Using honey in cider

[pschaf]

My basic cider recipe is:

5 gallons apple juice
2 cups (1 lb) white table sugar

It ferments into a dry apple cider that I keg and enjoy (about 6% ABV) in about a month.

I'd like to experiment and thought I'd ask first - what might happen if I substitute honey for table sugar. I know this becomes a Cyser instead of Cider. Everything I've read says that honey takes ~6 months to ferment. Understandably it is more complex than table sugar (and I understand converting between the two for the recipe). But are the yeast really working for 6 months? Or can I keg after a month like usual, and then leave it in the kegerator to enjoy after the 6 months total? And then, any idea how much honey flavor will remain?

Just trying to get an idea of what happens during that time. Thanks!

 

[Sewer_Urchen]

you can use 1:1 ratio when subbing honey for table sugar. It will ferment almost as fast, just be sure to warm a little (not to a boil, just warm) cider and dissolve the honey in it. People who describe cysers that take 6 mos. are usually talking about wine style cysers, where they put close to 1 lb of honey per gallon or more and use wine yeast. Honey is not very more complex than table sugar and less complex than boiled malt that's partially caramelized, and beer can ferment out in a week.

Of course, if you want to be sure fermentation's done, you just got to use your good ol' hydrometer.

 

[pschaf]

Thank you! That is great info... makes sense. I think I may either back-sweeten the batch I made yesterday with honey (in a few weeks, after fermentation is done), or just wait an experiment with my next batch adding honey in the start.

I've used a pound or so honey in brewing beer before, but was completely confused reading about honey in cider. Didn't understand if there was something different happening in there regarding fermentation, so this helps. Thanks again!

 

[454k30]

Just an FYI. We are making a 5 gallon cider with a pound of honey in it, and are using mead yeast. Yes it takes longer to ferment this way. This is our second time with this recipe and the last one took a month to finish fermenting.