Recreating delicious cider accident

Hello folks!
Im kinda new at this whole brewing thing and about a month ago I decided I wanted to make a still sweet cider. I made about a gallon of cider, and, after fermentation was complete, siphoned it to a sanitized pot and heated it to 170 degrees, covered it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. I figured this would be enough to kill of the yeast so I then added 1 can of apple juice concentrate to sweeten it. Finally, I bottled it to a wine bottle and some PETs i had laying around.

I decided to check on it a week after bottling and realized the cork was about halfway out of the wine bottle. I I poured a bit out of 1 of the PET bottles and it was deliciously tasty and carbonated. I loved it so much now I want to recreate it! Problem is, i was hoping to make a bigger batch and wont be able to recreate my failed attempt at pasteurizing. Im considering bottle pasteurization but how do I know when it is carbonated enough? Also, any ideas why was my original attempt at pasteurization flawed? Not hot enough maybe?

this is very, very strange.

i would not heat it after fermentation is over. all you're doing it evaporating out the alcohol you just made.

let me just add that it could also be dangerous, as you are now vaporizing ethanol on top of your stove.

My best guess would be that you picked up some wild yeast post pasteurization. And as motobrewer said you risk losing a lot of your ABV% heating after fermentation in an open container. Check out the "Easy stove top pasteurizing" sticky thread at the top of the cider page.

roadymi said:

My best guess would be that you picked up some wild yeast post pasteurization. And as motobrewer said you risk losing a lot of your ABV% heating after fermentation in an open container. Check out the "Easy stove top pasteurizing" sticky thread at the top of the cider page.

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Yeah i guess wild yeast might have been in. I figured since the boiling point of alcohol is 173 or so, id get away with not losing any (or much) alcohol. I might try the plastic bottle trick to make sure its fully carb'd before pasteurizing, im just worried it'll carb too fast and blow up.

I'd just carbonate it like regular sparkling cider/beer; no pasteurization required unless you want it sweet.
Regards, GF.