I started a cider on 12/25 at 1.064, fermented in the primary until 1/25 at which point it was at 1.000. Transferred to the bottling bucket with 3 cans of apple cider concentrate and bottled. I filled one empty plastic water bottle first, and labeled 2 other bottles as "test" bottles which I bottled halfway through bottling, and then again with less than a gallon in the bottling bucket (in case my AJC didn't mix thoroughly).
Yesterday, (2 days into bottle carbing), my plastic water bottle was solid. I put it in the fridge for a few hours then opened it up and poured it into a glass. Flat.
Confused, I poured the brew back into the bottle and screwed the lid back on and set it on the counter to see exactly how hard it would have to get before carbing.
Today, the plastic water bottle was hard again so this time I popped open one of my "test" glass 12 oz bottles. It was also flat.
Whats the deal? I've always heard of the plastic bottle test being fairly simple and when it feels firm like a new bottle of soda, it is fully carbed. In the time that I've gotten my bottle "solid" twice over, my brew is still flat. I'm going out of town this weekend and was hoping to have this stuff carbed and in the fridge to prevent bottle bombs.
Yesterday, (2 days into bottle carbing), my plastic water bottle was solid. I put it in the fridge for a few hours then opened it up and poured it into a glass. Flat.
Confused, I poured the brew back into the bottle and screwed the lid back on and set it on the counter to see exactly how hard it would have to get before carbing.
Today, the plastic water bottle was hard again so this time I popped open one of my "test" glass 12 oz bottles. It was also flat.
Whats the deal? I've always heard of the plastic bottle test being fairly simple and when it feels firm like a new bottle of soda, it is fully carbed. In the time that I've gotten my bottle "solid" twice over, my brew is still flat. I'm going out of town this weekend and was hoping to have this stuff carbed and in the fridge to prevent bottle bombs.