austinb

Recipes 

My fiance really likes the sweet ciders you get in the store (like hornsby's, spire or woodchuck). The problem is I don't have any kegging equipment so I can't artificially carbonate the sweet cider in a keg. I thought my only option was to bottle condition and then check a bottle every couple days until the desired carbonation level is reached and then pasturize to avoid bottle bombs. However, today I came across this article which tells how to use dry ice to carbonate.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/840293/how_to_make_your_own_hard_cider_pg2.html?cat=22

I definitely wouldn't add it directly to the bottle because I know that would result in an instant bottle bomb. This article instructs you to heat the fermented cider to kill the yeast and then after it has cooled down a bit use dry ice in the brewpot to force carbonate it and then bottle it. I do have a bottle filler on my bottling bucket which reaches the bottom of each bottle, would that be enough to prevent too much foaming while trying to bottle it? Has anyone tried this, do you think it will work?

TipsyDragon

Recipes 

i wouldn't do it. dry ice can have just about anything in it besides frozen CO2. besides you need pressure to carbonate. so just dumping dry ice into a brew will only get you spooky fog.

Revvy

Recipes 

If your cider has active yeast then bottle carb it like you would a beer, and add sugar to it. Either in Bulk, or get carb tabs and add it to the bottle.

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austinb

Recipes 

Ok so it would be a better Idea just to do what I normally do and add some sugar to the cider in my bottling bucket but add a little more to make it slightly sweet and then after about a week check a bottle once every couple days until it reaches the desired carb level and then pasturize all the bottles in a canning pot to kill the yeast?

stedtale

Recipes 

Or, stick the bottles in the fridge to put the yeast to sleep once the bottles are firm (PET bottles). I would use PET bottle, not glass, if you want to have sweet and carbed cider.

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Gremlyn

Recipes 

Just add a little extra apple juice when you pour a bottle.

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73Drvr

Recipes 

Invest in kegging equipment. You'll never be sorry.

austinb

Recipes 

I really wish I could afford kegging equipment but I am a poor student at the moment so that will have to wait for at least a little while. I have been brewing more lately though and buy grain in bulk so maybe the money I save from brewing my own beer can go towards a basic kegging kit. I tried to find out how to put my own setup together for cheaper but those CO2 tanks are so gosh darn expensive the online brew shop kits are about the same price.

TipsyDragon

Recipes 

you can assemble your own kit. do you have a soda bottling plant near by? you can at least ask and see if they will sell you their old kegs. all you would need to do is clean the crap out of them and replace the o-rings which are not that much. then its just getting the CO2, lines, disconnects, and regulator. you can get them cheaper than buying a preassembled kit. get one piece at a time as you save money on your beer.

73Drvr

Recipes 

I agree. For my first CO2 tank I got lucky and my local homebrew shop owner had a customer that wanted to get rid of a 20lb tank. I got it, full, for $40. Admittedly that was a fluke, but check craigslist and ebay regularly, go to your local welding supply shop and homebrew shop. You never now what you'll find. The only things that absolutely should be new are an O ring kit, tubing, and a tap.