Easy Stove-Top Pasteurizing - With Pics

[sa101]

This thread has worked a treat for me, cheers Pappers!
One thing though, I didn't have a pot in the house that covered the entire bottle length, so was forced to use one that only covered around 2/3's. My thermometer only went to 60C, so just pasteurised for 15 minutes at a constant temp of 60C. That should be fine right???

 

[brewmaster89]

Had one bottle bomb this week so I realized it was time to do this. Water is heating up now. 3 cases to go!

 

[brewmaster89]

2 exploded in the water when I was taking them out. Not sure how I didn't get hit but on to the next round of 8.

 

[qewret]

I really apologize if this was already covered, I've read the whole thread looking for this answer and I'm pretty sure I didn't miss it! I also tried a general search and no good, so this method would work for a fruit wheat beer right? I don't see why it wouldn't but it seems like it would be more popular if it did. Instead of using unfermentable sugars add blueberries or whichever fruit flavor you want for priming and pasteurizing before its all fermented?

 

[Pappers_]

I really apologize if this was already covered, I've read the whole thread looking for this answer and I'm pretty sure I didn't miss it! I also tried a general search and no good, so this method would work for a fruit wheat beer right? I don't see why it wouldn't but it seems like it would be more popular if it did. Instead of using unfermentable sugars add blueberries or whichever fruit flavor you want for priming and pasteurizing before its all fermented?

I've never done it, but yes, I think you are correct. One difference, though, would be that the beer will already have some sweetness to it and adding more sweetness through fruit might give you a very sweet beer. But I've never done it so can't say - sounds like an experiment.

 

[Charlieatthedisco]

I have been working on a cider, I have it cold crashed currently but when I opened a bottle it foamed up to the top of the bottle, went down an the carbonation seems great, would this still be safe to pasteurize?

 

[Pappers_]

If it is gushing - foaming up in the bottle when you open it, not just when you pour it in a glass - I wouldn't pasteurize it. But its hard to tell without actually seeing it. If you want to do a test and try it, use a lid on your pot and use caution.

 

[divi2323]

This is your perfect example of overcarbed cider. Do not pasteurize as is. Like the sticky and threads say, your best bet is to uncap the bottles one by one then immediately recap them. Then you should be ok to.pasteurize.

 

[lindsaylu]

Hello,

Great post and kudos on your bottles & presentation!

My husband and I are newer to cider and are on our second batch. First batch was a great tasting still cider; we want to carbonate this batch. We prefer a drier (not bone dry) and moderately carbonated cider. A couple questions on pasteurization and carbonation...

We have read that you boil and cool 3/4C corn sugar with 2C h2o and add to bottling bucket. Is this a good measure for the priming sugar?

Would you recommend pasteurizing if the desired cider is a drier one?

We use a variety of bottles including the large brown (1L) flip-top and growlers. Can you pasteurize with a screw-top growler and -- can you pasteurize various size bottles in the same pot?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[Pappers_]

Hello,

Great post and kudos on your bottles & presentation!

My husband and I are newer to cider and are on our second batch. First batch was a great tasting still cider; we want to carbonate this batch. We prefer a drier (not bone dry) and moderately carbonated cider. A couple questions on pasteurization and carbonation...

We have read that you boil and cool 3/4C corn sugar with 2C h2o and add to bottling bucket. Is this a good measure for the priming sugar?

Would you recommend pasteurizing if the desired cider is a drier one?

We use a variety of bottles including the large brown (1L) flip-top and growlers. Can you pasteurize with a screw-top growler and -- can you pasteurize various size bottles in the same pot?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

Welcome!

I use a little less regular table sugar (white cane or beet), about 2/3 cups dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water, per 5 gallon batch. You can scale up or down from there. I've only pasteurized using the 12 ounce bottles, so can't speak from experience.

Have you and your husband taken a look at www.makinghardcider.com? Its a great method for making bottle conditioned, semi-sweet, sparkling cider, too.

