Easy Stove-Top Pasteurizing - With Pics

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Hey all, what do you think about the idea of "burping" some bottles that are gushers and have been cold-crashed and then pasteurizing?

I'm thinking that with enough de-gassing, they'll be just like regularly carbed bottles and won't explode... but I could be wrong.

I've run out of room in the fridge and would love to pasteurize the bottles and leave them out.

Any thoughts/experiences?
 
I made this so-called turbo cider. 1 gallon of juice and 6 oz of sugar that fermented for 5 days then cold crashed for one. I got 6 beer bottles and two 12 oz soda bottles that are plastic. Overnight (12 hours ago) the plastic bottles are rock solid. Could they have carbonated that quickly?

Also, just so I am 100% clear. This was a test batch and I don't intend to give any away because I used 1 whole package of yeast and of course the cider taste "yeasty". So if I plan on keeping all 6 bottles in my fridge, I can skip pasteurization?
 
Just pasteurized 30 bottles of cider. I opened one sample just before I pasteurized and I found that the carbonation level was good enough for me but as much as others I have seen. No where near a gusher. When I pour it I got some bubbles on the top but it was no where near foaming when I opened. I could really see that the liquid level rose significantly when I pulled the bottles out of the bath.

Out of 30 bottles I lost 1 to a bottom blowing off and lost three to blown caps. The bottle with the blown bottom is most likely my fault. I was using a canner...not the heaviest material...I turned the heat on with a few minutes left to get a head start on re-heating...most likely over heated the bottom of the bottle and stressed it out. Has anyone ever blown caps off before? I am using a cap I purchased at the local home brew shop. I was told that it would work to cap Canadian industry standard twist-off beer bottles. I have also read that these caps are thinner than the regular crown top caps.
 
chevalcider said:
Just pasteurized 30 bottles of cider. I opened one sample just before I pasteurized and I found that the carbonation level was good enough for me but as much as others I have seen. No where near a gusher. When I pour it I got some bubbles on the top but it was no where near foaming when I opened. I could really see that the liquid level rose significantly when I pulled the bottles out of the bath. Out of 30 bottles I lost 1 to a bottom blowing off and lost three to blown caps. The bottle with the blown bottom is most likely my fault. I was using a canner...not the heaviest material...I turned the heat on with a few minutes left to get a head start on re-heating...most likely over heated the bottom of the bottle and stressed it out. Has anyone ever blown caps off before? I am using a cap I purchased at the local home brew shop. I was told that it would work to cap Canadian industry standard twist-off beer bottles. I have also read that these caps are thinner than the regular crown top caps.
Click to expand...

I also had similar happenings, I used 32oz swing tops and had 2 of them blow the bottoms out too. Like you mention on the liquid level, I too noticed this. I suspect I filled them too much, I had about 1 inch space at the top, will try 2 inches next time.
 
I lost about 1/3 to 1/2 of my product using this process. I think I also obtained a serious case of PTSD.... Loud noises in my kitchen now freak me out. Most of the lost mead was due to caps blowing off but several bottles broke as well.

I started with a slightly more carbonated batch of mead which I tested using the soda bottle technique. I was out of town and let it go a bit to far. Still, the bottles did not gush, they were carbonated like a champagne might be. Pop Pop Boom, I ended up losing 3 six packs out of the two cases. I figured it was the carb level and I had to power through b/c they were going to be bottle bombs either way.

Next up, another much less carbonated batch of mead. I figured I better get it done to avoid the same problem. Same thing... In fact, I lost a whole case out of two cases.

Scary and nerve racking.

I'm wondering a couple things. Is it possible each bottle has a different carb level? My method for adding carb was to back sweeten with honey and add a little bit of yeast, then bottle. The carb seems very consistent with the bottles I had to open and drink to get through this process... Opening every bottle to check carb level isn't really an option when you have 96 bottles to pasteurize. How can I avoid this problem in the future? I see many people have used this method successfully so I can't figure what I did wrong. I thought maybe it was the hot bottom of the pan contacting the bottles?

