Easy Stove-Top Pasteurizing - With Pics

so i am pasteurizing now......out of 5 bottles i have 2 with leaking caps and 1 bomb after process was finished. OOPS.

Im doing another 5 now and if they turn out crappy too ill just cold-crash the rest



*edit* I dont want to jinx it...but my second set of 5 bottles have not exploded yet or had any "pissers" (hissing from caps)

A couple of points for people who are having cap leaks while pasteurizing.

I notice that Pappers is fermenting plain juice, without additional sugar, this means that after stopping fermentation at 1.008 - 1.010 the ABV is probably around 6%.
A 6% alcohol/water solution boils at around 203 F, but a 10% solution boils at 199 F. As the % of alcohol increases, the boil temp drops.

If you're doing ciders with a higher ABV than 6% you may want to lower your temp by a few degrees and make sure your thermometer is accurate.

Also, as is mentioned in the original post, make sure you turn the heat off before putting your bottles in the water. It's probably a good idea remove the pan from the burner entirely and to put something in the bottom of the pan to keep the bottles from touching the metal as well, since it can be hotter than the water itself.

Very stoked by the info in the OP. I made cider 2 years ago, and let it ferment dry then primed and bottled it. After two years in the bottle, it's definitely a drinkable beverage, but not exactly what I had in mind. With this thread as inspiration, I started a 5 gal. test batch over the weekend. If it works out, I should have time for another while the cider season lasts. Cool!

If the SG is at 1.010 and the cider has not cleared and is cloudy do you still bottle? or what do people do ? do they add some chemicals so it will clear up ?

Thanks.

mattib said:

If the SG is at 1.010 and the cider has not cleared and is cloudy do you still bottle? or what do people do ? do they add some chemicals so it will clear up ?

Thanks.

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mattib,
I bottled mine cloudy and it cleared within the six days it took to carbonate the bottles. Did you use Pectin Enzyme in your cider? I did and even boiled 1/2 gallon of juice with some cinnamon sticks and mine still cleared ok. Also, did you use store bought apple juice or fresh Cider. I used apple juice from SAM's Club. I would imagine that fresh pressed cider would take longer to clear than store bought juice. My guess is that even if it is fresh cider, it will clear in the bottle eventually, unless the pectin gets set from heating it too much.

I just want to say thanks to Pappers! This worked for me so far. For what it is worth, my OF was 1.045, FG was 1.010. It took two weeks to ferment, carbed up for six days. I had one leaky cap, but not from the heat, it was just not capped on tight. The pasteurizing as laid out by Pappers was pretty easy and straight forward. I did use a silicone pot holder at the bottom of the pot to insulate the bottles from the bottom of the pan. Both my wife and I were pleased with the results.

Thanks again Pappers!

aaahh oki thanks, i did not use Pectin Enzyme , just store bought apple juice with some added sugar.

i don't mean to be a bother.. but i was wondering if the earlier question of wether this works with champagne and sparkling wine bottles could be answered? it would be very helpful. thanks

I havent tried, but I'm certain this would work with champagne bottles - how much extra time it takes is the question. There is a little more thermal mass in the glass and cider inside the bottle, an extra 5 min should be plenty, maybe go an extra 10 to be safe. You also want to make sure the caps are extra secure, observe all handling precautions,etc.

It seems that using pectic enzyme is a key step so that the cider is fairly clear when you bottle before the end of the secondary fermentation. With a ferment going real cool and slow at 1.010 or, I would still expect to see some amount of suspended solids.

Jim - Do you see much sediment after the pasteurization or storage? If this is ever an issue, it occurs to me that you could try either S23 or Wy4184 yeast and cold crash before bottling.

These yeasts both taste great in the 1.004 to 1.012 range and (in my experience) they are impossible to stop with cold crashing even though crashing will get them nice and clear. This makes them difficult to use for kegging but it seem like they would be useful for bottle conditioning because you can get an extra clearing and still have enough yeast to bottle condition.

Kevin, yes, there is always sediment in the bottles.

Pasteurized another batch two days ago, worked great and the resulting cider was light, crisp and bubbly. Between swmbo and friends, we go through it very quickly.

In other threads and pm's, I've chatted with some folks who have run into a problem that I want to highlight - letting the bottles carbonate too much in the bottle before pasteurizing. Especially if this is your first time making cider and you're not sure what to expect, err on the side of checking carbonation levels early and often. And if the carbonation level is too high, do not pasteurize. You run a risk blowing off caps or worse, exploding bottles.

Once you know your process (for the juice you use, the yeast you like, your fermentation temps, etc) you can be a little more relaxed. But again, do not pasteurize over-carbonated bottles.

