Throwback: Cyser with commercial clover honey (Cam's batch)

Batch Number: Pre-historic - Cider with commerical (clover) honey
Batch Type: Cyser (mead with apple cider)
Date into Primary: 2010???
Yeast Type:???
Ingredients: If we recorded it at the time, it is lost now. At a minimum we had apple cider, commercial clover honey, and yeast (most likely Red Star). Probably yeast nutrient, maybe pectic enzyme....
Date into Secondary: ??? (probably 4 weeks after primary)
Date Racked: ???
Date Racked: ???
Date Filled: June 2011
Date Reworked:  6/26/12
Date Racked:  1/12/13, 6/25/13
Date Filled (again):  11/2/13
Comments:

This batch came out a bit harsh. I don't know if it was the anaerobic primary fermentation of just that it is so darn dry. This was a very early batch, maybe our second mead? Jim made a pre-historic cyser with honey from his own bees and claims it is not as harsh.

Cameron had about 4 gallons bottled up that he wasn't drinking due to the harshness. On 6/26/12 we decided to rework it, Roy Adkins style, in order to backsweeten it and hopefully end up with something tasty:

1) Sanitized and CO2 purged a 5 gal glass carboy
2) Uncapped and poured out about 24 22oz bottles of cyser into the carboy
3) Added 1.5 tsp potassium sorbate and 2 campden tabs (and sparkaliod?)
4) Added stirbar and airlock and stirred it up

While we had it open, we did some testing:

Specific Gravity (hydrometer) = 0.996
% ABV (vinometer) = 15%
% mas sach (refractomer) = 9%
Degrees Oeschele (refractometer) = 36

Next steps are to figure out what to add to make it tastier and do it up, then bottle.

July 26th, 2012 update:

Turned off stir-plate to allow settling so samples can be pulled. Noted that the batch looked darker (dirty brown color like strong iced tea; not amber).

July 30th, 2012 update:

In preparation for our back-sweetening tutorial with Carl a 12oz. sample was drawn into a bottle, capped, and refrigerated.

1/12/13:
Racked and added sparkeloid.  Very dry and high alcohol, as with almost every mead.  No new data captured.  Considering an entry into the mazer cup after adjusting.  Shortly after this Cam added 3 lbs. of star thistle honey to backsweeten.

2/2/13:  Prepared two entries to the mazer cup.  First was neat (unadjusted) and titled "The Virgin Apple".  This was 14-15% alcohol by vinometer.  Charles and Cam liked this best, Jim thought the alcohol taste was a bit strong and favored an adjustment with malic acid and cider.  The ratio was 15mL of batch + 4mL of batch 1 (cider saturated with malic acid) + 5mL of sweet cider.  The result was closer to 10% ABV via vinometer and the samples were titled "Phluff-cyser".  Phluff-cyser had a pH of 3.4, 13% mas sach, 54 degrees Oeschele and 13.33 degress Brix.  It also settled out and looked nasty after mixing.  We did not realize at the time the fresh cider adjustment should really be racked, sparkeloid added, and racked again for clarity.  Oops.

6/25/13:

Beautiful dark amber (a la Spencer) and good flavor.  Thick, sweet honey, and a bit of alcohol.  Clearing nicely.

11/2/13:  This was filtered with a new filtration rig which is basically a whole house water filter for sediment removal.  The filter was placed inline between two corny kegs and sanitized with CO2 pressure transfer of sanitizer through the filter.  The batch was then pressure transferred.  We then pressurized the receiving keg at 60psi and quick chilled the batch (keg in a bucket of ice water with some dry ice added to the batch and some dry ice added to the ice water bath) to force carbonate.  The batch was filled with a spigot style dispenser into sanitized and dry-ice chilled bottles.  There was virtually no outgassing upon the liquid hitting the bottles.  This was a four person filling operation with one person dispensing, two chilling and handing off bottles, and one capping.  There was some yield loss due to overfilling as there was not always a chilled empty ready and the dispenser would not fully shut-off due to pressure from the keg.  This is the first full strength mead we have carbonated.  From approximately 4 gallons we yielded 1 22oz bomber and ~32 12 oz bottles (3.17gal).

12/5/13:
Tastes great, though the final product is very lightly carbonated.  You can taste a bit of dissolved CO2, but it does not fizz when opened and poured.