I heated the bottles to 120 in my sink, then added 6-7 bottles to 180 degree water in my pot.

I have 8 gallons of cider I need to bottle and would like to use the same process. How can I do that knowing I'm in for hours of trauma???
 
philej said:
I lost about 1/3 to 1/2 of my product using this process. I think I also obtained a serious case of PTSD.... Loud noises in my kitchen now freak me out. Most of the lost mead was due to caps blowing off but several bottles broke as well.

I started with a slightly more carbonated batch of mead which I tested using the soda bottle technique. I was out of town and let it go a bit to far. Still, the bottles did not gush, they were carbonated like a champagne might be. Pop Pop Boom, I ended up losing 3 six packs out of the two cases. I figured it was the carb level and I had to power through b/c they were going to be bottle bombs either way.

Next up, another much less carbonated batch of mead. I figured I better get it done to avoid the same problem. Same thing... In fact, I lost a whole case out of two cases.

Scary and nerve racking.

I'm wondering a couple things. Is it possible each bottle has a different carb level? My method for adding carb was to back sweeten with honey and add a little bit of yeast, then bottle. The carb seems very consistent with the bottles I had to open and drink to get through this process... Opening every bottle to check carb level isn't really an option when you have 96 bottles to pasteurize. How can I avoid this problem in the future? I see many people have used this method successfully so I can't figure what I did wrong. I thought maybe it was the hot bottom of the pan contacting the bottles?

I heated the bottles to 120 in my sink, then added 6-7 bottles to 180 degree water in my pot.

I have 8 gallons of cider I need to bottle and would like to use the same process. How can I do that knowing I'm in for hours of trauma???
Click to expand...

First, sorry you have lost so many bottles in this process. That really sucks and I admit I would be really hesitant to continue pasteurizing this way if I had gone through the same thing.

That being said, I really think the problem is happening because you are letting the bottles touch the bottom of the pot. The general consensus of this thread seems to be to make sure the bottles are not physically touching the metal bottom of the pot.

I use a large pasta pot which has a metal basket insert. I heat my water to 160 with the metal basket inside, turn the heat off, and then insert the bottles (room temp) into the heated water. The bottles rest on the bottom of the basket so they don't ever come in contact with the actual bottom of the pot. I wait 10 minutes and then take them out. I then heat the water back to 160 and repeat the process. I also do this outside using a propane burner in case there are any accidents. I have not lost 1 bottle so far although I have only done two cases of bottles (I make 2.5 gallons batches). I am using regular 12 oz. beer bottles.

Other users have said they put a dish towel or something similar in the bottom of the pot so that their bottles don't come in contact with the metal.

I have no experience with mead so I can't comment on your questions about uneven carbing using honey and additional yeast. I've definitely suffered from uneven carbing with my beer simply because I didn't ensure that my sugar was evenly distributed in my bottling bucket. You could have a similar problem with your honey. Also, do you really need to add additional yeast to aid in carbonation?
 
If using ez top bottles, I heard you should lay bottles on their side after the hot bath to help the seal...true? False?
 
Just curious, do you cover the entire bottle including caps with water like you would in canning or do you let the bottles tops stick out over the top of the water? Dos it matter?
 
RebelliousVanilla said:
Just curious, do you cover the entire bottle including caps with water like you would in canning or do you let the bottles tops stick out over the top of the water? Dos it matter?
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I have done 6 cases worth and have never lost a bottle (knock on wood) and I have my water line equal to the liquid in the bottle...
 
Thanks, I just filled them up to the caps. No bottle bombs yet. Knock on wood. I'm on the last batch of bottles...so far so good.
 
Love this technique, it's worked for me for at least five batches so far... knock on wood! Question though: will this work with swing-top bottles? I'm cautious to put one of my swing-tops in. If you guys think it might pop, I'll just cold crash it.
 
jessiczar said:
Love this technique, it's worked for me for at least five batches so far... knock on wood! Question though: will this work with swing-top bottles? I'm cautious to put one of my swing-tops in. If you guys think it might pop, I'll just cold crash it.
Click to expand...

