Simple Cyser

Classification: mead, cyser

Source: Chuck Cox (chuck@synchro.com), MLD #100, 3/19/93

Here's a very simple recipe that produces an excellent medium-sweet cyser. Fall is the perfect time of year to start a cyser. If you saw a lot of senior beer/mead judges staggering around the last national homebrew conference late at night, a keg of this was to blame. The honey and cider were all from New England. This was quite drinkable after 3 months, and is truly dangerous after a year. It is just sweet enough to deceive the unwary as to its true alcoholic strength. I just bought enough honey and cider to make a 1/2 bbl batch.

Ingredients: (for 7 gallons)

10 pounds clover honey
10 pounds wildflower honey
5 gallons cider
6 campden tablets
ale yeast

Procedure:

My standard procedure:

Mix everything except the yeast.
Let sit in loosely covered fermenter for 24 hours.
Add yeast.
Rack to secondary when fermentation slows.
Rack to keg when still.
Force carbonate if desired.
Condition for as long as you can stand it.
Drink liberally.
Fall over.