In another thread, someone recently posted that they left their cider too long after bottling (they had been out of town) and had two explode. Then they went ahead and tried pasteurizing some of the bottles - they exploded when they were heated up.

I wanted to repost my response to that thread here. I am very concerned about people pasteurizing without opening a bottle to test carbonation or when they know the bottles are over-carbonated. Someone is going to get seriously hurt.

No one should ever pasteurize without first opening a bottle and seeing if the carbonation level is appropriate. You can tell if the bottles are over carbonated by opening one and seeing. You don't need a gauge to measure it, use your eyes - if it gushes (like in a recent thread) or if its really highly carbonated, then the cider was left too long in the bottles and you shouldn't pasteurize it. If it is normally carbonated, it will not explode during pasteurization.

Sorry for the scolding, but it was extraordinarily dangerous to heat your bottles when you knew they were over-carbonated (from the exploding bombs). I feel like I've been posting this over and over lately, but I'm very concerned about the lack of common sense some folks are showing and that someone is going to get seriously hurt.

Heating over-pressurized bottles is extremely dangerous. Head injuries, eye injuries, glass shards blown at you under high pressure, extreme burns from scalding liquid are all possible when bottles explode during pasteurization. If your bottles are over-carbonated, do not pasteurize them. Rather, remove the caps and relieve some of the pressure.

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Hey Paps,
Quick question, what kind of Ale yeast did you use? There are a number of brands out there, dry and wet. Thanks!

Whoops, nevermind. After reading all the pages, I found my answer.

Steffy, I mostly use White Labs WLP028, which is their Edinburgh strain. I use that for most of my beers, too. Dry yeast is easier, though, and I've used Nottingham with good results.

And welcome to HBT!

Pappers said:

Steffy, I mostly use White Labs WLP028, which is their Edinburgh strain. I use that for most of my beers, too. Dry yeast is easier, though, and I've used Nottingham with good results.

And welcome to HBT!

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Thank you for the warm welcome!!!

I went to my local brew store and decided with the White Labs California Ale. From what the owner was saying, I stuck with that one. And I think you had mentioned as well that you've used that one. My next batch will mos def be with the Edinburgh strain.

My first few batches previously turned out really dry and I tried to backsweeten the hell out of it. Then after reading the forums more thoughrouly, I used the wrong yeast. I was using champagne yeast. That was the whole problem.

I appreciate your advice and help!

steffy said:

My first few batches previously turned out really dry and I tried to backsweeten the hell out of it. Then after reading the forums more thoughrouly, I used the wrong yeast. I was using champagne yeast. That was the whole problem.

I appreciate your advice and help!

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Steffy, any ale or wine yeast will eat through all the apple sugars and leave the cider dry. The California Ale yeast, left to work, will produce a completely dry cider, also.

Handmade cider makers are challenged when they want to combine three aspects: semi-dry (sweet, in other words), sparkling, and bottle conditioned. Two of these three are no problem. But figuring out how to do all three can be perplexing.

This thread describes the process I use - you might also look at MeadWitch's thread called 'Cider House Rules', there's another description and recipe there for this method.

You can also let it ferment all the way out and backsweeten with something that won't ferment, like lactose or splenda.

Hope this helps!

Hello, I just joined after lurking in the background for a month or so. I thought my only options to sweeten my carbonated hard cider were to back sweeten. I think I'm going to try this method. The cider is currently sitting after its first racking and it is bone dry (champagne yeast). It is a five gallon batch with an extra 5 lbs of cane and 3 frozen AJ concentrates (I don't know what the SG numbers are because I don't have a hydrometer). My question how can I determine how much sugars or AJ concentrate I can add to get carbonation and end up with a semi-dry cider after pastuerizing? Do I need to get a Hydro to determine if I have added enough sugar before bottling?

Pappers said:

I am very concerned about people pasteurizing without opening a bottle to test carbonation or when they know the bottles are over-carbonated. Someone is going to get seriously hurt.

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Hi folks,

Great forum you guys have here. Thanks Pappers for all of the very informative posts!

I'm a total newbie and have been making some cider (first time) from the apples in my back yard. All seemed to be going well until today when I went to do some stove-top pasteurizing. I wish I had found this thread before starting! I ran into some trouble and would love to hear some advice from some of the experts out there.

Basically, I was following a recipe that said to use a stove-top canner. Long story short, the bottles were over-carbonated. They started to leak at the caps. I decided to go investigate online about the leaking caps and while away I had a bottle go off - it landed clear across the room and in the sink. Glad I wasn't in the room!