I have used it with swing top bottles 3 times so far and the only problem I had was not leaving enough headspace and getting some leakage. But that was only 1 bottle. So far I have blown up at least one regular beer bottle every time though. I attribute this to 2 things. The cheap bottles I have (very thin) and the fact that I'm doing this on an outdoor crab cooker and the temp at the bottom of the pot (100 quarts) may be closer to 200-205 instead of 190.
 
I haven't tried my swingtops yet, but I haven't broke a bottle by using a lower temp (180 instead of 190). I also put a dish towel on the bottom of my pot to keep the glass bottles from touching it.
 
Ok so I just did this exactly as the OP said to and blew up 6 bottles of cider. Glass all over the kitchen! Will my cider be ok if I just stuff it in the fridge or will they eventually blow up too?
 
BigDaddyBeard said:
Ok so I just did this exactly as the OP said to and blew up 6 bottles of cider. Glass all over the kitchen! Will my cider be ok if I just stuff it in the fridge or will they eventually blow up too?
Click to expand...

That's sad to hear. What kind of bottles are you using? Also how carbed are they? If you keep them in the fridge they should be ok.
 
n8tivebrew said:
That's sad to hear. What kind of bottles are you using? Also how carbed are they? If you keep them in the fridge they should be ok.
Click to expand...
I used standard 12 ounce bottles and they were carbed just right, or at least I thought so. To ire on the safe side I took the remaining bottles and popped the tops on all of them and let them sit for a little while then recapped and stuck em in the fridge
 
BigDaddyBeard said:
I used standard 12 ounce bottles and they were carbed just right, or at least I thought so. To ire on the safe side I took the remaining bottles and popped the tops on all of them and let them sit for a little while then recapped and stuck em in the fridge
Click to expand...


Just curious... Where r u located?
 
BigDaddyBeard said:
The wonderful over taxed state of Maryland
Click to expand...

Hahaha got ya. I was just wondering if altitude was aging a factor for u bc I did exactly what the OP said for six cases worth, and I never lost a bottle...
 
dhammers91 said:
Hahaha got ya. I was just wondering if altitude was aging a factor for u bc I did exactly what the OP said for six cases worth, and I never lost a bottle...
Click to expand...
Yea talk about a mess! The entire kitchen was covered in glass. They were like hand grenades going off, but o well.

Note to self 'stick to still cider'
 
dhammers91 said:
Well u could always buy a kegging system! Definitely worth it IMO! :)
Click to expand...
One day I will make the jump, but bottles for now. Two kids and a stay at home wife, funds are limited... This was supposed to be a hobby for me to save some money, but the money I save I end up spending on more equipment.
 
I have room in my fridge for 5 gallons worth of bottles. My question is, can I just cold crash instead of pastureizing if they will remain in the fridge until they will be opened?
 
Mcaudio said:
I have room in my fridge for 5 gallons worth of bottles. My question is, can I just cold crash instead of pastureizing if they will remain in the fridge until they will be opened?
Click to expand...

Depends on the yeast and temperature of the fridge. During thaw cycles fermentation could continue on a small scale, and over time it could get ugly.
 
CiderRules said:
Depends on the yeast and temperature of the fridge. During thaw cycles fermentation could continue on a small scale, and over time it could get ugly.
Click to expand...

Well my fermentation was very slow on my cider. It took almost 3 weeks to get to FG.

I do that for all my other beers so why would this be any different? More sugar from the concentrate and syrup in relation to the cup of sugar is use for beers?
 
Mcaudio said:
Well my fermentation was very slow on my cider. It took almost 3 weeks to get to FG.

I do that for all my other beers so why would this be any different? More sugar from the concentrate and syrup in relation to the cup of sugar is use for beers?
Click to expand...

Cup of sugar in 5 gallons shouldn't cause bottle bombs, the whole reason you would want to pasteurize is because you added much more without stabilizing. Otherwise you don't even need to store it in the fridge.
 
