SFBEER

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My wife is not a huge beer drinker but enjoys ciders. I decided to try a Vinoka Cider kit. I would like to make it sparkling but do not have access to a forced CO2 system or kegs for that matter at this point. Would it be possible to prime my bottles like I would for beer? Will it produce the same effect? I am assuming it will.

Brandon O

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yes it will.

MikeG

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Yes, you can prime them like beer. I have used 5oz sugar / 5gal cider (same as beer) and have tried lower - 2.5 / 5 but I think I prefer 5oz better.

Yooper

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I'm not familiar with that kit. But if it's a sweetened cider kit, you may have sorbate as one of the ingredients that you add after fermentation. That means you can sweeten without fermentation restarting. But it also means that you can't bottle carb.

Take a look at the packages and see if any of them say "sorbate" or "potassium sorbate" or "conditioner" or "stabilizer". If so, then bottle carbing won't work if you add it.

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Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

SFBEER

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Thanks all. One of the final steps is to add potassium sorbate. I will skip that step but what do I do about sweetening it? The instructions call for liquid invert sugar just before bottling. Should I just add the amount that it calls for and hope it doesn't end up to dry and over primed? Or should I add the LIS and then still prime?

I'm still new to brewing so sorry for the uneducated questions.

dantose

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adding a non fermentable sugar may work. Lactose maybe?

SFBEER

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The kit also has potassium metasulphite to be added. Should I not add this either?

Yooper

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It's ok to add that. Wine yeast isn't very susceptible to sulfites, and if you're going to age it for a while you may want the sulfite. It won't interfere with carbing.

__________________
Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006

SFBEER

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Thanks guys now to find some non fermentable sugar!