 

[MarkKF]

So easy. Just finished two cases - 48 bottles of Apple-cranberry Cider.

But, I forgot to turn off the heat on my last six bottles. The temp never got over 190-200 deg. but the bottle temp was
definitely higher when done. No explosions but I'm interested to see if they are any different in taste or appearance.

 

[Pappers_]

Bottled a batch last night that I did a little differently than described in this thread, but will still pasteurize it. 3 gallons of store bought apple juice, pectic enzyme and Nottingham yeast, let it ferment out to dry. Than rack to bottling bucket with 1/2 gallon store bought apple juice and 1/2 gallon raspberry juice and bottle. I'll check carbonation tonight, tomorrow, etc. and then pasteurize. Non-carbonated and room temperature, it was good - apple cider with a nice raspberry aroma and flavor to it. I'll update after its carbonated and pasteurized.

 

[MeadWitch]

Sounds great, Pappers!

 

[Pappers_]

Sounds great, Pappers!

Hi MW! Its been a long time, nice to see you!

 

[Pappers_]

Bottle pasteurized the new batch of cider on Saturday. Heat Wave Cider is a semi-sweet, sparkling apple cider made with 12 percent raspberrry juice. Poured in a glass, Heat Wave has an appealing raspberry aroma. When you drink it, the raspberries give a balancing tartness and structure to the cider. http://www.singingboysbrewing.com/Heat-Wave-Cider.html

 

[fir-Mint]

Hello,
I´m new to the forum, and have just started making cider this year. I´m currently on my 3rd batch, and getting better results each time, thanks to what I´ve learned from this forum.
Your stove top pasteurization technique is great! I used it in my last batch and was quite pleased with the results.
I have a question regarding the sugar amount you used for both bottled carbonation and back sweetening. I´m concerned that if I let my bottles carbonate for a week, that the yeast may consume all of the sugar rather than just part of it for carbonation. I say this because in one of my batches, at the beginning of fermentation(before racking to bottle), the gravity went down about 30 gravity points in only a few days. This same rate won´t occur in the bottle? In other words, how do you plan for how much sugar will remain for sweetness during the bottle carbonation phase? Sorry if this is a newbie question, but I haven´t been able to find the answer to this.
Thanks again for the great thread!

 

[Peppers16]

I´m concerned that if I let my bottles carbonate for a week, that the yeast may consume all of the sugar rather than just part of it for carbonation. I say this because in one of my batches, at the beginning of fermentation(before racking to bottle), the gravity went down about 30 gravity points in only a few days. This same rate won´t occur in the bottle? In other words, how do you plan for how much sugar will remain for sweetness during the bottle carbonation phase? Sorry if this is a newbie question, but I haven´t been able to find the answer to this.
Thanks again for the great thread!

By getting the cider off the yeast cake you slow things down quite a bit. But I think its always worth using a plastic soda bottle to judge carbonation rather than guessing. Safer that way too.

 

[Schecter]

Agreed with the highly sophisticated plastic bottle carbonation checker.

It is never a bad idea in general, no matter if you're brewing cider or beer, but for a cider you plan on pasteurizing it is almost a necessity.

The rate of carbonation (which is, of course, per act of fermentation) will be affected by a few variables. Temperature is probably the most variable from homebrewer to homebrewer, thus the average given by your recipe may not reflect the adequate time required. To avoid over carbonating and possible bombs, use this technique.

I blew up 2 cases this past Fall (don't be too scared of bombs, I'm just an idiot and let them carb for way too long in way too high of temps). Hooray for me...

 

[irchowi]

I have a few questions.

What is the typical bottles that are used for ciders? I wanted to use typical 750 ml wine bottles with corks, but that doesn't seem like the norm for ciders? Plus I assume you can't pasteurize corked bottles, or am i wrong?

 

[CollegeCider]

From what Ive heard the reason wine bottles arent used is because they are weaker then beer bottles, as they are not made to hold carbonated liquids, so they limit you that way. If you want a still cider, I think they would be fine, but they are more prone to bursting from carbonation.

