Bottling Apfelwein & off-gassing

I made a 1-gallon batch of Apfelwein 5 weeks ago (thanks EdWort!), using unfiltered apple juice so I couldn't really tell when or if it cleared. Tonight I bottled in 12-oz beer bottles & it was off-gassing a ton while I was filling up bottles... really a PITA. The SG is almost exactly 1.000 (a hair under), so I'm pretty sure its done fermenting. I used Coopers carbonation drops to prime the bottles.

So, my question is: should I have de-gassed the Apfelwein before bottling? There was obviously a lot of CO2 in suspension. Do I have bottle bombs in my future? The fermentation lock wasn't bubbling much at all, so I'm not sure waiting another few weeks would have gotten the CO2 out of suspension.

Thanks!

(BTW-- its very tasty now, and I can't wait to try it when its chilled & carbed. yum)

Good question. - Was it sulfury??

Mine's going on 9 weeks and its still passin' gas. CO2 not SO2. My intiution says to wait. I haven't moved or done anything to make the CO2 gas out. Mind you it hit 60'F for the first time in 9 weeks.

I should probably check the gravity. Yours is at 1.000 which sounds OK most seem to stop at 1.000- 0.998. I think yours is OK. Very unlikely for bottle bombs.

To my knowledge nobody degasses this unless they want it still. I've been watching the thread since New Years. Most people carbonate and occasionally some rack to a growler for immediate drinking. Never heard anybody de-gassing.

By this you mean stirring or using a drill de-gasser or simply racking multiple times. Right? I would say No.

not sulfury -- it was CO2.

Yes. i meant agitating it somehow to knock the CO2 out of suspension. Just sending it through by bottling wand might have been enough.

my concern was mainly for the amount of CO2 that was coming out while bottling. After each bottle, my syphon tube would fill with CO2. I would have to re-prime the syphon each bottle.

When I keg mine, I have never seen a bunch of CO2 bubbles. What was your fermentation temp?

it was around 68 for the first week, then down to lower 60's for the remaining 4 weeks, usually hovering around 64

Like I said, this is unfiltered apple juice, so its pretty cloudy. Could the suspended particles have something to do with retaining more CO2?

jelsas said:

it was around 68 for the first week, then down to lower 60's for the remaining 4 weeks, usually hovering around 64

Like I said, this is unfiltered apple juice, so its pretty cloudy. Could the suspended particles have something to do with retaining more CO2?

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I'm kind of confused with your situation. Yours should be done if its below 1.000.

Maybe your will hit lower - .096?

I guess you might have some high carb cider. Its ok, kind of champagne-like... Drink one every couple days to see if your not getting too much carb. If you get a gusher put them all in the fridge. Start drinkin'....

Good Advice Right? Drink Your Troubles Away....

Schlenkerla said:

I'm kind of confused with your situation. Yours should be done if its below 1.000.

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yeah, i don't think it was still fermenting. i just think there was loads of CO2 in suspension, and siphoning it into bottles caused loads of fizz.

Good Advice Right? Drink Your Troubles Away....

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when in doubt... drink. works for me.

thanks.