I think I have read too much and may now be confusing myself. I started a 5G Apple cider with 20% Pear and 10% Cherry. I added Raisins, Honey and Raspberries to get the OG to 1.068! I used Wyeast Cider and it fermented aggressively for a week, has since calmed down. SG was 1.004 a week ago when I racked to secondary so not much activity this week. Taste was crisp and very dry!
My aim is a semi-sweet sparkling cider without using campden (metabisulfite) and with bottle conditioning. So I'd like to sweeten the cider then immediately bottle in clear EZ cap bottles (grolsch style 16oz). Here is where it gets tricky... I would like to let the bottles carbonate naturally then pasteurize them in the dishwasher to prevent bottle bombs once they carbonate enough. If I take this approach, is it safe to add more sugar (or honey) than the typical 5 ounces? I don't think 5 oz (125g) will provide enough "back sweetness"? Also any guesses how much I can use and how long I can expect carbonation to take?
Appreciate any expert advice here!
My aim is a semi-sweet sparkling cider without using campden (metabisulfite) and with bottle conditioning. So I'd like to sweeten the cider then immediately bottle in clear EZ cap bottles (grolsch style 16oz). Here is where it gets tricky... I would like to let the bottles carbonate naturally then pasteurize them in the dishwasher to prevent bottle bombs once they carbonate enough. If I take this approach, is it safe to add more sugar (or honey) than the typical 5 ounces? I don't think 5 oz (125g) will provide enough "back sweetness"? Also any guesses how much I can use and how long I can expect carbonation to take?
Appreciate any expert advice here!