Cyser/Mead/Melomel #2 - Peach Medley


This is a very simple  Cyser/Melomel  made using frozen juice from
concentrate.  I  experimented  with many  juice  combinations  and
yeasts  and  have  proven  that one can  make a VERY  tasty  Cyser
without an awful lot of trouble.

"Real"  fruit juices can be used  entirely of course, or added in,
but  frozen  concentrates  work very well.  I  recommend  avoiding
citrus  combinations,   however.  Any  other  "clear"  juice  will
probably   work   fine,  but  also  look  for  and   avoid   added
preservatives if possible.

Champagne  yeast is very  aggressive,  and will  attenuate  fully,
resulting in a very "dry" beverage.  Belgian yeasts work very well
in a high-gravity environment, and add a nice, fruity character of
their own, but the ferment  needs to be monitored  closely so that
the desired  residual  sweetness is left behind.  Less attenuative
Ale yeasts  are more  forgiving,  and  probably  easier to use for
beginners.  The  idea  should  be to  create  a  moderate  to high
gravity drink, with enough  residual  sweetness to complement  the
fruit character.

In this recipe, I used Seneca's  "Peach Medley" - a blend of three
different  fruit juices:  Peach, Apple, and White Grape.  Fourteen
cans of frozen concentrate would normally make more than 5 gallons
if  reconstituted  with water only, but I wanted more fruit flavor
to come through.

8/31/97 Peach Medley Cyser

Category            : Cyser (Mixed Fruit Melomel)
   Method           : Reconstitute, Melt & Mix
   Starting Gravity : 1.070
   Ending Gravity   : 1.004
   Alcohol content  : 8.7%
   Recipe Makes     : 5.0 gallons

Ingredients:

   14 cans (12 oz. each)    Seneca Peach Medley Juice Concentrate
   2.00 lb                  Honey
   3.00 lb                  Light Brown Sugar
   1.00 tbsp.               Yeast Nutrient
    2 packages              Red Star Dry "Pasteur Champagne" Yeast
   0.50 cup                 Corn Sugar (for priming)
   ~3 gal.                  Water

Process:

- HEAT (no need to boil) 1 to 2 gallons oof water.

- Completely dissolve all of the honey annd sugar in the hot water.

- Open & pour the contents of all canns of frozen juice concentrate
  into a clean,  sanitized,  5-gallon carboy (or bucket pre-marked
  to 5-gallon capacity).

- Pour  the  dissolved  honey/sugar/waterr   combination  into  the
  carboy/bucket.

- Top up the  carboy/bucket  with  cold   water,  to the level of 5
  gallons.

- Shake the  carboy, or stir the  contentts  of the  bucket  with a
  sanitized spoon to mix and aerate the mixture well.

- Re-hydrate dry yeast according to packaage instructions; or pitch
  liquid yeast directly from a pre-prepared "smack pack" (Wyeast),
  or vial (WhiteLabs).

- With a sanitized turkey baster or otherr such tool, take a sample
  for a hydrometer  reading and determine the  mixture's  Original
  Gravity.

- Add 1 tbsp.  of yeast nutrient to the mmixture.

- Pitch the pre-prepared  yeast into the   carboy/bucket;  seal the
  lid; and attach an airlock or blow-off tube.

WARNING: Fermentation  is likely to be very  lively.  There's  not
         much extra "head space" in a 5 gallon carboy  filled with
         5 gallons of  liquid.  A  blow-off  tube may be your best
         bet  here.  Alternatively,   use  a  6-gallon  or  larger
         carboy; or a 7+ gallon  fermentation  bucket to allow for
         the foam.

Ferment:

Cool - about 65F if possible (55 - 70F).  Total  fermentation time
will be about 2 to 3 weeks.  Condition for 2 weeks more  minimally
after bottling.

Post-Brew Notes:

Placed  the  carboy  in the  house,  near  an  A/C  vent.  Ambient
temperature is ~70 F.

9/13/97 - Gravity  reading  shows  1.004.  Bottle it!  Transferred
          the mixture from carboy to a bottling bucket, along with
          1/2 cup corn sugar dissolved in 1 cup of boiled water.

Yielded 49 full 12-oz.  bottles.

9/24/97 - Checked a bottle.  Good effervescence!  Nice flavor!


History & Style Specifications  
   (according  to the  BJCP  Style Guidelines):

                    Cyser (Fruit Melomel)

A mead made with the addition  other fruit or fruit juices.  There
should be an appealing  blend of the fruit and honey character but
not necessarily an even balance.

Aroma:  Should  exhibit the aroma of the  fruit(s)  present in the
mead.  In a melomel with a blend of fruits, one fruit may dominate
the aroma profile.

Appearance:  Clarity   will  be  good  to   brilliant.  Carbonated
examples will show active evidence of dissolved gas but no head is
expected.  The  particular  fruit(s)  used  may or may not  impart
color to the mead.

Flavor:  Fruit flavor  contributions to the mead range from subtle
acidic notes to intense, instantly recognizable fruit flavors.  In
a  melomel  with a blend of  fruits,  one fruit may  dominate  the
flavor  profile.  There  should be a balanced  honey  characer  as
well.  Some fruits will lend a cloying sweetness to the mead while
others  add a  drying  character.  In  well-made  examples  of the
style, the fruit is both  distinctive and  well-incorporated  into
the sugar-acid balance of the mead.

Mouthfeel:  Smooth  texture.  Most  will be  wine-like,  with  the
warming  presence of alcohol and sense of medium body.  Sensations
of a cloying or astringent character should be avoided.

Comments:  Genarally a good  tannin-sweetness  balance is desired,
though  very dry and very sweet  examples do exist.  Some  fruits,
notably  darker ones like  Blackberries,  may  contribute a tannin
presence not unlike dark pyments.  Some oxidative  properties  may
be  appropriate  in certain  fruit meads,  giving them a sherry or
port wine character.

Vital Statistics:  Effective OG:    1.070-1.120+
                             FG:    0.995-1.025
                             ABV:   7.5-15+%
                             IBUs:  N/A
                             SRM:   1-16