1st hard cider attempt

[bonamfortuna]

So I am fairly new to this. I pressed 10 gal. of cider. I added about 8 lbs. of sugar to the cider to bring the SG to 1.090. I pitched a champagne yeast. I plan on stopping the fermentation at 1.010 using campden tabs. That should leave the ABV around 10.6%. I saved 2 gal. of the 10 gal. To add after fermentation to backsweeten it. That will put the estimated ABV to about 8.48% if my calculations are correct.

So here are my questions:
If I bottle the final product into wine bottles, is the ABV high enough to keep the product "good" for a long period of time (years)? Or do I need a higher ABV to preserve it at cellar temps?
Additionally, If I want to carbonate some of the cider, should I use a corny keg before bottling, or is there any way to naturally carb this, keeping in mind that I am trying to halt the fermentation at around 1.010.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Not sure about all of your questions, but yes you can naturally carb your cider by adding sugar back into your cider just before bottling. I've also read people putting 1/2 teaspoon of sugar per 12 oz. bottle then filling with cider. Some home brew supply stores sell sugar tablets or candy that you place in each bottle for carbing also.

 

[dinnerstick]

your best bet is carbing in the keg since you will need to kill the yeast to keep it at 1.010. to bottle and then keep the bottles at room temp i would want to be really certain i had killed off the yeast before bottling, whereas if you are just going to keep the cider in a cold keg you don't need to be so concerned. the other method is the pasteurization technique; bottle slightly higher than you intended sweetness, monitor carbonation very very carefully, and then heat pasteurize the bottles.

 

[dinnerstick]

for storage, i regularly keep 6% cider for over 1 year, i always try to keep some longer but i don't have the self control. your 8-9% cider should be fine in 1-2 years

 

[bonamfortuna]

Hey thanks a lot dinnerstick. I am glad to know that your cider keeps for a year. I am feeling pretty good about my batch.