Carbonation and backsweetening

[ThePickle512]

Regarding backsweetening, is it possible to backsweeten and produce a carbonated cider? I've been told if you backsweeten you must stabilize it first. My question, I guess, is if you could use the backsweetening as your bottling sugar or will you end up with gushers/yeast eating all the sugars from the backsweetening? My first batch was good but I used sorbate to stabilize. I want this current batch to be very bubbly. Thanks!

 

[reverendj1]

You can stovetop pasteurize after carbing. I've done it a few times with mixed results. Make sure you have a metal lid on your pot when you do it, since if bottles blow up (which I had many do) they explode! The heat kills the yeast, so you can store them at room temp.

Another option is to just get your cider to proper carbonation and just stick them in the fridge. The yeast go to sleep at the low temps. The downside of this is you have to keep them refrigerated until you are ready to drink them, otherwise the yeast will wake up once they warm up and start doing their thing again.

The last option (at least that I know of) is to stabilize with campden/sorbate, then carb in a keg and bottle from that. Best of both worlds, since it's safe to store them warm, and you don't have to worry about flying shards of glass. Unfortunately, you need a kegging system and a beer gun.

Regarding options 1 and 2, make sure you bottle at least one in a plastic pop bottle to judge carbonation.