Has anyone here used sugarcane in mead before? How do you use it?

capoeirista13 · #1 10-27-2008, 04:46 PM

Hello again all!

So I was thinking of maybe using sugar cane in my next batch, which I'm thinking will be a cyser. I did a search for sugar cane but only found info on cane sugar. This may sound dumb but I'm not sure, is cane sugar just the raw sugar from the sugar cane?

Also, the kind of sugar cane I can get it a green stalk with a pink inside, it is from my uncle down in Florida. If I were to use this, should I only use the pink fleshy part in my mead?

Oskaar · #2 10-27-2008, 08:26 PM

What is it you're hoping to produce? Cane sugar (sugar derived from sugar cane) when included in mead musts, trends toward hot, cidery, and generally unpleasant meads that take a while to age out if not managed properly and taken in small doses. Just blend honeys if you're looking for additional character, etc.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar

capoeirista13 · #3 10-28-2008, 12:28 AM

ooohhh, well hot is no bueno, so i spose i wont be using it, thanks for the tip!

Medsen Fey · #4 10-30-2008, 08:03 AM

I used some cane syrup to add the flavor in a mojito melomel I made once. It actually came out tasting a lot like a mojito drink, but I was not able to maintain the carbonation adequately as I bottled it so it came out kind of flat. When I open it, I mix with soda water and it tastes pretty good.

In this case, since there is a load of lime juice and mint, any funky flavors from the cane syrup blend in and are not bothersome, and the flavor element from the sugar cane that I was hoping to get (and which are appropriate in a mojito) actually came through. This might not hold true with other recipes, but in this case the cane syrup worked.

Medsen