So my question is this: my bottles are over-carbonated... now what? Do I open the bottles to relieve pressure, and then simply recap and pasteurize? Or is it too late to pasteurize at all? I have 40 bottles remaining that I don't want to end up as time bombs waiting to go off!

Edit: Thinking about it some more - my cider is very dry and I would like it sparkling. I'm wondering about opening the bottles and emptying them back into my bottling pail, adding some sugar again and re-bottling, and then checking carefully to be sure when the carbonation is appropriate. Should this process essentially just provide me with a stronger cider but still potentially save my batch with all of its sparkling goodness?

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Welcome, Noahps. Yes, you could open the caps, relieve some of the pressure, recap and pasteurize to stop the yeast.

The risk in emptying the bottles back into the bottling pail is that, with the splashing involved, you will introduce oxygen into your cider, which you don't want. Oxygen before fermentation is very good, oxygen after fermentation is very bad.

If your cider is dry, it might just take a little longer to age or to become palatable. Many people here enjoy dry ciders - and they usually take some months to age them. One of the interesting things about making cider is the variety of types of ciders people make and enjoy.

Kauai_Kahuna said:

I think this is the only good answer to the ever present "how can I make a sweet, carbonated, cider".

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There is another way.
I backsweeten (with honey) and then force-carbonate (via keg) and then bottle. The carbonation (and carbonic acid) inhibits fermentation.

I do this when fermentation has stopped, normally naturally (with limited experience doing it after cold-crashing). I've never had one blow using this technique, even after several years.

I found this by bottling half a batch sweetened and the other half sweetened and carbonated. It had been sitting in the carboy for a year and the non-carbonated half still took off and required 'relief'. Only lost one bottle and learned a great technique.


One yeast note: I can't think of any use for champagne yeast in any cider or mead. And it's no good as a paperweight either.

I am on my second attempt at cider making (my first attempt was unimpressive). I used a simple recipe using a Whole Foods glass gallon jug and Nottingham yeast. I want to go as inexpensive as possible until I see if I like my product or not.

I want semi-dry "still" cidar. I plan to stop fermintation around 1.014, which I think is semi-dry. In order to stop the process there, I unsure of the best process.

Can I do heat pasteurize in the 1 gallon screw top jug? Even if my cidar is still, will the pasteuriaztion process create enough internal pressure to blow the top off? I realize some experimentation is in order to sample the inside temp of a gallon of juice.

- or is the rack, cold crash, rack process better for my needs?

TIA

If you want to make still cider, I think cold crashing is good. Or I think you could stop it chemically, by adding potassium sorbate. I wouldn't pasteurize it in the gallon jug. 1.014 will definitely be sweet, I think, you can use your taste buds to decide what gravity reading works best for you - for me, its around 1.010.

Pappers - I got my water up to 190, took it off the stove and put (10) 12 ounce bottles of cider in. The water temp went immediately down to 135 ish. I drained a little water and added more heated water to bring it up to 140. Am I looking at trying to keep the temp around 140? 160? Or just put the bottles in at 190 and let them sit?

Pappers said:

If you want to make still cider, I think cold crashing is good. Or I think you could stop it chemically, by adding potassium sorbate. I wouldn't pasteurize it in the gallon jug. 1.014 will definitely be sweet, I think, you can use your taste buds to decide what gravity reading works best for you - for me, its around 1.010.

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Cool. Cold crashing it is.

Thank you!

callmebruce said:

Pappers - I got my water up to 190, took it off the stove and put (10) 12 ounce bottles of cider in. The water temp went immediately down to 135 ish. I drained a little water and added more heated water to bring it up to 140. Am I looking at trying to keep the temp around 140? 160? Or just put the bottles in at 190 and let them sit?

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My water, at the end of the ten minutes, is usually around 160. 135 seems like a big temperature drop, especially if it was instant - your bottles aren't cold, are they? Make sure you've got enough water in the pot (that its coming up to the necks of the bottles) and perhaps put in fewer bottles. Six at a time would mean you'd pasteurize four batches for a case.

I've never had a problem using the 190 degree water. If your setup is like mine (as shown in the photos), then I think you will be fine.

The bottles were room temp. I think I crowded the pot going for 10 at a shot. For the second batch, I kept it closer to 160. I'll keep an eye on the bottles, but I'm sure they're fine. Next time around, I'll stick to 6 bottles per batch. I see from your pics, you pot is bigger than mine. I can't fit a lid on mine when bottles are in it. I'm guessing the big change in temperature is from not having the lid and from having a lower volume of water.

callmebruce said:

I can't fit a lid on mine when bottles are in it. .

