Started with OG of 1.068 (2lb brown sugar added), after a few weeks I checked it and very close to 1.000... I give it a taste of course, and compared to one I did and pulled at 1.010, and it's obliviously less sweet. It's going to sit another couple weeks until my current keg is out so I figure it might lose all it's taste by then. But, I prefer that apple/sweeter taste myself, so when I rack it to the keg should I add some apple juice back into it to get that back?
Cider Lost Sweetness... Can I get it back?
- Thread starter theck
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squegeeboo
Active Member
You can easily back sweeten. But then you have to worry about over-carbonation, and the yeast continuing to eat your sugar from back sweetening, removing the flavor you just added. For my ciders I add in apple juice concentrate at the end, and then after a few days I dishwasher pasteurize at the carbonation level I want.
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theck
Well-Known Member
Ah ok... what's dishwasher pasteurizing?
squegeeboo
Active Member
There is a sticky at the top of the forum about pasteurizing. You need a big ol' pot with water you keep at 170 degrees and can only do X (seems to be 6-10) bottles at a time.
However, if you have a way to test the temp in your dishwasher, you can just put all your bottles in the dishwasher, run it, and viola! Pasteurization!
I bought a battery powered meat thermometer with a 3 foot cord, filled a bottle with water, corked it, stabbed the thermometer thru it, and ran it thru the dishwasher, my dishwasher only hit 125ish, not warm enough. Then I tried it on the heated wash setting, and it hit 147 for an hour. Pasteurization charts claim that 145 for 30 minutes will do the trick, so I'm well over the safety point. Did a 6 bottle batch to test, no carbonation a week later!
So now when I make a sparking cider that is sweet, when it comes time to pasteurize I just fill up the bottom rack with all 50ish bottles and let it run on heated wash.
Yes. Fridge temperatures will halt, or at least slow, yeast.
scottballz
Well-Known Member
if you are going to keg you could always dose the keg with some potassium sorbate (stabalizer). This will stop any re-fermentation after you back sweeten. you will have to force carb the keg with a CO2 tank though. otherwise it will be still.
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theck
Well-Known Member
Thanks I think I'll go that route. What pressure are you force carbing on? I tried it with my current batch at 20 after it didn't get far being hooked to serving (12) for a week and it doesn't seem to be that carbonated. It comes out well but didn't really seem to be bubbly when drinking.
kajon
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Question on dosing with potassium sorbate. If cider is fully carbed will it make it still, or just prohibit more carbing? It was started in a corny and is ready to be stopped. I have no way to keep it cold enough to stop the yeast. Will it lose all it's carbonation if i just open it up and dose it quick? Thank you.
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theck
Well-Known Member
Think you won't lose carbonation by opening it as long as you put the co2 back into it when your done. Not 100% though.
Well, you can't really just open it and dose it. The sorbate doesn't kill yeast, it just inhibits yeast reproductions.
So adding it to a keg with yeast in suspension and/or yeast in the bottom of the keg won't work as there is plenty of yeast to start fermenting again.
In order for sorbate to be effective, the cider has to be clear (free of much of the yeast in suspension), finished fermenting, and without any lees on the bottom. Then it can be added, along with campden, and after that the cider could be sweetened as desired.
I would also consider adding some "Acid Blend" -- it won't make your cider sweeter, but will restore some of that Apple-citrus-taste to the cider, which in my opinion makes up for a huge amount of lost sweetness in taste.
ManhattanProjectBrewing
Well-Known Member
....I love this one. Informative, simple, and produces superior results. On my 5th batch now.... Just recently started experimenting with spice tinctures and graffs.... This is the video that got me started.
Cheers,
-JM
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Cheers,
-JM
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
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theck
Well-Known Member
Ok cool I'll try that as well. Thanks, how much should I add to 5 gallons?
I think I'll rack it to another bucket and slowly add in the concentrate, acid, etc and taste along the way.
Puddlethumper
Well-Known Member
Great video! Thanks for posting the link!
