nottingham question/ pasteurization alternative?

I am trying my first bactch of Upstate Mike's Caramel Apple Cider from this forum.https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/caramel-apple-hard-cider-292770/
Here are the details on my attempt:
5 gallons of orchard cider, no preservatives, un-pasteurized. O.G 1.065
4 campden tablets for 32 hours
2 1/2t yeast nutrient
2 1/2t pectic enzyme
1 pkg Nottingham yeast, re-hydrated
fermented for 5 days , on Day 6 I racked to secondary S.G 1.010, Day 7 F.G 1.006 I added 4 cans FAJC & the caramel syrup, per the recipe, with using the appropriate amount of cinnamon extract in place of real cinnamon & bottled.

3 days later(this morning), I checked my plastic soda bottles for carbonation.
They were both as hard as they were when they were filled w/soda. I had to go to work so I put them outside (30* - 45*F) in an attempt to inhibit additional carbonation.
This evening I attempted to pasteurize the batch. I opened my "test bottles" (soda bottles) & got very little "foam over". I put the bottles in a hot tap water bath (120*F) for 10 minutes or more prior to placing in my stock pot @ 180*F after I turned off the burner.
By the 2nd batch (approx 18 bottles) I had lost 4 bottles, the lid for the stock pot & my kitchen privlidges. I attempted opening some of the other un-pasteurized bottles & got volcanos & lost 1/2 the contents of the bottle.
What are my options @ this point? I have put the remaining bottles in my lagering chamber @ approx 35*F. Is there a temperatuer that wiil put this yeast to sleep so I can salvage this batch? I hate to loose the whole batch w/ the price of Cider in Michigan this year.
Thanks in advance

*bump* I'm interested! Sorry I cant help!

Im trying to follow this-- how did you lose your pot lid? Are you bottling with caps or in grolsch bottles (swing tops)? Your big mistake was cooling and warming the batch, I believe. IMO, I would keep them in the lager chamber, and start drinking them.

Plus, 4 cans of FAJC is a ton of priming sugar. Just sayin'.

The pot lid was glass & it shattered when one of the bottles exploded, or when a cap blew off a bottle. I'm using regular beer bottles w/ crimp caps.
I agree 4 cans of frozen apple juice concentrate is a ton of priming sugar, which was why I was going to pasteurize it & kill the yeast. I just missed my window of oportunity and it over-carbonated.
I have the room for the remaining bottles in the lager chamber & it can go as low as 30*F. Will that be cold enough to keep from getting any bottle bombs? I can deal with the gushers now that I know that it is going to happen.

FWIW... I have decided that this method of partial fermenting, then backsweetening & bottling, then trying to pasteurize at the correct carb level is best left for people that don't work 12+ hours a day.

Sounds like a good time to sell her on the concept of kegging.

roadymi said:

Sounds like a good time to sell her on the concept of kegging.

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+1.

I bet anything below 36 would make the yeast completely dormant. Just hope the power doesn't go out!

I was just wondering why you back sweetened after partial fermenting? The way I understood it was that it was either/or.

You either ferment dry and back sweeten, or you partial ferment to maintain some sweetness and hat bottle with a little primer.

What is kegging when it comes to cider?

Safa said:

+1.


I was just wondering why you back sweetened after partial fermenting? The way I understood it was that it was either/or.

.

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I was following the procedure that is outlined in the original posting. (Click on the link that I added to my first post)
Based on others experience, I knew that it would carb-up fast but I didn't think that it would "go ballistic" within 3 days. Lesson learned

ColbyJack said:

Im trying to follow this-- how did you lose your pot lid? Are you bottling with caps or in grolsch bottles (swing tops)? Your big mistake was cooling and warming the batch, I believe. IMO, I would keep them in the lager chamber, and start drinking them.

Click to expand...

I started thinking about this one: Did I add to the carb level by warming the bottles up too quickly? Would I have been better to allow them to come up to room temp without the warm water bath?

What kind of crimp bottles are you using? My friend and I have both had bad (separate) experiences with Amstel Light bottles -they blew off while others didn't.

Also, cold crashing (with a warning label) seems like the best option to me.
I would also hate to see all this cider go to waste -I made the same recipe and thought is was tasty.

Lammyrock said:

What kind of crimp bottles are you using? My friend and I have both had bad (separate) experiences with Amstel Light bottles -they blew off while others didn't.

Also, cold crashing (with a warning label) seems like the best option to me.
I would also hate to see all this cider go to waste -I made the same recipe and thought is was tasty.

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No particular brand of bottles. Just what I have managed to accumulate.
I checked out the bottles this morning and found that the cider that is in a clear glass bottle has clarified very nicely. Although I do expect that to change after it is opened as the excess carbonation will most likely dislodge it all from the bottom of the bottle.
You are right, It is very tasty. I don't think that it's going be long before all the bottles are empty.

It just seemed odd to me to bring them up to temp with warm water, then let them sit again. I understand you missed your window of opportunity. Lesson learned. I'm thinking that the 36 degree cooler will keep them happy.

Just sampled one of the bottles from the lager chamber (for research puposes only) I was prepared for a volcano with a glass ready to catch the gusher. I got a very small gusher that only lost approx 5%-10% of the bottle contents. As opposed to the 50% that I would loose a couple of days ago. This was only 1 bottle that was sampled, future results may vary.
Looks like all may be good! Thanks everyone for the input.