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Cherry Blossom Honey Mead (Cyser-Style)Mead · Cyser · Still · Off-Dry

Cherry Blossom Honey Mead (Cyser-Style)

E
by @essesser
1 gallons batch · target 12% ABV
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About this recipe

A cyser is a traditional mead made with apple juice instead of water, resulting in a drink with a richer body and a naturally fruity sweetness. This cherry blossom cyser recipe takes that classic base and adds dried cherry blossom petals for a subtle floral lift and delicate fragrance. It's a beautifully layered homemade mead, somewhere between an apple wine, a mead, and a light country wine, and one of the most elegant brews in this collection. Ideal for those who love food-pairing-friendly homemade wines.

Ingredients

light floral honey (orange blossom or acacia)1 kg
fresh-pressed apple juice (no preservatives)3 l
water1.2 l
dried cherry blossom petals (or 10 g dried hibiscus as alternative)20 g
Lalvin 71B yeast1 tsp
yeast nutrient1 tsp
pectic enzyme0.5 tsp
Campden tablet1 item

Method

1
Combine apple juice, water, and honey in a sanitised bucket. Stir well until honey is fully dissolved.
2
Add the crushed Campden tablet and leave covered for 12–24 hours.
3
Add pectic enzyme and cherry blossom petals. Leave another 12 hours.
4
Add yeast nutrient, oxygenate by stirring vigorously, and pitch the rehydrated yeast.
5
Primary ferment at 18–20°C for 2–3 weeks, checking SG regularly.
6
Strain out petals and rack to a secondary demijohn.
7
Allow to clear over the next 4–6 weeks. The colour will be a pale golden-amber.
8
Once stable and clear, taste for sweetness balance, then bottle.

Brewer's notes

The cherry blossom petals provide a subtle fragrance; do not over-steep as the flavour can become slightly bitter.

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