Bottled a strong cider three weeks ago. Right now I have little to no carbonation. I made three gallons, so I added 1/2 cup bottling sugar mixed into 1 cup of apple juice, which added a little more sugar. The cider hit about 14% abv, but I used EC1118 which is rated up to 15ish. Can I add a squirt of sugar or concentrate to each bottle and get more fizz or is my yeast likely dead from the high abv? Any way to test if the yeast is alive?
Carbing problem
- Thread starter pintocb
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bernerbrau
Well-Known Member
Does the cider taste sweet? If so your yeast may just be maxed out, or need more time. You could try adding a small amount of fresh yeast to each bottle along with the sugar and see if that gets things going.
Freezeblade
Well-Known Member
Cider takes a long time to carbonate in my experience. Anytime I try to open a bottle of cider that has been in the bottle for less than 2 months the carbonation isn't there, or hardly there. This really shouldn't be a problem anyway, because cider should be conditioned for a long time, especally if you are hitting 14% with it, I'd say six months minimum.