Third batch of pasteurizing bottles. Had my first one explode in the pot but these bottles went a day too long and were gushing. Had to bleed out the excess bubbles. Lost a bit more cider than I'd have liked (almost half way down the neck ). Was hoping to bottle condition until Christmas. Okay to still do so after having to bleed them? Great amount of carbonation otherwise...
 
I got up to page 16 before I came back here.

My question is about Pectic Enzyme… I see people using it with store bought juice/cider. Is this necessary? I though it was only necessary if you were working with non-pasturized juice.
 
HopSong said:
I got up to page 16 before I came back here.

My question is about Pectic Enzyme… I see people using it with store bought juice/cider. Is this necessary? I though it was only necessary if you were working with non-pasturized juice.
Click to expand...

Pectic enzyme is used to help break down the pulp in cloudy cider to aid in clarity.
 
Pappers_ said:
I've received a few messages asking for more info on the stove top pasteurizing method that I've adopted, so thought I would put up this quick tutorial with pics.

Hey Pappers quick question?

If I used the swing tops will the heat melt the rubber caps?

thnx

SW
Click to expand...
 
Pappers_ said:
I've received a few messages asking for more info on the stove top pasteurizing method that I've adopted, so thought I would put up this quick tutorial with pics.

Hey Pappers quick question?

If I used the swing tops will the heat melt the rubber caps?

thnx

SW
Click to expand...
 
JayDubWill said:
Pectic enzyme is used to help break down the pulp in cloudy cider to aid in clarity.
Click to expand...

Thank.. thought so. So, the question now arises.. My first batch is just finishing in primary.. and it's cloudy. In brewing beer, when my beer looks like that, I usually use gelatin to fine the beer during bottling or kegging.

So, with cider.. can I do that.. or alternatively, can I add pectic to the cider in secondary.. or does that happen during the primary? I don't mind cloudy cider.. but, clear would be a bonus.:rockin:
 
I've never used pectic enzyme post-fermentation, so can't speak from experience, but have read that the time to add it is pre-fermentation. I'm sure it wouldn't harm the cider if you add it post-fermentation.
 
SnowWolf said:
Pappers_ said:
I've received a few messages asking for more info on the stove top pasteurizing method that I've adopted, so thought I would put up this quick tutorial with pics.

Hey Pappers quick question?

If I used the swing tops will the heat melt the rubber caps?

thnx

SW
Click to expand...

I let the water get to the liquid level of the bottles, never completely submersing them. I have not had any problems yet....but I could see it at least increasing the rate of deterioration. Just keep an eye on them, they are cheap and easy to replace if they look like they aren't making a good seal.
Click to expand...
 
I have cider in secondary at 0.995 (very dry) with EC-1118 yeast. I plan to backsweeten with fresh apple juice then bottle and allow to carbonate. Will the water bath method of pasturizing bottles at 190 deg for 10 min. be sufficient to halt fermentation of the EC-1118 yeast, or will more time be required.
 
Haven't used that yeast so can't say from experience. FYI, I've been pasteurizing with 180F water these days, rather than 190, and haven't had any issues.
 
Would it possible to pasturize in the oven at 190 degrees? I could fit more bottles in at one time.
 
Pappers, I guess this works for you due to the bottles you use. I had a really bad experience using this method to heat pasturize the 5 Day Country Cider recipe. I had 1 bottle explode in each of the first 2 batches. The 3rd batch, all bottles made it. The 4th batch, I had 6 of 7 blow up. With my nerves shot, I stopped the process and refridgerated the rest, and invited friends to come enjoy this evening. I used recycled commercial bottles. I used a canning pot and a quick read thermometer. When the water was 190, I gave it a quick stir, moved the pot to a large hot pad, double checked the temp., then added the bottles with about 2 inches of the top sticking out of the water, and put the lid on. I sure am glad I did not use the dishwasher to try this! I'm still finding tiny pieces of glass throughout the kitchen.
 

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