When I put this together I never thought that the alcohol would ever get to this level. 20%+ I just made brandy! This will take a year to age before it is good enough to drink. I am planning on adding the apple butter to the secondary because I want to kick start another fermentation on this. I think using champagne yeast is a good idea, but I had to add 2 packets as this really pushes yeast to work harder. The original recipe was from a guy named Cruz from Spain. He rocks. I tasted his recipe before and I am hooked. Every year I am making this! I was lucky enough to get fresh pressed apples and honey locally grown. Here is my interpretation of this awesome cyser.

Apple Butter Cyser
5 gallons OG : 1.170 (no joke) FG: (anticipated) 1.020 ABV Lets just say that it is more than 18%

10lbs of Pumpkin Honey
5lbs Muscavado Sugar (must get this)
2lbs Liquid Light Malt extract
5 Gallons of apple cider (good juice will work too)
1-2 jars of Apple Butter
6-10 cloves
20 sticks of cinnamon
1pinch cayenne
Yeast nutrient
2 paks of champagne yeast or Wyeast 3374 Eau de Vie

Heat to 140deg 1 gallon of cider. Turn off flame. Add in all ingredients except apple butter. Stir to dissolve. Dump into fermenter then add 4 remaining gallons of cider. Mix well. Pitch yeast at 80deg or so. Leave alone for 2 months. After a week or so, stir this to rouse the yeast. After 2 months, or when FG is around 1.020, rack to a secondary fermenter and add apple butter. This will take off again. Some add raisins, but I am not going to as I hate raisins in meads.