Keeping it sweet

Hey guys,

I've been looking around at the threads but I haven't found the exact answer.

I started a 1 gallon cider batch today using 100% pasteurized cider. Heated some cider up to dissolve 2 cups of dark brown sugar. I then added it to the primary after it cooled along with some yeast nutrient.

My SG is sitting at 1.072

My goal is it keep it somewhat sweet for the wife. Would you recommend I transfer to the secondary at a reading of 1.010 or let it ferment dry then add some more cider?

Holy high SG - what yeast are you using?

I recommend cold crashing, and racking.. a few times. Good luck w/ that.

Don't add more cider, it will just start to ferment again. IMO (my personal taste) looks like it's gonna turn out to be jet fuel

I say let it ferment dry and then backsweeten to your taste. In the mean time read the sticky at the top of this forum about stove-top pasteurising.

Making semi-dry (sweet) cider is easy - the challenge comes when you want it carbonated and bottled as well as semi-dry. Do you want carbonated or still cider? If carbonated, would you be using bottles or kegs?

Jim

I would like to make this batch carbonated as my first was a still cider. I will most likely use flip top bottles that I have, however I may get some some beer bottles to use, not sure which one is better.

Jeremy012 said:

I would like to make this batch carbonated as my first was a still cider. I will most likely use flip top bottles that I have, however I may get some some beer bottles to use, not sure which one is better.

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Jeremy, making semi-dry, carbonated, bottle conditioned cider is a challenge. For example, going back to your original post, neither of your suggestions will work.

Racking to secondary will not be sufficient to get rid of all the yeast and when you bottle the yeast will keep working until you get exploding bottles. Your other idea of backsweetening with apple juice is also a problem. The yeast will eat up all the sugar of the additional juice, leaving your cider dry. Or if you stop the yeast chemically before backsweetening, you won't have any yeast to bottle condition (carbonate) the cider.

One option available (and what I do) is stove top pasteurizing the bottles after they are carbonated, described in the sticky above.

Another option is to stop the yeast after bottle conditioning by chilling the bottles. You can't let the bottles warm back up, though, or the yeast will go back to work.

A third option is to let the cider ferment dry, backsweeten with a non-fermentable like splenda, then prime with sugar and bottle.

Jim