[Update 2]: How it went.
First of all, I wanted to thank
@Pappers_ for posting
this thorough set of instructions on how to perform a stove top pasteurization. His explanation is clear, and brilliant. Pappers: you rock!
After opening one bottle of Cider and finding myself in the scenario of a Formula 1 Tripod with Cider gushing out of the bottle (see Update 1 above), I decided that it was time to pasteurize all of Serial Number 2 of my strawberries and lemon Cider before bottle bombs started to happen.
You guys probably read a lot about this, but I am super stoked as this was my first go at stove top pasteurization.
Using a Test Bottle:
So I heated up a deep pan full of water to 190º F, as instructed by Pappers' post, and tested to see how far the test bottle (pictured above showing the 2 atm mark) went. Immediately after gently putting the bottle inside the 190º F pan (right after switching off the heat), I found that the internal pressure of the bottle skyrocketed. I immediately took cover and started to count the 10 minutes from the entry hallway (next to the kitchen) trying to see if any explosion ensued. There was complete silence for the full ten minutes.
Preparing to Remove Test Bottle:
For security purposes, I used a jacket (it's 96º F where I am, but safety came first), cooking mitts on both hands. Used tongs to pull the bottles out, and then transferred to a mitt on the other hand. You can see from the following picture that the internal pressure passed the 4 atm mark, so the pressure inside was wild right after removing the test bottle:
I set these up in the laundry area and closed the door to contain any bottle bomb that could go off.
With this first test bottle surviving its way through the full stove pasteurization process, I put the other bottles in and followed the same procedure.
Adding the Other Bottles:
As my pan isn't that large, I had to put in four bottles at a time. I heat up the water in the pan to its 190º F mark and once that threshold was met, I put the four bottles in using a mitt. Followed the exact same procedure than was used for the test bottle:
Whilst putting the already pasteurized bottles near the test bottle, I would also check the internal pressure of the test bottle to see if the pressure was decreasing (as it should due to the cooling off procedure). In the following image, you can see pressure starting to come down on the test bottle:
Results:
I am super proud as last I checked I have all bottles intact and a Cider that is sufficiently to well carbonated. Once these cool off to room temperature, they will be put in the fridge and some will be tasted tonight.
Anyway, I am sure you guys get a lot of these posts, but just wanted to share my experience first-hand with stove top pasteurization. I was worried I would have lost all of my Cider, but I think pasteurizing at 2 atm was the way to go.
