Cold Crahing/Bottling Question

[OrCoastBrew]

Hi - This is my first batch of Cider and I have scoured most of the stickeys and other threads and I am finding it hard to make a decision as to what to do. Cold crash/keg or prime/bottle/pasteurize. The more I read the more freaked out I get about bottling and pastuerizing.

Some background

1. S.g. was 1.070 I want to ferment down to about 1.010
2. I used Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast.

My questions are can I cold crash this yeast effectively, force carb in keg and then bottle a few? If I go this rout will I still have to pasteurize the bottled cider? I don't really have many bottles around as I keg all my beer these days and so I just bottle a few with my counter pressure bottler.

Also I have never cold crashed so I am a little unsure with the process. I know that I need to rack off from the primary at ferment temps. Then place the secondary in my chest freezer but I am unsure of the time needed in the freezer before I rack to my keg.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am really struggling with this.

 

[Skyforger]

I haven't used exactly this yeast, but I've had great difficulty cold crashing wine yeasts in the past. I've had some continue slow fermentation at freezing temps, then pick up as soon as I take them out. Ale yeast, such as Safale S-04, works much better if you want to cold crash. That said, I somewhat prefer the aromas wine yeast gives cider, so...

Another option, if you have the fridge space, is to prime, bottle, and stick them in the fridge to stop fermentation. But as I said, cold temps don't always stop the tougher of wine yeasts so I'm not sure if I can really recommend this.

What problems do you have with bottle pasteurizing? Or with fermenting out, for that matter? Have you tried fermented-out cider? It can be pretty good, and if you want a bit of sweetness, you can always add a bit of honey or sugar at serving time...

 

[Fletch78]

+2 to Skyforger. I have used that yeast, and it is mysteriously hardy. It doesn't like to be told when to finish.

Because you can force carb, you should cold crash and add potassium sorbate. That way, you can fill some growlers after it's carbonated and not have anything to worry about. Just make sure you don't add the sorbate to the backsweetening solution (if using), add it to the cider first.

Edit: Cold crash until it's cold, plus a few hours or days until it clears. Sometimes, in wine and cider and mead, multiple rackings are used, but not by me.

 

[OrCoastBrew]

Thanks Guy's. I think I am going to let it ferment out, back sweeten to taste, keg, carb and then bottle a few for gifts. (that is if it taste o.k.!) This cider making is fun and in some respects a little more complicated than brewing.