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Maybe make a big foil tent to put over the top of the pot?

Naahhhh. I'll just get a bigger pot. Very cool thread. Very good instructions. I appreciate your posting it.

Pappers - thanks for the advice on the over-carbonated bottles. I'm chalking this one up to education. I'll follow your suggestion and re-cap these and then pasteurize. I'll definitely be paying closer attention to the carbontion and the length of time my cider sits in bottles on future batches before pasteurizing!

Great thread - I've passed it along to a friend who has been finding out that his bottles are over carbonated too!

Hi guys.
I have a 5 gallon batch of cider OG = 1.056
12 days later (today) SG = 1.019
I found that my SG and Time is linear relationship. Basically I am losing about .003 points SG a day.
I plan to ferment until 1.010 for a semi-dry cider, then prime/bottle/wait/pasteurize.
My question is the wait. If I prime back to SG of 1.013 or so, then bottle, in 4 days the SG will appear to drop down to about 1.000. (too dry)

I am looking for a mildly carbonated cider that is not to dry or sweet. Will my cider be carbed sufficiently at 3 days? Do I need to bottle at a higher FG?
Thanks!

Think of it this way. If you get the cider to the sg (or sweetness/dryness balance) that you want, if you then bottle it with the right amount of sugar to carbonate it, when it is carbonated, it will still be the right sg or sweetness/dryness balance.

No one can answer your question on how many days. You must test it - if this is your first time using this process, then I would err on the side of testing/opening bottles too early and often.

Again, thanks Pappers, for all your good work on this pasteurization matter. This experiment is working great for me. However, how did you get that bottle in the first post picture so clear? Did this one sit in the fridge for a while?

I'm sure it was refrigerated, but not aged in the fridge - the cider turns out pretty clear on its own.

Thanks! I used raw fresh pressed cider (originally very cloudy), sugar, and Nottingham yeast, fermented at 68 F. I did not use pectic enzymes for this batch. I guess I am going to have some lovely, bottle pasteurized, lightly carbonated, semi-dry Scrumpy style cider!

I started my batch with pasteurized Whole Foods cider, which remained cloudy as the SG got down to my target. Fined it with Super Kleer KC with minimal results. Based on my experiences with wine and beer, it's hard to get something to clear while fermentation's still pretty active. So, now that it's bottle conditioning, I see a lot of sediment forming. Probably next time I'll cold crash it instead of fining when the SG gets close to target, then re-pitch some yeast before bottling, if necessary (and pasteurize after bottle conditioning, per the OP). Any comments?

edit: oh, forgot to mention, added pectase prior to fermentation, too.

If you use a lager yeast, you can cold crash it and enough yeast should survive that you dont have to re-pitch, similar to crashing a lager beer.

CvilleKevin said:

If you use a lager yeast, you can cold crash it and enough yeast should survive that you dont have to re-pitch, similar to crashing a lager beer.

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Yeah, I figured that'd probably be the case, since I've never had an issue with bottle conditioning after extended lagering. Any reason why this wouldn't work just as well with an ale yeast?

Any reason why this wouldn't work just as well with an ale yeast

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most ale yeasts will floc during the crash

CvilleKevin said:

most ale yeasts will floc during the crash

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In that case, a packet of champaign yeast just before bottling should do the trick.

So I decided to do the pasteurization method. Last night I tasted it and it was pretty good, but it was really late and I needed to go to sleep, so I decided to it this morning when I woke up. I foolishly assumed that the carbonation wouldn't change too much in that brief 8 hour period, so I just started to put the bottles in the 190F water.

3 minutes later: BAM!, a cap blows off (the lid was on the kettle, so it didn't go anywhere, but it was as loud as a gunshot). So I opened up one of the other bottles, and foam started coming out of the bottle (too much carbonation!) And this was only after 3.5 days.

So I had to pop the caps of all the bottles and then recap, then pasteurize again. So that worked, but I'm a few bottles short than what I initially was and some of the bottles lost some of their cider when the foam came out.

At any rate, the bottles are carbonated and I'm good to go, with some minor mishaps. I'm going to leave the bottles in a container at room temp for a week or so, just to make sure that pasteurization worked.

Ditto, my friend. I did the same thing I reported on another post a few days ago. Decent carbonation at night, but in my opinion could have used a tad more. Left it until lunch the next day, opened a test bottle and it simply gushed out! Wow, after only 12 hours the carb went from a little low to boo-yah!
i poured all the bottles back in the fermenter to try this process again.

Guys, open a test bottle before you pasteurize for safety's sake!