Can u make cider on top of the trub from beer primary?

[Maylar]

AHH, thanks for the claification re: hard and still. Did those bottles in the fridge retain some sweetness? I assume you throw them in after a week or so, yes? will they still age, or does that shut them down where they are?

Freeze thaw? How does that work? Do I freeze apple juice, let it thaw and collect just the juice from the thaw?

That is rather my aim. Half of them to be slightly sweeter but carbbed, the rest dry.

Just like with pasteurizing, you need a test bottle to know when carbonation is at the right spot. Throw them in the fridge and it stops fermenting (depending on yeast) and leaves whatever sweetness is left. I've only done this with an 8-pack at a time (yield from a gallon) and for no more than a month. Long term is not recommended.

Note that this only works if you let the ferment finish completely and cleared, then back sweetened. If you try to cold stop the ferment while it's still active you'll get bottle bombs even in the fridge. There's just too much yeast in there.

Freeze/thaw yes as you said. Home made concentrate.

 

[Nubiwan]

Just like with pasteurizing, you need a test bottle to know when carbonation is at the right spot. Throw them in the fridge and it stops fermenting (depending on yeast) and leaves whatever sweetness is left. I've only done this with an 8-pack at a time (yield from a gallon) and for no more than a month. Long term is not recommended.

Note that this only works if you let the ferment finish completely and cleared, then back sweetened. If you try to cold stop the ferment while it's still active you'll get bottle bombs even in the fridge. There's just too much yeast in there.

Freeze/thaw yes as you said. Home made concentrate.

Can cider ferment beyond 1.000? I think I may have read .995 somewhere. Is this possible? Surely not. I just figured it was done at .000, as all sugars are munched up. So I started crashing. Perhaps I was mistaken.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Yes. I have seen many posts of .996 or so. And again depends on the hydrometer. The general rule is take a reading, wait 2-3 days, take another. If no change it's probably done.

 

[Nubiwan]

Just like with pasteurizing, you need a test bottle to know when carbonation is at the right spot. Throw them in the fridge and it stops fermenting (depending on yeast) and leaves whatever sweetness is left. I've only done this with an 8-pack at a time (yield from a gallon) and for no more than a month. Long term is not recommended.

Note that this only works if you let the ferment finish completely and cleared, then back sweetened. If you try to cold stop the ferment while it's still active you'll get bottle bombs even in the fridge. There's just too much yeast in there.

Freeze/thaw yes as you said. Home made concentrate.

Well, if I may just be exact about what I was proposing to do, I am not sure how I risk bombs. I used the Beer calculator to shoot for 2.7 co2. I have added suitably dextrose to achieve that level of carbonation. I simply plan to pasteurize some of this batch - half way through its carb process -in order to get some sweeter, slightly carbed cider. Is that how To supposed to be done? I did not over sweeten, as I want some of the batch to just carb out fully.

If I do pasteurize, using this process, will my result be bland and flat? I dunno.

Again, not sure how I'd risk bombs from this if I did let it ferment out fully, and only used adequate sugar to carb. Perhaps that was your point. Maybe I misread what you said. Similarly, if I throw a few in the fridge to slow down the carbonation, retain sweetness, I should be ok. It can only carb out to the level of my added sugar will allow.... yes?

 

[Maylar]

Well, if I may just be exact about what I was proposing to do, I am not sure how I risk bombs. I used the Beer calculator to shoot for 2.7 co2. I have added suitably dextrose to achieve that level of carbonation. I simply plan to pasteurize some of this batch - half way through its carb process -in order to get some sweeter, slightly carbed cider. Is that how To supposed to be done? I did not over sweeten, as I want some of the batch to just carb out fully.

If I do pasteurize, using this process, will my result be bland and flat? I dunno.

Again, not sure how I'd risk bombs from this if I did let it ferment out fully, and only used adequate sugar to carb. Perhaps that was your point. Maybe I misread what you said. Similarly, if I throw a few in the fridge to slow down the carbonation, retain sweetness, I should be ok. It can only carb out to the level of my added sugar will allow.... yes?

Yep, you have it right. Open a bottle in one week, then at 2, to monitor the carbonation process and decide when to either refrigerate or pasteurize. As long as it was done fermenting when you primed it you'll be safe.

As for final gravity, I've had 0.996 many times.

 

[Darthbrewder]

So how did it turn out? Do you like what you have? Did the amount of sugar you added give you enough sweetness after pasteurization? If I had to guess I would think the amount of sugar you added wasn’t enough to make the cider have some sweetness and carbonation, at least maybe not what you were expecting? The main thing, is it drinkable/shareable?

 

[LittleRiver]

I don't get why cider users aren't commonly using lactose (found in milk stouts & unfermentable) to sweeten when they go to full dry. IDK how it tastes in a cider but if it works for the beer people it can work for a cider as well.

My daughter has celiac disease, so she can't drink any of the beer I make. So I decided to make her some cider, which she said she would prefer to be on the sweet side, and carbonated. I looked at all the options, decided I didn't want to pasteurize, and rejected all the artificial sweeteners. I settled on lactose, which seemed like a great solution. She told me she is lactose intolerant.

So I made her a dry cider, nicely carbonated, and told her to sweeten it to taste at serving time with her choice of sweetener.

 

[Maylar]

My daughter has celiac disease, so she can't drink any of the beer I make. So I decided to make her some cider, which she said she would prefer to be on the sweet side, and carbonated. I looked at all the options, decided I didn't want to pasteurize, and rejected all the artificial sweeteners. I settled on lactose, which seemed like a great solution. She told me she is lactose intolerant.

So I made her a dry cider, nicely carbonated, and told her to sweeten it to taste at serving time with her choice of sweetener.

I don't like artificial sweeteners at all. Xylitol is a natural sugar alternative that is not fermentable and tastes just like sugar. I've used it very successfully in bottle conditioned ciders at about 3 TBSP per gallon for semi-sweet.

 

[LittleRiver]

I don't like artificial sweeteners at all. Xylitol is a natural sugar alternative that is not fermentable and tastes just like sugar. I've used it very successfully in bottle conditioned ciders at about 3 TBSP per gallon for semi-sweet.

Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. My daughter wouldn't allow any of it in her house, and I don't blame her.

 

[Maylar]

Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. My daughter wouldn't allow any of it in her house, and I don't blame her.

Roger that.

 

[z-bob]

My daughter has celiac disease, so she can't drink any of the beer I make. So I decided to make her some cider, which she said she would prefer to be on the sweet side, and carbonated. I looked at all the options, decided I didn't want to pasteurize, and rejected all the artificial sweeteners. I settled on lactose, which seemed like a great solution. She told me she is lactose intolerant.

So I made her a dry cider, nicely carbonated, and told her to sweeten it to taste at serving time with her choice of sweetener.

Tell her to use liquid sweetener (make a simple syrup), or muddle a sugar cube in the bottle of the glass with just a little of the cider before you pour the rest of the bottle. If you dump a packet of sugar in a full glass of cider, it will bubble up. It won't necessarily foam over, but you'll lose a lot of the fizz. (BTDT)

 

[LittleRiver]

Tell her to use liquid sweetener (make a simple syrup)...

That's exactly what she does.