use of mason jars

i saw another thread here about mason jars but it didnt quite answer my questions.

if using quart mason jars to hold still cider after fermentation, what would be the best process to ensure the cider doesnt spoil if kept at room temperature

i think i would have to pasteurize it after the fermentation to kill anything that survived fermentation, which i think requires bringing it up to 145 or 175 and holding it there for 10 min or so.
if i did that would i be able to transfer the hot hard cider directly to mason jars to cool (creating negative pressure inside due to change in heat, and vacuum sealing them as they were intended to be)?
what would that do to the taste of the cider?
would it age normally after that?
how long would i be able to keep it at room temperature?
what would that do to the alcohol content in the cider?


thanks for any help you can provide





also, why would i need to pasturize it with mason jars, but not with bottles?

also, what is the process of back sweetening for a still cider?


EDIT: also, do champagne bottles fit beer bottle caps

I don't understand. Are you talking about "bulk" aging in mason jars? Or actually storing and serving from mason jars? Either way you don't really need to worry about picking up food spoiling germs, but with a poorly sealed jar you might just end up with apple cider vinegar. Is there a reason you want mason jars instead of capped bottles? Doing a still cider you could bottle it like wine, which I think would be cooler anyway.

If I understand your process, it seems like it should work just fine for a still cider. Since you are pasteurizing before 'canning' it, you won't be able to "jar-condition" for carbonation. I think that if you completely ferment the cider and then let it age until it's clear, you probably shouldn't get much of a haze. Although since I have never actually heated my ciders, (before or even after clearing) I could be wrong on that point.

Storing them in mason jars should be fine if they seal completely. The heat process should expel the O2 in the jars and keep them from spoiling. My argument though is that mason jars are quite a bit more expensive (the lids especially) than using free, found bottles and purchasing bottle caps or corks.

kewlio250 said:

if using quart mason jars to hold still cider after fermentation, what would be the best process to ensure the cider doesn't spoil if kept at room temperature

i think i would have to pasteurize it after the fermentation to kill anything that survived fermentation, which i think requires bringing it up to 145 or 175 and holding it there for 10 min or so.

if i did that would i be able to transfer the hot hard cider directly to mason jars to cool (creating negative pressure inside due to change in heat, and vacuum sealing them as they were intended to be)?

Click to expand...

That is almost exactly how I would do it. When I bulk pasteurize then bottle in wine bottles I rack in to a stock pot, bring it to 140º then let it cool before transferring to wine bottles. If I am bottling in beer bottles I transfer to the bottles and cap while the liquid is still hot. pasteurizing guidelines

at 53C = 128F minimum time to kill population 56 min
at 60C = 140F minimum time to kill population 5.6 min
at 67c = 152F minimum time to kill population .56 min

Because of the mason jars and the need to create some vacuum I would heat the cider up to 150º This will also help insure that the mason jars and lids do not get contaminated by killing off any contaminants that got on them after they were sterilized.

kewlio250 said:

what would that do to the taste of the cider?
would it age normally after that?

Click to expand...

as long as you don't overheat it (boil it) all it will do is artificially age the cider a little bit. It will not fully age it and aging will still occur in the bottle but it will come through the process with the alcohol flavor a little more subdued and the fruit flavor more forward, as if you had aged it for a wile.

kewlio250 said:

how long would i be able to keep it at room temperature?

Click to expand...

as long as the Jars seal and you sanitize the bottles and lids before you transfer the cider to them you should be able to store them indefinitely.

kewlio250 said:

what would that do to the alcohol content in the cider?

Click to expand...

It will have little to no effect. boiling will cause the alcohol to evaporate out but these temps will be no where near boiling

kewlio250 said:

also, why would i need to pasteurize it with mason jars, but not with bottles?

Click to expand...

Pasteurization is used as a means of stabilization. There are other ways to stabilize and that is way pasteurization is not needed with a lot of bottled ciders, but since you are required to add heat to get the jars to seal you are already pasteurizing.

well, i called a few wineries near me (good perk of living in southern california) and they are willing to give me a ton of champagne bottles, would i be able to cap them with the normal red hand capper?
and would i still need to pasteurize the cider that way?

and thank you for all your help daze

If you are back sweetening you must stabilize with either heat or chemicals. They will cap but I am not sure if you can use a hand capper or if you will need a bench top. If you are going to bottle carb, you will need to pasteurize after the co2 levels are reached.

American Champagne bottles will accept a standard bottle cap, but you will need to test your hand capper. Mine will not accommodate a Champagne bottle. The neck part below the crown is too thick and will not let it crimp properly.

I think you can buy different parts to make it work, but when you add it all up...you might as well buy a bench capper. Just my 2¢.