 

[irchowi]

From what Ive heard the reason wine bottles arent used is because they are weaker then beer bottles, as they are not made to hold carbonated liquids, so they limit you that way. If you want a still cider, I think they would be fine, but they are more prone to bursting from carbonation.

Oh I see. The reason I ask is because I like the classy look of a wine bottle + cork as opposed to a beer and cap set up.

Does anyone know if this method works well with Edwort's apfelwein? I'm making a 5 gallon batch of it right now and from what I understand, it is supposed to be a relatively dry cider. If I'm looking for a carbonated, semi-sweet version, how would I go about doing this?

 

[JtotheA]

I'm glad I didn't start a new thread:cross:Because my question fits with irchowi.
If I rack and cold crash for a couple weeks and then bottle, and put the bottles down where it's cooler with a tester pop bottle and if they aren't buidling pressure, can I expect just a lil carbing from stovetop? I'm sure it would be safer and not as carbed. But kinda curious if it will carb up lightly/safely and heck, maybe irchowi's wine bottles with corks could handle the moderate pressure?

 

[irchowi]

Yeah about the testing bottle. The idea is to bottle some of the cider in regular plastic bottles and then open them periodically until one of them reaches the desired level of carbonation? And when that happens it's safe to assume that the cider that's properly bottled with a beer and cap setup will have the same desired carbonation and we can begin pasteurization?

I'm assuming when you prime the cider with sugar, the amount of sugar is meant for both carbonation and sweetness and the ratio of carb to sweetness is decided on when you stop fermentation in the bottles? I've been seeing some say 3/4 cup of corn sugar per 5 gallons. What can I expect with this?

 

[JtotheA]

Forgot to add that I like to carefully do my first rack/coldcrash at 1.015-1.020 and let it clear more while cold. Almost seems that my high-flocculating ale yeasts that I like to use are almost all gone come bottling time since they're taking awhile to carb up in the basement. Plus not adding any chems nor even backsweetening keeps it simple.

 

[JtotheA]

I'm wondering if my "lightly" carbed bottles get a little "more" carbed from the pressure/heat in the end. I love my 1L swingtops that work awesome in my fridge, but not ideal for stovetop. Which is why I simply haven't haven't tried it. Just curious if the carb level bumps up after the stovetop past.

 

[mcevoy]

Can you stovetop pasteurize PET plastic bottles?

 

[DecoctionDave]

Can you stovetop pasteurize PET plastic bottles?

From what I understand, the PET Better Bottles (I'm guessing that is what you are referring to) are rated to 60°C (140°F). Which I believe is too low for pasteurizing. Anyone else?

 

[chemdoc]

Can you stovetop pasteurize PET plastic bottles?

I believe he is referring to the soda bottle-type. Like the kind that accompany a Mr. Beer setup. Regardless, typical PET has a glass transition temp ranging from about 60 to 80 C (140 - 178 F) depending upon the process used to create the bottle. Above this temp the bottles can soften and begin to fail. I would avoid heating them above this temp if they are already pressurized. You might get away with using a slightly lower temp for a longer period of time, but I have never tried it.

 

[Vox]

I read some people pasteurize in their oven instead of the stovetop method. Oven sounds safer, better to control 190 degree temp, and easier since I don't have a larger pot. Any thoughts? Pasteurizating this weekend for the first time this weekend. Wish me luck !

 

[chemdoc]

I read some people pasteurize in their oven instead of the stovetop method. Oven sounds safer, better to control 190 degree temp, and easier since I don't have a larger pot. Any thoughts? Pasteurizating this weekend for the first time this weekend. Wish me luck !

Personally, I consider the stovetop a safer method. If you do have a bottle blow, the water will go a long way to absorbing much of the energy, slowing down the potential shrapnel. In addition, most of the "damage" will be confined to the pot. Although the oven provides a strong physical barrier between you and the "bomb," my oven has a glass window in the front and with my luck this would be cracked or broken. This would make SWMBO extremely irritable...certainly not a safe situation.