Batch 10G: The Big One - O (hard cider)

Batch Number:10
Batch Type: Cider (apple)
Date into Primary: Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 @ 18:45
Yeast Type: Lalvin - K1-V1116 Saccharomyces cerevisiae I.N.R.A. - Montpellier (lot #: 0161581M exp. 08-2013)

Ingredients:
Fresh pressed apple cider from Woolf Creek Farms (10 gallons)
Old Orchard Apple Concentrate (6 canisters)
11 campden tablets
Yeast Nutrient (3 2/3 tablespoons)
Pectic Enzyme (2 tablespoons)

Date into Secondary: 6/27/12
Date Racked: 3/9/13 (stabilized and sweetened)
Date Racked: 6/25/13
Date Filled:  10B filled 10/5/13
                     10A filled (insert date)
Comments:
June 6:
12 gallons of cider was ordered from Woolf Farms via the CCH farmers market. Dale indicated that he would press it this week.

June 8:
Received confirmation that cider was being fresh pressed this evening exclusively for DDB. Unfortunately only enough apples for 10 gallons of cider.

June 10:
Picked up the 10 gallons of cider with my good friend Mr. Scaggs. Put cider on ice.

June 12:
Brewing begins! Jimbo and I start by sanitizing the 14 gallon carboy outside with a strong bleach solution followed by a double water rinse, then a sanitizer rinse, and a final water rinse. While we were sanitizing the carboy we took advantage of the efficiency of scale and sanitized all the remaining five and six gallon carboys that were not in use (eight in all including a crusty special). All were sanitized with the same process and left to air dry and then capped with aluminum foil. The process of cleaning the carboys was apparently mesmerizing and fascinating to all the neighborhood children who were playing outside and led to each child asking us individually what we were doing/making? Once the 14 gallon carboy was rinsed it was taken to the brew cellar and placed on a work-bench atop one of the newly acquired stir-plate (Barnstead / Thermolyne Cimarec 3 Laboratory Stirrer). The campden tablets, yeast nutrient, apple concentrate, and apple cider were added to the carboy along with a stir-bar. An air pump was configured to to pump air through an in-line canister filter, through a loosely fitting cap, and finally into solution. Sadly there was a failed attempt to use an air-stone to try and increase the pO2 levels but due to poor planning on my part that plan was abandoned. The stir plate and air pump were turned on and after being allowed to stir and aerate for approximately 10 minutes a sample was drawn for QC testing. It was noted during sampling that the hose was floating on the surface of the mixture (rather than sinking below the surface). A barb and locking nut were sanitized and added to the end of the tubing to act as a weight to allow the tube to drop below the surface of the solution. This configuration was successful in dropping the tube about four inches below the surface. While this is not as deep as I would have liked, it was significantly better than floating on the surface. The cap was reseated and the sample was tested. Results are listed below.

Pre-Fermentation (PF) Results:
Specific gravity (via hydrometer): 1.060
Potential ABV (via hydrometer): 8%
% sugar (balling) (via hydrometer): 15.2
% mas (sacc) (via refractometer): 16%
degree Oechsle (° Oe) (via refractometer): 64
Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (KMW) (via refractometer): 13
pH (via pH meter): 3.4

Conversions based on Oechsle (° Oe) value
degree Brix (via conversion): 15.67
Dissolved solids (g/L) (via conversion): 166.7
Potential alcohol (%v/v) (via conversion): 8.52

June 13:
Bloomed yeast for 15 minutes in warm sugar water solution, then added to the bohemoth. Air was still flowing and stir bar still spinning.

June 14:
Air continues to bubble through the cider and the stir plate is still spinning the stir bar. Fermentation is strong. Strong smell of yeast in the brew cellar. Foaming is seen reaching to within four to six inches of the top of the carboy. Measured the temperature of the carboy at 80 F. Temperature of the stir plate is 97 F.

June 15:
Disconnected the air pump and aeration rig. Significant foaming was still present. Made a batch of sanitizer in the bubbling bucket and sanitized the hose, vent connector, and bung cap. I hung the bucket from the top handle of the carboy and connected the vent tube. Attempted to replace the loosely fitting cap with the threaded bung cap that came with the carboy and came to the realization that the threading does not line up. However I tightened anyway until I was able to get a somewhat airtight seal and see bubbling from the bucket. Bubbling was vigorous.

June 24: Turned off the stir-plate at 3:00pm to allow the sediment time to settle in preparation for racking into the demijohn on Tuesday.

June 26: In a fit of rage Jimbo broke valuable laboratory equipment (smashing the vinometer on the floor) after we racked the 14 gallon plastic carboy into the 14 gallon glass demijohn. I am devastated at this wanton destruction and am unable to record any further actions. (Jimbo's comment: Are you done crying yet?)

