Fizz tablets (dextrose) and Manzanita Cider (noobie cider maker)

[jeanzanita]

Hi all,

I am new to cider-making and have made one successful batch of naturally carbonated apple cider and am currently working on two separate batches of Manzanita cider. For those of you who don't know what Manzanita is, it's a shrub or tree that grows out in the SoCal mountains and produces these berries every summer/fall that look like tiny apples - and have a wonderful tartness and slight sweetness. Great for cider except the sugar content is not as high as an apple.

Anyway, I bottled the manzanita cider about 10 days ago (and tasting very nice already); and just like a did for my successfully carbonated apple cider, added some freshly-made manzanita juice (with added sugar) to bring up the S.G. to app. 1.04 or so. However, after a week, there was very little carbonation, so I decided to add some dextrose tablets; app. 3-5 per 22 oz. bottle. The bottles started gushing bubbles up right away and I had to let them sit for a while before re-capping. I thought this was a good sign? But by the next day, the bottles were cloudy. It's been 3 days since adding the tablets and still not much action, if any, and still cloudy.

Anyone have thoughts as to what is going on? If my yeast was dead, why would I get gushers when I added the tabs? Yet, with my apple cider, I got carb action within just two or 3 days.

Appreciate any feedback - thanks !

 

[Scrumpy!]

Manzanita cider! Whodathunkit? I'm guessing that there is not a lot of experience with this unless prisoners in SoCal are using it to make Pruno.

So here is my take on your issues.

First, even though your beverage is not strongly carbonated, it still has CO2 in solution. Grinding up tablets of anything and pouring them dry into a liquid that is saturated with CO2 will provide nucleation sites for the CO2 bubbles to form, thus the gushing. If you uncap your bottles, be sure they are well chilled (ice water bath for 30 min or more) to keep as much CO2 in solution as possible and add any new sugar as a syrup. Even this will cause some of the CO2 to come out of solution (gush).

Second, carbonation generally takes awhile and in some cases it can take several months. See below for a typical carbonation curve. After ten days the carbonation was less than 1 atmosphere, not even enough to tickle your tongue. These deuce-deuces won't be fully carbonated for another ten to twenty days.

 

[dmtaylor]

I think your bottles might explode. Cloudy might mean that fermentation had taken off in a big way. Better check a bottle and see how badly it gushes. They might all be toast.

 

[jeanzanita]

Hi Scrumpy! Thanks for your input. If SoCal prisoners were lucky enough to have manzanita berries, they'd have something way better than pruno .

Thanks for the tips about chilling. Checked a bottle yesterday; and there is some carbonation & a yeasty smell - I think you are right, it's just taking a long time. It's just puzzling because I did my apple cider the same exact way (same yeast; same S.G. after secondary; temp, etc). But maybe the manzanita berry itself is the difference - don't know if higher tannins or other manzanita traits could affect the process?

I'll just wait and see - I think even if it ends up a little cloudy and low carbonation; it'll taste pretty good.

Thanks again - and I'm impressed with your record-keeping !

 

[jeanzanita]

Thanks Dave - checked yesterday and just a wee bit of carbonation - no gushing yet. I'll be keeping a close eye and check probably every couple of days.

 

[jeanzanita]

Opened up bottle yesterday - major carbonation ! Just started off slow. Think it's starting to clear a bit too. In fact, because it was taking so long I didn't check soon enough and a little too carbonated. I will pasteurize now and hope for the best!