Firestix
Well-Known Member
So, I was happy to see a couple of recent similar questions in the forum but wanted to ask my question since I felt that this question was fully answered.
Ive been brewing cider for about a year and have had some great results and some pretty lousy results (Learning from both experience types). My method is to brew, bottle, and heat pasteurize when I get the preferred amount of carbonation. I now want to make things (sweetness and carbonation) more measured and reproducible while still bottle conditioning. I have a couple of options (that I know of) that can possibly give the results I am looking for. Please read this as an open invitation for advice on the best way to get the best sought after results by bottle conditioning. These results are:
1- 5%-8% ABV cider, cyser, or mead
2- Semi-sweet to sweet in taste
3- Carbonated
4- Pasteurized. (to avoid bottle bombs)
Right now I have done this in a couple of different methods.
Method 1- Brew the cider until fermentation has slowed considerably. Rack it off into a secondary bottling bucket, then (maybe a day or two later) bottle. Use a soda bottle as a carbonation indicator. Once carbonation has reached a satisfactory level, proceed to heat pasteurize the bottles. (Im thinking of using the hydrometer to measure fermentation to a specific level of gravity/PABV/Brix and then bottle condition)
Method 2- Brew the cider until fermentation has stopped. Rack it over a measured amount of apple juice (back-sweeten for taste and carbonation) in a secondary bottling bucket. Then bottle and pasteurize using the same above method. (Im thinking of back-sweetening to a specific Gravity/PABV/Brix level before bottling.)
My questions are:
Which of these methods would be better?
What Gravity/PABV level/Brix is the optimum to bottle at to reach the magical 5%-8%, Semi-sweet, carbonated drink that I am trying to obtain?
Is there a better way or something I am missing? (staying within the realm of bottle conditioning/pasteurizing)
Thanks in advance for your insight!
Ive been brewing cider for about a year and have had some great results and some pretty lousy results (Learning from both experience types). My method is to brew, bottle, and heat pasteurize when I get the preferred amount of carbonation. I now want to make things (sweetness and carbonation) more measured and reproducible while still bottle conditioning. I have a couple of options (that I know of) that can possibly give the results I am looking for. Please read this as an open invitation for advice on the best way to get the best sought after results by bottle conditioning. These results are:
1- 5%-8% ABV cider, cyser, or mead
2- Semi-sweet to sweet in taste
3- Carbonated
4- Pasteurized. (to avoid bottle bombs)
Right now I have done this in a couple of different methods.
Method 1- Brew the cider until fermentation has slowed considerably. Rack it off into a secondary bottling bucket, then (maybe a day or two later) bottle. Use a soda bottle as a carbonation indicator. Once carbonation has reached a satisfactory level, proceed to heat pasteurize the bottles. (Im thinking of using the hydrometer to measure fermentation to a specific level of gravity/PABV/Brix and then bottle condition)
Method 2- Brew the cider until fermentation has stopped. Rack it over a measured amount of apple juice (back-sweeten for taste and carbonation) in a secondary bottling bucket. Then bottle and pasteurize using the same above method. (Im thinking of back-sweetening to a specific Gravity/PABV/Brix level before bottling.)
My questions are:
Which of these methods would be better?
What Gravity/PABV level/Brix is the optimum to bottle at to reach the magical 5%-8%, Semi-sweet, carbonated drink that I am trying to obtain?
Is there a better way or something I am missing? (staying within the realm of bottle conditioning/pasteurizing)
Thanks in advance for your insight!