Post Primary Fermentation (PPF) Results:
Specific gravity (via hydrometer): 0.998
%ABV (via vinometer): 6.0%
% mas (sacc) (via refractometer): 5.0%
degree Oechsle (° Oe) (via refractometer): 21°
pH (via pH meter): 3.2

Conversions based on Oechsle (° Oe) value
degree Brix (via conversion): 5.33°
Dissolved solids (g/L) (via conversion): 54.39
Potential alcohol (%v/v) (via conversion): 2.74
Babo/KM (via conversion): 4.56
Specific gravity (via conversion): 1.021

Update 3/9/13:  Batch was racked into two sub-batches 10A (6 gallons of Batch 10) and 10B (approx 1 gallon of Pre-historic cider + approx 4 gallons of Batch 10).  Transferring this was interesting.  It was our first transfer from a 14.7 gallon demijohn.  We had a long racking cane which reached close to the bottom and a pressure transfer lid that did not fit.  We fitted and pressed the lid on the demijohn with a CO2 line through one port and a racking cane reaching down near the bottom through the other port.  We pressurized the best we could and it did transfer slowly, with much hissing.

10A:  To approx 6 gallons of batch 10 we added 3 campden tablets, 1.5 tsp potassium sorbate, and 4 12oz cans of apple concentrate (for sweetness).

10B:  To the approx 5 gallon blend we added 3 campden tablets, 3/4 tsp potassium sorbate, and 4 each 12 oz cans of applec concentrate (for sweetness).   The campden should have been 2.5 tabs and 1.25 tsp sorbate, but we ran out of sorbate, so we boosted campden by 0.5 tabs.

We were tasting these after all additions to judge balance of sweet and acid and a somewhat strong chemical taste was present, presumably from the campden.  We said we'd taste again after dissipation.

6/25/13:

Already stabilized and adjusted on 3/9/13, remains cloudy.  Tastes over acid!   Damn it!  I wonder if the over-acid taste comes from backsweetening with so much apple concentrate (4 cans to 5 gallons 10B and 4 cans to 6 gallons 10A).  This would add malic acid in addition to sweetness.  Note to self: do not backsweeten with anything that contains acid for batches that are at a good level of acid.

9/7/13:  We did not touch 10A in this session, but radically overhauled 10B.  We did 3 different adjustments.  First was a development batch to work out a recipe, then a pilot batch to figure out proper ratios, then finally the scale-up of 10B.  The result was an expensive but dramatic recovery from an overacid cider and is probably best bottled still.
        Development:  To 3/4 gallon of 10B added 1 oz bourbon and 3/4 cup hot honey (130F by TC, 140F by IR).  Too acid, no bourbon flavor.  We then added 3 oz bourbon and 1 cup honey.  Better.  Remainder was dumped into a 1 gallon glass bottle with airlock and stored in the brew cellar.  Should be further adjusted to match the pilot.
        Pilot:  To 500mL of 10B we added 2 oz of Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey (way too sweet neat) and 2/3 cup hot honey.  Too sweet.  Added 180mL of 10B and 200mL water.  Just right!  Remainder was dumped into a Cabin Fever bottle and put in Cam's fridge.
        Scale-up:  To approx 4 gal of 10B added 20 oz Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey and 12 oz of Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey.  This was 10 oz under the calculated quantity of whiskey needed, but that was over 1 and 1/4 bottles already, so we left it at that.  We then added 12 cups of hot honey and 1 gal of boiled water.  Jim also added 100mL remainder of "Pilot" batch in that did not fit in the Cabin Fever bottle.  Result was 7.5% ABV by vinometer and probably a yield of approx 6 gallons.

10/5/13:  We filled 6 gallons of 10B on 10/5/13, they were bottled still and cloudy with honey proteins.  Cam filled his 3 gallons as-is into crown cap 22oz.  Jim added 1/2 gallon 10A, 1.5 pts boiled water, 250mL honey whiskey and blended before filling into screwcap wine bottles.  This cut sweetness a bit.

We also "pre-adjusted" 10A a bit.  To the existing 6 gallons we added 1250 mL honey whiskey, 2 pints boiled water and 1 pint of honey.  We did not add the other planned components due to time and needing to split the batch into 2 carboys to finish adjustment.  We expect we will need to add to 10A 14 cups more honey and 1.4 gallons of water.  We will also plan to adjust the 3/4 gallon dev batch further with 2 oz whiskey 1/2 cup honey and 24oz water.
 
5/3/14:
We tasted a bottle that Cam had on hand from 10B and it was bad.  Too much acid, too much sweetness trying to cover it up.  This batch is trying too hard and we had to adjust for too much.  Decided to cut losses and will scrap.  We learned not to backsweeten with something so acid as apple concentrate and we learned that when we try to rescue a batch starting out this bad, that it doesn't work.