Batch 36: Cider with Honey or Cyser Light

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
36	Cider/Cyser	10/21/17	1/29/18	11/6/19	Racked 2	11/6/19

Yeast Type:  Lalvin EC-1118
Ingredients:  4 gallons unpastuerized apple cider
1 gallon boiled water
5 or 6 pounds of honey from our bees
5 tsp yeast nutrient
touch of Epsom salt
3 drops olive oil
Comments:  This is a hard cider sweetened with a bit of honey, or a light cyser.  I didn't want to go for a full strength cyser mead as past attempts have been a bit astringent, tart, or both, and have taken a long time to age.  Hoping this one can be ready in a year.  Did not collect initial data.

Aerated vigorously with a spoon once/day for 3 days to encourage growth.

1/29/18 Update:  Racked after 3 months of sitting in the primary because we cleaned the room and now you could see this thing clearly sitting in the corner all alone.  Appears slightly hazy pale straw yellow.  Tastes tart and light, somewhat dry.  Not too astringent despite honey in the recipe and no strong off flavors from spoilage or the long time in the primary.  OK overall, could benefit from clearing and carbonation.  Bottled 3 each 22oz bottles with varying amounts of priming sugar (which I believe is dextrose) to see what happens.  The bottles contain 1/2 tsp, 3/4 tsp, and 1 tsp priming sugar.  A recipe I saw called for 1/2 tsp per pint.  These are more than pint, so shooting for one lightly/under-carbonated, one just right, and one over-carbonated.  Update from memory:  They were all flat.

11/6/19 Update:  Racked off sediment, not totally clear, but needed to free up carboy space.  Tasted ok, but a bit tart and would benefit from carbonation.  Combined with 1 gallon batch 32 acerglyn, which was cloying, and added 72g corn sugar and 45g cane sugar in 1 cup boiled water.  A splash of ginger extract and cinnamon extract (approx. 1 Tbsp each) at bottling, just for fun.  Yield was 25 each 22 oz and one 12 oz with approx. 10 oz filled.  Hoping for decent carbonation without bottle bombs.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 35: "Burning Down the House" Bochet

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#35	Bochet	3/23/17	6/8/17	1/29/18	11//6/19	Bottled

Yeast Type: Montrachet
Ingredients: 5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
20 lbs caramelized honey
QS to 5 gallons with pasteurized water

Comments:
Honey was from a near-fire when melting wax on the woodstove.  That was a messy cleanup from 10pm-1am...  Evidence still on the hearth.  Bubbled away nicely in the primary as the lid had a good seal.

6/8/17 update:   Tasted and flavor was light and marshmallowy, lower alcohol with less mouthfeel than prior meads, owing to the lower starting gravity than all other meads we've made except maybe Charles' solo batches.  Racked from brew bucket to secondary glass carboy.  Added 10 whole cloves, 2 small cinnamon sticks, and 2.5 vanilla beans that had previously soaked in vodka for about 6 months, so they are not full strength.  Hoping to add some subtle flavors to the caramelized honey without needing extracts later.

1/29/18 Update: Appears a slightly hazy amber / dark golden mead, slightly carbonated.  Flavor is a light astringency, young overall, but has a smoky sweetness reminiscent of toasted marshmallow.  There were spices added in the secondary, but they are not prominent yet in the taste, definitely not overdone.  Needs another 3 or 4 years, but promising with or without additional adjustment.  The cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and cloves spilled out easily with the dregs during carboy cleaning.

11/6/19 Update:  Cloudy and dark, a unique spicy and carmelized profile.   Light on mouthfeel, not boozy or syrupy.  Has potential but needs to age and especially clear.  Condsidered bentonite, but did not bother yet.  Too many other things done on the same date to go with bentonite.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.080	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	10%	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 34: Dregs Acerglyn

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#34	Acerglyn	3/23/17	1/29/18	N/A	N/A	N/A

Yeast Type: Dregs from Antmead #33
Ingredients: Maple syrup dregs, honey bits from random jars, 1tsp yeast nutrient
Comments: This is 1/2 gallon in a glass jug, otherwise would have gone down the drain.

1/29/18 Update:  Decanted into 2 quart jars and tasted.  It was tart, astringent, and not at all good.  Scrapped down the drain.