Spicing a Cyser
Tonight I spiced my cyser. I had used an additive to clear it to crystal clear perfection last week, and so the remaining step before bottling, other than bulk aging, was adding the spices.
I crushed around 2/3 oz of allspice berries, which released an enormously pleasing and fresh aroma. I cracked them coarsely with a newly acquired mortar and pestle. Then another 1/2 oz of cinnamon quills, again, quite coarsely cracked. I didn't want to grind these into powder. Finally, 5 nutmegs (around 3/4 oz) were cracked and broken up. I put all these in a small mesh bag and added it to the carboy. Hopefully this will add a nice spiciness to the cyser.
The specific gravity of this cyser is at a rather impressive 1.003, down from an OG of 1.120. This means approximately 16% by volume. Still, the hydrometer sample was remarkably light. It had a floral, mild honey note with a faint appley note...an excellent backdrop for the spices. It still has a good deal of aging to do to reduce the "hotness". I don't think I'll give any bottles of this out til next Christmas; I'm fairly certain it won't have reached its potential by this December. Which isn't to say that I personally won't have a glass of this on Christmas Eve.
By the way, I tried another bottle of the Ginger Porter earlier this week. This time some of the initial awkwardness of the ale (can't find a better way to describe it) was gone, and the hops were more recognizable...a citrusy, almost sweet hoppiness that is definately mild but recognizable. In case you're wondering, I used two ounces of Cascade for bittering/boiling hops and one ounce of Willamette for aroma/flameout hops. The ginger is there still in full force but it cooperates a little better with the other elements.
New projects...looking forward to finding a source of freshly pressed, preservative-free apple cider, with which to make a nice English style cider to age for a year. Any of you few guys reading this know of a good cider mill that might do this? I need to call up Stephenson's and Louisberg and ask them. Also, I might get going on the blackcurrant melomel anyday now. I actually could start the mead, and I probably should. The blackcurrants are only needed for secondary fermentation.
I crushed around 2/3 oz of allspice berries, which released an enormously pleasing and fresh aroma. I cracked them coarsely with a newly acquired mortar and pestle. Then another 1/2 oz of cinnamon quills, again, quite coarsely cracked. I didn't want to grind these into powder. Finally, 5 nutmegs (around 3/4 oz) were cracked and broken up. I put all these in a small mesh bag and added it to the carboy. Hopefully this will add a nice spiciness to the cyser.
The specific gravity of this cyser is at a rather impressive 1.003, down from an OG of 1.120. This means approximately 16% by volume. Still, the hydrometer sample was remarkably light. It had a floral, mild honey note with a faint appley note...an excellent backdrop for the spices. It still has a good deal of aging to do to reduce the "hotness". I don't think I'll give any bottles of this out til next Christmas; I'm fairly certain it won't have reached its potential by this December. Which isn't to say that I personally won't have a glass of this on Christmas Eve.
By the way, I tried another bottle of the Ginger Porter earlier this week. This time some of the initial awkwardness of the ale (can't find a better way to describe it) was gone, and the hops were more recognizable...a citrusy, almost sweet hoppiness that is definately mild but recognizable. In case you're wondering, I used two ounces of Cascade for bittering/boiling hops and one ounce of Willamette for aroma/flameout hops. The ginger is there still in full force but it cooperates a little better with the other elements.
New projects...looking forward to finding a source of freshly pressed, preservative-free apple cider, with which to make a nice English style cider to age for a year. Any of you few guys reading this know of a good cider mill that might do this? I need to call up Stephenson's and Louisberg and ask them. Also, I might get going on the blackcurrant melomel anyday now. I actually could start the mead, and I probably should. The blackcurrants are only needed for secondary fermentation.
posted by SQLFunkateer at 7:57 PM
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