bottling questions-hard cider

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pbock3311

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so I am brand new to brewing. I am starting with a 3 gal batch of hard cider. I just need some more info on bottling. i was just wondering about bottle bombs and maybe using flip top bottles. do the flip top bottles help prevent bottle bombs? we will be giving them away as christmas presents depending on how well it turns out but i dont wont to give my girlfriends family time bombs so anything you can provide info on will help thanx.
Patrick
 
No they do not prevent bombs. As long as fermentation is done and you add the right amount of priming sugar it will not be an issue.
 
Ok thanx also I just got one of those soda stream carbonators could I use that to carbonate instead of priming for carbonation? Or should I just use that for soda not for beer
 
Do not use soda stream for anything besides water to make the soda or you will be cleaning a big mess
 
it is going to be tough to finish a cider by christmas time. what type of process are you planning?
 
I've made 1 batch of cider and I back-sweetened it before I bottled. They all carbed up in 3 days and man is it bubbly. I put them all in the fridge to prevent them from exploding. I was going to stove-top pasteurize them but I was too lazy and I had the fridge space. I think there's a sticky at the top of the cider forum about stove-top pasteurization.
 
Yeah if you let fermentation finish completely then add the right amount of priming sugar you will be fine. Priming sugar amounts by volume are pretty easy to find with google.

On a side note mouth feel is an important part of your end product, and will differ with varying levels of carbonation. Bottle bombs aren't your only concern when carbing with priming sugar so it's good to be exact.

I wouldn't worry about pasteurization unless you want to serve a sweeter cider with a natural sugar taste. IMO it is easier and more consistent to add a non-fermentable sugar like splenda at bottling for sweetener and use the normal amount of priming sugar than add extra sugar and try to pasteurize at the right time. I may catch some flack for suggesting splenda though :p
 
progmac said:
it is going to be tough to finish a cider by christmas time. what type of process are you planning?

I started about a week ago it's a bit of a stretch I know. And as far as process goes I have no idea I am only using a primary fermenter and the cider plus sugar and some cinnamon sticks and yeast as I said this is my first time and it was kinda a last minute idea I was gunna wait till after Xmas to try anything because my family is getting me a brew kit for Xmas but I put one together for cheap and started because it really is the cheapest Xmas present I could think of.
 
I started about a week ago it's a bit of a stretch I know. And as far as process goes I have no idea I am only using a primary fermenter and the cider plus sugar and some cinnamon sticks and yeast as I said this is my first time and it was kinda a last minute idea I was gunna wait till after Xmas to try anything because my family is getting me a brew kit for Xmas but I put one together for cheap and started because it really is the cheapest Xmas present I could think of.

What kind of yeast did you use?
 
progmac said:
What kind of yeast did you use?

I used champaign yeast it actually stopped bubbling today so I have no clue if its done or just taking a break lol but I'm gunna give it a few days to see if it starts up again
 
Also I'm wondering about pasteurization or cold crashing. It has stopped bubbling in the fermenter lock and getting ready to bottle probably Thursday then carb over the weekend I will use a soda bottle to test pressure. But when I pasteurize it I don't want to have any blowouts so tips on this will help greatly too
 
Also I'm wondering about pasteurization or cold crashing. It has stopped bubbling in the fermenter lock and getting ready to bottle probably Thursday then carb over the weekend I will use a soda bottle to test pressure. But when I pasteurize it I don't want to have any blowouts so tips on this will help greatly too
Take a gravity reading today and tomorrow and see if they are the same. When I did a cider with champmagne yeast in finished just under 1.000 (around 0.996 iirc).
 
i dont have one and i would have to order it online so it would take a few days my local brewstore ran out and were ordering more but no bubbles at all and i just racked it and back sweatened it with some lactose. i am gunna wait till tomorrow or friday to bottle but i need to know how much sugar for priming or if i can use honey. i have been looking all over the place to try to find how much regular granulated sugar to use but every one is talking about corn sugar so is it the same amount or i have a scale so weight or volume measurments are fine or could i use apple juice concetrate like the frozen kind? instead just to give it more of an apply flavor?
 
for a five gallon batch, use about 4 ounces of regular table sugar. make a simple syrup by boiling it with about 1/2 cup water. Pour the hot simple syrup in your bottling bucket before adding the cider.
 
It shouldnt stop unless you are having huge fluctuations in temp. check your gravity 3 days in a row, if it doesnt change its done.
 
Bottled and conditioning since Thursday night going good and got the fermenter going again with some citrus wheat using wyeast 3333 German wheat used a malt extract and 2 oz of sweetened orange peel should be a good one only time will tell
 

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