Cider Bombs

So. Made some cider a ways back:

3 Gal local cider, unpasteurized
2 # Lt Brown Sugar
1 # DME (light)

Pitched Safale (2 packs) and set er to ferment for almost 5 weeks. Bottled with too much sugar (obviously) and some (apparently) hungry yeast. Dummy here neglected the hydrometer before bottling. Placed bottles in storage for another month-ish. Popped one just to see what I had ...

Based on losing 15/16th of the cider (kid u not - 3 in geyser out of the top of the bottle), cold crashed about 5 days ago.

I am assuming that the cold with stifle the yeast, but the existing carbonation will persist / remain unchanged. If that is the case, I have to dump it all - right?

Whimper ... cider is harder (hehehe) than brewing beer. Well, trickier anyhow.

Thoughts?

Open another one and do a hydrometer reading on it. You will have to wait until the carbonation settles because the bubbles with throw off the reading. Was the bottle you opened warm (room temp) or chilled? How does it taste?

I would pasteurize the bottles in this case. Cold might work for an ale yeast, but then it might just put it to sleep for a little while. I would want to be sure.

If they already have too much pressure, I don't know that applying heat is prudent. Cold crashing isn't going to stop the yeast forever, but it might buy you enough time to drink them before they explode.