer. Problem is there is no place to put a bunch of bottles down there now, and it takes 10 minutes to move the chairs, table, plants, and rugs to get to the access door for it. I'm keeping what few I have in cabinets near the floor, best I can do in a house that has no A/C in an environment that regularly tops 100ºF in the Summer and bottoms out at -10ºF in the Winter.

Ok, well I'm officially not complaining anymore about my setup then. I have a two-level house that stays pretty consistently between 68° and 74° depending on location and time of year. Problem is, I can never find a 68° spot for very long. Cold nights in the front living room with 2 acres of windows gets fairly chilly, but it just doesn't stay that cold in there. We've had ONE night so far this winter, maybe two that approached 67~68° but it only lasted overnight.
 

EJM3

Honey Master
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Nov 21, 2013
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The Boozevarian Village of Leavenworth WA
Yeah us Northerners have a little more weather than down there in `Bama. At least those of us on the East side of the mountains. The Westies (not MY nickname!) have the land of eternal rain and overcast, over 300 days out of the year are cloudy on average, I know, I grew up in the Bellevue/Seattle region. This is MUCH better, at least we have weather here! I've lived a few other places as well, all of them in the extremes (Palm Springs CA, to Eastern WA, to NY NY, to Arkansas in the Summer and a few more)
 

kuri

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May 5, 2013
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Japan
I've let a few meads age at room temp for a year without any obvious problems developing, the mead coming out tasting quite good in the end. And room temp here ranges from a low of around 4C on a winter night to a high of around 35C on a summer day. I do worry about them, but I haven't seen that I need to worry. I just do.
 
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