Sorry for the newbie question, but I have read the sticky on the easy stove top pasteurization process and still am a little unclear. So I hope this clears it up for me since I feel like I will be bottling my first hard cider at some point this month.
Once the FG hits as low as it will go, I will bottle the hard cider like I do with home brews. Probably with the carbonation tablets since I have them readily available.
With that being said:
Do I need to pasteurize the bottles?
If not, will I be guaranteed bottle bombs?
If I cold crash the cider before bottling in the garage, do I still need to pasteurize the bottles?
If I cold crash the cider, then bottle and place them out the in garage again then I assume I do not need to pasteurize them, right?
Or do I only need to cold crash it once (either before or after bottling) and not need to pasteurize the bottles?
Again, I am sorry for all of the questions but I am just trying to get clarity on if I need to pasteurize the bottles or not after all my reading... Thanks in advance!
Once the FG hits as low as it will go, I will bottle the hard cider like I do with home brews. Probably with the carbonation tablets since I have them readily available.
With that being said:
Do I need to pasteurize the bottles?
If not, will I be guaranteed bottle bombs?
If I cold crash the cider before bottling in the garage, do I still need to pasteurize the bottles?
If I cold crash the cider, then bottle and place them out the in garage again then I assume I do not need to pasteurize them, right?
Or do I only need to cold crash it once (either before or after bottling) and not need to pasteurize the bottles?
Again, I am sorry for all of the questions but I am just trying to get clarity on if I need to pasteurize the bottles or not after all my reading... Thanks in advance!