Devo9

Recipes 

So I finally got my cyser bottled las week. I opened my first bottle tonight and to my surprise it was carbonated!

It spent 6 days in the primary (SG was 1.010), then fermented dry within a week of racking to the secondary (FG was .996). I added 6 Campden tablets (for 6 gallons) once it was done, because I thought I was supposed to. It was left to clarify for 10 days, and it became clear as your average white wine. At this point I broke my hydrometer while cleaning it. I racked off the lees and then topped it off with 1.89 liters (1/2 a gallon) of pure apple juice (only additive was vitamin C) and left it to settle some more (another 6 days). During this last 6 days there was very little action in the airlock, in fact by the 4th day I didn't see any action at all.

After the 6th day I bottled, maybe too soon, but I was eager to bottle my first creation.

My worry is that I might get bottle bombs. I bottled onto regular wine bottles and corked them because I didn't realize I would have any carbonation.

I bottled my cyser 12 days ago. Now it is mildly carbonated, like champagne that sat open for a couple hours and it fizzed up when i opened it. It tastes great, but should I be worried about bottle bombs? If so, what should I do?

Is 1/2 a gallon of apple juice in about 5.5 gallons of dry cyser enough to create bottle bombs?

Thanks!

UpstateMike

Recipes 

Perhaps stove top pasteurizing?
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/

Rockape66

Recipes 

Since you used corked wine bottles you won't get bottle bombs. Just check for corks pushed out a couple of times a day. This will relieve pressure, and you can just push them back in with your thumb. When they go for a week or so without pushing out corks you will be good to go.

Devo9

Recipes 

Just a note on corked carbonized cider... The corks DO push out, but they come out a bit more each time until they pop.

When they pop, they fizz over and create a horrible mess.

If anyone else has this happen to them, I suggest a controled removal of the cork after a few days. This seems to have released enough pressure to keep them from blowing their tops. But watch it because they still try to fizz over, so you need to recork them before they do!

I ended up losing about 7 bottles to this. 2 of the 4 I gave to my parents, 1 I gave away as a gift, and the other 4 were mine.

The ones I rescued still taste great though!