Easy Stove-Top Pasteurizing - With Pics

[Thaumatourge]

Only head space I have needed in my ciders has been the bottling wand displacement.

I would not mind trying out the dishwasher bit. But if a bottle shattered I would have to face swmbo. Plus I have only made 1 gallon batches so far. If the dishwasher does not get hot enough I will loose all my precious liquid very fast.

 

[Keith66]

The dishwasher has worked fine for me on two separate batches of about 60 bottles each. No bombs. Make sure the caps are on tight; they will dome a little from the pressure. Normal headspace, just like a beer. If one breaks, it's no different than breaking a glass or plate; pick the glass out of the filter and move on. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is what Pappers said in his original post: if you have gushers, DON'T pasteurize!

 

[Pappers_]

Could I put my cider in my turkey fryer and heat the batch up to 190 and hold it at that temp for 10 min then back sweeten, or would in need to be in bottles? I know the alcohol would start to evaporate at 172. Just trying to figure a way to kill the yeast in a large batch in one shot.


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If you do it this way, there will be no yeast left to bottle condition/carbonate. If you're not going to bottle condition/carbonate, then there's no need to pasturize.

 

[Brewer_Chad]

If you do it this way, there will be no yeast left to bottle condition/carbonate. If you're not going to bottle condition/carbonate, then there's no need to pasturize.

My plan is to keg. But I was thinking of maybe bottling. Thought I might mail some to friends so was thinking to pasteurize the entire batch sweeting then kegging, carbing and putting a few in bottles. Just don't want bombs in mail.


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[Pappers_]

My plan is to keg. But I was thinking of maybe bottling. Thought I might mail some to friends so was thinking to pasteurize the entire batch sweeting then kegging, carbing and putting a few in bottles. Just don't want bombs in mail.


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If you are carbing in the keg, you don't need to pasteurize - just knock the yeast out with the potassium sorbate and metabisulfate (I think those are right) backsweeten, and force carb.

If you are bottle carbing, then you can't pasteurize before bottle carbing - it will kill the yeast and there will be nothing to produce the CO2. You have to pasteurize after bottle carbing is done.

 

[Brewer_Chad]

If you are carbing in the keg, you don't need to pasteurize - just knock the yeast out with the potassium sorbate and metabisulfate (I think those are right) backsweeten, and force carb.



If you are bottle carbing, then you can't pasteurize before bottle carbing - it will kill the yeast and there will be nothing to produce the CO2. You have to pasteurize after bottle carbing is done.

Okay that makes since I'll go that route. Only my second cider first was a still cider; this time I want to try something less dry.


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[skitter]

One thing that was mentioned in another thread was waiting till it ends, add your sorbate and backsweetening in the same time, and theoretically you would get a bit of a fizz without blowing bottles

 

[rushchaser]

Pappers,

Thanks for this write up. I started my first batch of cider two weeks ago after reading this thread. Made 2 jugs using the 365 cider in the glass jug from Whole Foods, added 1/2 cup of white sugar to one, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the other. I used a packet of Lavlin EC-1118 yeast that I put in a bowl of some of the juice that I warmed up. After it had formed a layer of foam I pour half into both jugs and put on airlocks. Both airlocks were dancing within a few hours. Let them go for a week, racked each to a separate glass jug, backsweetened with half a can of AJ concentrate and then topped up to 1 Gal with apple juice (roughly 1 pint) and then bottled (9 bottles and one soda bottle per Gal.). That was on Sunday, and Tuesday night the soda bottles (1 from each batch) were hard, so I followed your method and it worked perfectly.

So Thank you for that!

Now just to add for anyone else interested, I then added about a quart of distilled water back to the yeast cake in the jug I had put white sugar in (I like the white sugar version better) swirled it around and let it sit for about 20 minutes as I cleaned up. I then poured off a pint, and let it settle for a bit and then added about a half of cup off the top to each of my jugs, where I had already added back a half can of apple juice concentrate and then filled up with Motts AJ. By the next morning the airlocks were dancing again, and still were this morning!

Thanks for everyone's input in this thread and in the Cider Forum.

Rush

 

[MindenMan]

rushchaser, I have re read your post twice and the second paragraph confuses me, would you explain in another version?

 

[rushchaser]

MindenMan

I basically washed my yeast and reused it. You can search on this site for detailed explanations or check out YT and there are some good videos showing the process. I read about where some other person had done this so I did a Google deep dive on the topic and gave it a try.

Try punching in " How to wash yeast " into the 'ole Google machine and you will find all you need to know!

 

[Zepth]

Slightly off topic based on forum sections, but anyways...
So I went on impulse and got a mr root beer refill kit thinking I could use my existing equipment. Not so much as per the instructions, so time to modify things. I remembered this post from before and came up with the idea that instead of tossing the bottles in the fridge to make the yeast dormant I could in theory give this technique a shot.

After a quick search I only saw one post related to root beer and that it's a very thin line between overheating explosions and overcarbonation explosions but little else. Does anyone have personal experience with this they could share? If not I shall give it my best attempt and post back with results.

 

[Subrosa]

Hey,
I am making Ginger Ale using yeast for carbonation. To do so, I am boiling the ginger, sugar, water and lemon juice, let it cool down, then add the yeast, put it in a 2 Liters Coke bottle, put the cap on and wait until it feels pretty hard (24-48h). Then i use a strainer to catch the leftovers of the ginger and put it into bottles. In the fridge, they are drinkable for about two weeks because it slows down the yeast's work.

Now I want to make new ones and save them for a longer time. For this I will have to kill bacteria and yeast - sure. My problem is the carbonation.

