Bottling cider.

[ajoha2003]

Hi. I am just about ready to bottle me cider. I am lit bit confused on the property technique of bottling cider to get the carbonation to continue, to get some bubbles in it. I am looking for a way to achieve the perfect balance without destroying the taste of cider. Thanks for help.

 

[smegger]

Edit: Whoops, double post

 

[smegger]

Basically you bottle with a bit of extra sugar for the yeast to consume and produce extra carbon dioxide which creates the bubbles. There are a number of calculators to determine how much sugar to use based on the type of sugar and how much carbonation you want.

This shouldn't significantly alter the taste of the cider if it has already completed fermentation.

If you are trying to backsweeten AND carbonate then it gets a little more complicated. That'd either involve chemicals and kegging or pasteurisation, but there are a number of threads on that (check out some of the stickied threads for extra info).

 

[ajoha2003]

I am think to bottle before actually fermentation finished and some priming sugar and back sweeten to the flavor that I am looking for and live it the bottles for a day or two to get the carbonation done when the yeast are still active. After the couple days I am planning to pasteurize the batch. Sure this work out?

 

[agent44]

I would taste it, and if it's we're you want it add some priming sugar, bottle carb and pasturize, if it's not where you want it, back sweeten with whatever sugar you want and pasturize when your desired level of carb has been achieved. I like the idea of a plastic bottle filled to tell you when it's carbed enough, seems like a smart move. I've only bottled still cider so far though I'm just going by what I've read n this forum. There is a bottle pasturizing sticky though and it's great.

 

[hwilshusen]

I am think to bottle before actually fermentation finished and some priming sugar and back sweeten to the flavor that I am looking for and live it the bottles for a day or two to get the carbonation done when the yeast are still active. After the couple days I am planning to pasteurize the batch. Sure this work out?

If you do this be sure to fill 1 or 2 plastic soda bottles. When they get stiff pasteurize immediately. Just this week I did a little experiment with carbonation. The plan was to take Upstatemike's (.Y.) cider and pasteurize at different levels of carbonation. A 12 pack at bottling time, a 12 pack at at a slight stiffening of the plastic bottle, a 12 pack at mostly stiff and one at rock hard (same as a unopened bottle of soda.)

Well after 2 days the plastic bottle was slightly stiff so I opened one, a little piff and hardly carbonation. Pasteurized a 12 pack of them. The next day the plastic bottle was rock hard. I opened a bottle and had a gusher. I was leery of pasteurizing them with so much carbonation so a case went into the refrigerator.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

The way I've been doing mine is the plastic bottle trick. For me it's about 2-3 days bottle carbing and that's where I like it. Any more and the over carbing strips flavors away. I throw mine into the fridge when it reaches my desired carbiness? Anyway, depending on how much sugar used, how much yeast is present and temperatures your bottles are sitting in is going to give you what you get, that's what the plastic bottle kinda tells you how things are going.

 

[BradleyBrew]

I dont think you can back sweeten and bottle carb (unless using splenda or nonfermentables). Isnt it one or the other? I chill, add potassium sorbate, and carb with co2.

 

[ajoha2003]

O.k. Great idea to use a plastic bottle for a gage. Thank for help.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I dont think you can back sweeten and bottle carb (unless using splenda or nonfermentables). Isnt it one or the other? I chill, add potassium sorbate, and carb with co2.

You can back sweeten and bottle carb using fermentables. I don't like the taste of anything like Splenda or artificial sugars for that matter, believe me I can taste the difference. You just need to monitor your bottles more carefully and when they get to the point you desire either pasteurize or place them in the fridge.

 

[smalone4839]

You can back sweeten and bottle carb using fermentables. I don't like the taste of anything like Splenda or artificial sugars for that matter, believe me I can taste the difference. You just need to monitor your bottles more carefully and when they get to the point you desire either pasteurize or place them in the fridge.

Agreed, this is how i have done every batch so far. Only had one issue when my SWMBO said she wanted it a little more carbed. Then i waited too long and ...BOOM!!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Agreed, this is how i have done every batch so far. Only had one issue when my SWMBO said she wanted it a little more carbed. Then i waited too long and ...BOOM!!

Sorry but what's SWMBO?

 

[bazuka]

S - She
W - Who
M - Must
B - Be
O- Obeyed

This is from the book titled "She", written by Henry Rider Haggard

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Ha ha, I knew it had something to do with "the boss".

 

[Yooper]

You can back sweeten and bottle carb using fermentables. I don't like the taste of anything like Splenda or artificial sugars for that matter, believe me I can taste the difference. You just need to monitor your bottles more carefully and when they get to the point you desire either pasteurize or place them in the fridge.

The fridge doesn't always halt wine yeast, so if you've used wine yeast the bottles could blow up if the cider isn't pasteurized.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

They won't last that long!