Bottle Carbing help...Plastic bottle test not working

I started a cider on 12/25 at 1.064, fermented in the primary until 1/25 at which point it was at 1.000. Transferred to the bottling bucket with 3 cans of apple cider concentrate and bottled. I filled one empty plastic water bottle first, and labeled 2 other bottles as "test" bottles which I bottled halfway through bottling, and then again with less than a gallon in the bottling bucket (in case my AJC didn't mix thoroughly).

Yesterday, (2 days into bottle carbing), my plastic water bottle was solid. I put it in the fridge for a few hours then opened it up and poured it into a glass. Flat.

Confused, I poured the brew back into the bottle and screwed the lid back on and set it on the counter to see exactly how hard it would have to get before carbing.

Today, the plastic water bottle was hard again so this time I popped open one of my "test" glass 12 oz bottles. It was also flat.

Whats the deal? I've always heard of the plastic bottle test being fairly simple and when it feels firm like a new bottle of soda, it is fully carbed. In the time that I've gotten my bottle "solid" twice over, my brew is still flat. I'm going out of town this weekend and was hoping to have this stuff carbed and in the fridge to prevent bottle bombs.

You need upward of 2 weeks not days to bottle condition.

jsbarks said:

You need upward of 2 weeks not days to bottle condition.

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Really? I was thinking people generally say 4-5 days or until the plastic bottle is firm.

I'm paranoid about bottle bombs with the amount of back sweetening that I did.

I didn't find the plastic bottle very helpful either.

Sent from my mobile.

When your bottle is rock hard, put it in the fridge for overnight, then try it the next day. It takes a while for the co2 to fully dissolve throughout the cider, and the cold temperatures really help that.

Then check the carb level. Just like when you pour a warm soda or beer, it gets foamy but kind of flat, that happens with cider. (Not the foamy, but the c02 easily comes out of solution in a warm cider).

Since your plastic bottle has been hard twice, I'd today take one of the glass bottles and stick it in the fridge and check it tonight. I have a feeling that the bottles may be overcarbed if the plastic one has built up pressure twice.

Thanks I have a bottle in the fridge now. Should I give it fully until tomorrow or will a few hours due?

cheyneco said:

Thanks I have a bottle in the fridge now. Should I give it fully until tomorrow or will a few hours due?

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A full 24 hours is best to fully dissolve the co2 into the cold cider. Sooner is ok, but not as good.

Could i have an uneven level of carbing if my prim in and back sweetening wasn't mixed thoroughly?

I racked onto 3 cans of concentrate but i didn't stir it or anything.

Well....I left my plastic test bottle, and a glass bottle in the fridge until just now. Popped open the plastic test bottle and it was completely flat. I will let the glass bottle sit in the fridge until tomorrow and try it.

The plastic bottle gave a little pshhh sound, nothing crazy. It sounded similar to the sound a commercial cider makes when being opened.


I'm getting a little discouraged. This is the first batch I've really bottled the right way with crown caps. My last few 1 gallon batches I just used recycled twist top bottles (old angry orchard bottles) and the twist top caps that came with them. Those carbed pretty easily after a couple days. I figured this way was the "right" way to do it and would be much easier.

Still no carb. The cider is SUPER clear compared to when I first bottled...and there is a little sediment on the bottom of most of the bottles. But still flat.

I'm anxious to get these in the fridge to age...I really don't want bottle bombs.

Is it possible that starting at 1.064 and finishing at 1.000 that my yeast can't survive the alcohol level? I used Safale S-05.

PS...they've been sitting around 60 degrees since 1/25. Should I try to raise the temperature any?

cheyneco said:

Well.... with crown caps.
recycled twist top bottles .

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Crown caps won't hold enough pressure on a twist bottle.

If they hold at all.

Malted_hops said:

Crown caps won't hold enough pressure on a twist bottle.

If they hold at all.

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Two different bottling events. I'm bottling crown caps on regular beer bottles. The twist top caps were on twist top bottles.

Just checking.

cheyneco said:

PS...they've been sitting around 60 degrees since 1/25. Should I try to raise the temperature any?

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Yes! S05 is nearly dormant at 60 degrees. You want to be at 70-75 degrees for bottle carbing.

Thank you guys.

Stuck the batch in the extra bathroom with a small space heater and tried to keep it around 70-75 for a few days. Popped one in the fridge yesterday and tonight it was perfectly carbed and didn't taste too awful based either. I think at 8.5abv it needs a month or two to mellow...it tastesd a little yeasty.

How do you guys control temps while fermenting? I keep the house in the low 60s which has been fine up until this and it was tough maintaining a higher temp with a simple heater.

Edited my post as it appears all is good. I had read that water bottles are not good to use as a test bottle. They are different than the soda...

SeeAliceBrewery said:

Edited my post as it appears all is good. I had read that water bottles are not good to use as a test bottle. They are different than the soda...

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Good to know...i will use a soda bottle next time.

I think what Yooper was saying is that you check the firmness of the bottle after it is in the fridge after 24 hours.. not pop it and sample. A cold cider/beer will accept more CO2 than a warm one. Once in the fridge, the yeast hibernates and will not create additional carbing or, if it does.. it will be VERY slow.