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Started my 1st cyser

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C.Stod82

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 3, 2017
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Beautiful Northern, Utah
So I started my first Cyser, I bought a gallon of organic, unfiltered, apple juice with no preservatives added. I then added 2lbs. of unfiltered,unprocessed, clover honey. I added 2 organic cinnamon sticks. Then i pitched my red star pasteur champagne yeast. My OG was right on 1.120. The yeast started working immediately, and seems to be working vigorously. Any thoughts from the pros on how and when this will finish? :confused:
 

caduseus

Lifetime GotMead Patron
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Aug 20, 2016
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That is a a high abv. If the yeast can go that high it would finish about 14%.
But there is nothing about your nutrients or nutrient additions.
Are you stirring daily?
Is this your first mead?
 

C.Stod82

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 3, 2017
9
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Beautiful Northern, Utah
This is my third try at mead, I chose not to use nutrients, it seems more natural without them. I have been stirring it morning and evening. I used my hydrometer and to my understanding, I was assuming closer to 17% ABV
 

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
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Spain, Europe
This is my third try at mead, I chose not to use nutrients, it seems more natural without them. I have been stirring it morning and evening. I used my hydrometer and to my understanding, I was assuming closer to 17% ABV

Hi C.Stod82 and welcome to the forums.

1.120 is around 16%, it varies depending on the method you use to calculate it since there are several

You should read the newbee guide that is in this webpage. You will understand a lot about meadmaking, and from there we can explain a lot more.
You should also use nutreints like Fermaid O or K. Yeast need nitrogen to grow healthy and honey is very nitrogen-deficient (compared to wine or beer or cider). You can choose not to, but you will improve all the meads you use them on, and they will be drinkable much sooner. Even winemakers use nutrients nowadays. The apple juice provides some, but not all the yeast needs.

Too late to fix this now, but did you rehidrate your yeast? If you dont know what im talking about, dont worry, and go read the newbee guide. Because it will be important for the next meads you do.

The recipe sounds good to me. Degas every day at least once until the fermentation is done.
I think if you didnt rehidrate and didnt use nutrient it will end semisweet (1.020-1.010). If you dont taste much cinnamon, give it a bit of time. Mine always takes about 3 months to start showing the flavour (altough that depends on what type you used i think). In the end it probably will have a good cinnamon kick. If you dont taste much apple, you can add some more juice after the ferment or some apples sliced. The same goes for any spices, you can add them after. Some spices that combien well are cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and allspice, altough I myself am a fan of pure cinnamon. That is just up to you
 

caduseus

Lifetime GotMead Patron
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Aug 20, 2016
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This is my third try at mead, I chose not to use nutrients, it seems more natural without them. I have been stirring it morning and evening. I used my hydrometer and to my understanding, I was assuming closer to 17% ABV

Fermaid O I natural as it is dead yeast. Adding no nutrients or fruit high in nutrients ( like raisins) is a recipe for poor mead or at best a mead that is both super sweet and requires at least a year to age.

Saying a yeast does not need nutrients is like humans expecting all of our nutrition needs can come from candy bars and desserts. Short term it will work but long term how long can you survive on candy and desserts?
 

Squatchy

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Welcome Cstod82 to the forums. Hang around here and in time it will all make sense.

You wouldn't feel bad about tossing organic cow shit on your vegetable garden would you? Same thing here. Only difference is you'll pay for a long while by not throwing fertilizer in your mead.
 

bernardsmith

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Not too late unless the fermentation is almost all done. Honey has almost zero nutrients that the yeast can use and the yeast need certain minerals to build their cell walls and allow to allow them to reproduce. They also need different nutrients to allow them to make the enzymes to make the alcohol. If the yeast cannot find enough zinc, nitrogen, phosphorous, and some other minerals they need to produce the sterols they need, the yeast simply shut down. One thing that you can do is to take a tablespoon of bread yeast and allow it to proof in a some sweetened water and then boil it for a few minutes killing those cells. The cells will likely have enough of most of the missing nutrients and the boiling will provide the yeast in your must quick access to the dead cells innards.
 

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
I did rehydrate my yeast, it really seemed to take off well. And as I said will get some nutrients is it too late to add them at this point? It is day three.

Depends on the SG and type of nutrients.
please post the brand you aquired and/or what it contains. If you still haven't the best choice is Fermaid O, then fermaid K. Also take an SG reading before using them. ammonia (you'll see it as inorganic nitrogen or DAP) is a form of nitrogen that after 9% alcohol is not absorbed by the yeast, and some nutrients use ammonia. Fermaid O has no ammonia, while K and most other nutrients do. If its day 3 you probably can use them without problem anyway but better safe than sorry.
As bernardsmith said, you can add some yeast to boiling water, keep it boiling for 5 minutes and then add it to the mead. This can be used at all stages of the fermentation too, so you'll be ok.
 

C.Stod82

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 3, 2017
9
0
0
Beautiful Northern, Utah
I must admit I think I jumped the gun on throwing my meads together. Also I must thank you all I am learning alot here (well trying to absorb as much as possible). This site is really informative and addictive. I hope my nectars at least turn out drinkable.
 

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
I must admit I think I jumped the gun on throwing my meads together. Also I must thank you all I am learning alot here (well trying to absorb as much as possible). This site is really informative and addictive. I hope my nectars at least turn out drinkable.

Dont worry. The thing with meads is, sooner or later, the will be good. If you follow better practices it will be soon. If you dont, then it will take more time but nontheless it will be ok.
And hey, you gotta jump to the pool at some time. We all did newbee mistakes. Just keep at it and you'll get better
 

C.Stod82

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 3, 2017
9
0
0
Beautiful Northern, Utah
Hello all, I must finally chime in on this cyser mead. I racked my cyser on about may 12 17, Then again about june 10 17, at which time I added enough apple juice (minute maid) to fill my 1 gallon jug. Fast forward 8-10-17 today I racked the cyser for the final time, then bottled in bellasima bottles. It turned out unbelievable!! So good! Very strong cinnamon flavor, you can taste a little apple but not much, it did work down to 1.001ish so its close to 16%ish.
 
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