Apfelwein Carbonation Question

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Hello All,

I apologize if this has already been answered but I used the search feature to no avail. I have a batch of Apfelwein nearly ready for bottling, and I am thinking about bottle carbonating it. I have received conflicting information from other sites as to whether or not I need special bottles, champagne stoppers, etc. Can I just use regular wine bottles and corks, prime them, and bottle up? Do I need to pitch the yeast again to get carbonation going? I haven't stopped fermentation using Campden tablets or any other method. Thanks, and again, my apologies if this has already been answered.
 
I am a rank amatuer, so if someone says different than I do, listen to them. IF you are gonna bottle carb it ( adding priming sugar and then bottling) you can't use wine bottles and corks. They will simply blow out. I am gonna bottle carb mine in beer bottles and cap em just like beer. If you use "wine" bottles I believe you will need champagne bottles and corks plus the wire "thingys" that keep the cork from flying out. And no you shouldn't need to add any more yeast. as long as you haven't stabilized it.
 
Do not use wine bottles. They cannot handle the pressure and will explode.
 
I believe I am going to split the batch up, half carbed, half still. I've got a hard cider going as well that I'm definitely going to leave still (personal preference). Thanks again for the help!
 
more than likely you'd pop all your corks. I had a wine I didn't degas enough, so even a tiny amount of co2, plus synthetic corks...i found 3 opened bottles a week later.
 
more than likely you'd pop all your corks. I had a wine I didn't degas enough, so even a tiny amount of co2, plus synthetic corks...i found 3 opened bottles a week later.
Ouch..I'm going to heed all of the advice and buy a capper and some beer bottles!
 
I bottled one bottle of my first apfelwein in a Bail/wire/E-Z cap type bottle (ETA it was a 750 ml size)with two tablespoons of corn syrup for New Year's eave and it turned out great! Could have been a bit more fizzy but still the flavor rivaled the asti spumanti that I usually buy. (I will start it carbing earlier next year;))
I would definitely use bottles and closures that are meant for high pressure. After having home made soda (ginger ale and root beer) explode in regular beer/soda bottles I invested in the swing top bailed bottles. Also you could stake out some of the wedding reception places in your are for used Champagne bottles, if you pick them up quickly they will sometimes save them for you for free. The plastic corks and wire cages are cheap enuf at the LBS, And for the cost of gas and clean it is worth it.
 
Are you saying that beer bottles would not hold the pressure of carbing this? I am planning to put mine in beer bottles but don't want bottle bombs.
 
Are you saying that beer bottles would not hold the pressure of carbing this? I am planning to put mine in beer bottles but don't want bottle bombs.

I would think that they would, but I was using cheapo bottles that were given to me by a friend and after a couple exploded we spent the extra and got the swing-tops.
I wonder if wine gets more "carbed" than beer and that is why they put it in such heavy duty bottles with the punt at the bottom for strength?

Besides- some of the swing-tops come in nice blue and brown colors and look really cool when you pull them out of the fridge and pop that top! Even the hubby said wow, that looks nice and it still makes a POP noise like a champagne cork does.
 
Beer bottles or champagne bottles are designed to withstand the pressure, ordinary wine bottles are not. Regards, GF.
 
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