ELI5 - Carbonation

Okay. So. Here's the backstory. I made five gallons of cider about four years ago. When it was "done", I wanted to carbonate it. I didn't know how, so I just left it. I accidentally left it for four years. I don't know where I asked, but I posted somewhere (at the three year mark) if it had gone bad. The overwhelming response was no and jealousy that I could let it age for so long.

I have an event coming up and I'm going to siphon off a gallon and keep it still so it can be mulled. (I have tried it, it's very dry, and from talking to people it sounds like I made apfelwein by accident. Cool!)

It's very dry for my taste and I'd like it to have a more fresh apple taste. Most have suggested sweetening it at the glass. Okay, if that's the case, I'll treat it like a wine.

However, I do want to try my hand at carbing it or at least a gallon of it. I've been searching and reading and I think I just have too much information at this point. Can someone explain, as if I was a five year old, how to carb this? How do I prevent bottle bombs? Do I do it in individual bottles? Can I do it in my better bottle? I'm 95% sure the yeast is dead. I'd like to use natural ingredients if at all possible (honey, FAJC, etc), and I'd like to sweeten it up in the process of carbing it, if at all possible.

My recipe was 5gal of 365 brand organic NFC apple juice, corn sugar, and champagne or ale yeast. I don't even remember if I put potassium sorbate in it or not. I still have the glass bottles from the juice (I made some gallon fruit ciders at the same time, those over fermented and I ended up with 13% ABV so they became wine! I'm noticing a pattern here...) and I'd like to use those for storage if possible.

Thank you for your time.

 

You could bottle it in beer bottles with carbonation tabs. One per bottle. This is the correct amount of sugar for one 12oz bottle.
No, you can't do it in your better bottle, it is not pressure rated.
Your yeast might be ok, they might be dead. I suppose the best practice would be to add a little fresh yeast to each bottle.

 

There are carbonation tabs?! I didn't see that in all my reading! Do I just plop one in, and then cap it and then put it in the fridge and it won't bomb?

 

You may find them as "carbonation drops" too.

You need it to prime for 2-3 weeks at fermentation temps (definitely not in the fridge)

Also, instead of drops, I use 3 tbsp of honey (15 ml each tbsp) per gallon to carbonate. If you do this just make sure you dissolve the honey very well in some water just so there's an even distribution of sugar.

Cheers!

 

How much yeast do I put back in? Because, like I said above, I'm 95% the yeast isn't viable. My carboy has been I'm the same place for four years, so, I think the temperature is good. But what do you mean by priming?

 

Oh sorry, that was a mistake. I meant to leave it bottle conditioning for 2-3 weeks.

About the amount, I don't know. I did some searching and people don't agree on a number. There's even a guy that uses bread yeast for carbonation after a long secondary xD

 

"Priming" is the act of adding sugar to the product so the yeast have something to eat while in the bottle thereby producing the co2 for carbonation.

You need just a few grains of yeast per bottle. "A small pinch" is the measurement often used. It is easier to "prime" and add yeast (if needed) to the bottling bucket, but your get more consistent results if you do it per bottle.

 

So, when you say a "few grains" do you mean like 5 or 50?

 

Your best bet at bottle conditioning would be to use one Domino sugar cube per 12oz bottle or one more expensive dextrose or glucose tab per 12oz bottle.
If you're going to prime this way, re-hydrating your dry yeast as a starter would be an excellent idea. You can make simple yeast starter by adding a portion of your dry yeast to a mix of sterile water, nutrient, and sugar/honey and give the whole mix a good swirl. Let the starter sit at room temperature until you see evidence of foam on the starter's surface, mix well again, and begin priming. Add your now activated yeast with a sterile dropper, cap your bottles or cork after adding the priming sugar, and away you go for a couple more weeks.

 

Do you have an exact recipe for that starter? I have about 3.5 gallons left. (I mulled a gallon for an event.)