If I got it right (I am not a native English speaker), you are filling the cider into the bottles, put the cap on and THEN let it carbonate and THEN pasteurize it. My problem is, that i have to filter out the ginger's leftovers AFTER it infused (and carbonated) for those two days. Can I use a big bottle to allow the ginger to infuse and the yeast to carbonate my drink and AFTER THAT fill it into small bottles, put a crown cap on and then DIRECTLY use your tutorial to pasteurize it? Will I lose the carbonation?

The only difference is, that the bottle is opened for a short time between carbonation-process and pasteurizing.

Thank you

 

[Thaumatourge]

Subrosa,

Yes, that's basically what I did except I let mine sit for a while to ferment also. After primary I racked over to secondary. Bottled, and tonight they should be ready to pasturize.

 

[Zepth]

Can I use a big bottle to allow the ginger to infuse and the yeast to carbonate my drink and AFTER THAT fill it into small bottles, put a crown cap on and then DIRECTLY use your tutorial to pasteurize it? Will I lose the carbonation?

The only difference is, that the bottle is opened for a short time between carbonation-process and pasteurizing.

I had a very similar idea earlier today. Start everything in a carboy as normal and when fermentation starts and it is naturally carbed somewhat during active fermentation, bottle and pasteurize immediately. Some CO2 loss will occur as it will need to fill the headspace until equalized, but I think this method may greatly reduce my chances of bottle explosion.

 

[kalamj]

Do the bottles need to be covered all the way up to the neck? Cause I have pots but they are a little short?


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[MarkKF]

Nope. Mine are immersed just to the bottom of the neck.


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[vsusinga]

This may be a little off subject. I have a cider in the fermenter now and i do plan to pastuerize but im having an issue before... I started it on 4/10/14. I added pectic enzyme for clearing. Last week it had cleared verrry well. It almost looked like Woodchuck. A few days ago it started clouding back up again. Does anyone kniw why this would happen?

 

[MarkKF]

Was the area cooler previously and now maybe warmer? If so fermentation might restart.


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[Hedo-Rick]

This may be a little off subject. I have a cider in the fermenter now and i do plan to pastuerize but im having an issue before... I started it on 4/10/14. I added pectic enzyme for clearing. Last week it had cleared verrry well. It almost looked like Woodchuck. A few days ago it started clouding back up again. Does anyone kniw why this would happen?

I wouldn't worry about it. Pectic enzyme does not clear anything during fermentation. Pectic enzyme is affective at warmer/hot temperatures. I believe pectin coagulates around 150F and will drop out. So Once you go through the pasteurization process it will help the natural pectin drop out.

 

[vsusinga]

Thank you! Hopefully i havent killed it. I just keep running into problems lol. I racked it to a secondary and i figured since i had an extra gallin of juice, i added it to bring it up to a full 5 gal. Been two days and i havent seen any airlock activity, so im making a new starter that im gonna add today.. lol i also had to buy a nrw lid for my bucket because i cracket it by accident.... And my hydrometer broke... Im having fuuun with this batch lol

 

[Texconsinite]

Just bottled a gallon batch of cider last weekend, and while watching my plastic bottles for signs of carbonation, im running into a problem. It seems that different bottled in same batch have carbonated wildly differently, so im finding it hard to know when to pasteurize. Had one that foamed up a bit, and rest have been flat or almost flat. How do you ensure relatively even carbonation throughout a batch?
Heres my recipe, perhaps i did something wrong here.
1 Gallon Juicy Juice Strawberry Banana 100% juice
1/2 lb table sugar, dissolved into warmed juice.
1/2 packet US 04 yeast.
Pinch of fermaid.
OG 1.068, went down to 1.003 in two weeks, bottled with 1 can apple strawberry kiwi concentrate, and 2 oz priming sugar.

 

[Thaumatourge]

I had that happen to a batch of mine 2 weeks ago. I just assumed the I did not stir it well enough and all my carving yeast went into the first couple bottles. No gushers, some were perfect and othes were mostly still.

 

[kalamj]

When bottling do I want to leave out that sediment at the bottom or is that the yeast that will help carbonate the bottles?


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[Pappers_]

When bottling do I want to leave out that sediment at the bottom or is that the yeast that will help carbonate the bottles?


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Just as when you bottle beer, leave as much sediment in your fermenter and bottling bucket as possible. There's plenty of yeast suspended in the beer/cider to get the job of carbonating done.

 

[Thaumatourge]

My bad, I was not talking about stiring up my primary fermentation setiment. I had already racked over to secondary. There was very little activity and next to no sediment when I bottled. I am thinking that most of my yeast was dorment at the bottom of my secondary. A gentle stir might have distributed the yeast evenly between the bottles. Only thing I can think of as to why some of mine did not carb and some did.

 

[mattmmille]

Using my pressure canner to pasteurize a small batch of Tepache, I heated the water to 190F and moved it off the heat. I added the bottles and the temp only dropped about 1 degree. I put the lid on and set a timer for ten minutes. I put the lid on, just to be safe, in case one pops. No problems. I'm going to let them rest on a kitchen towel until the reach room temperature. Then I can store or refrigerate. These aren't meant for long-term storage though. It's meant to be enjoyed fresh. I checked the water temperature when I removed the bottles and it was 170F.

 

[whitesheperd]

Is their anyway I can have co2 in a cider like yours shown in the picture on the first page without using a keg?/;


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[brewski09]

Is their anyway I can have co2 in a cider like yours shown in the picture on the first page without using a keg?/;


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That's what this whole thread is about. You back sweeten to your desired taste, then add carbonating sugars on top of that. You wait a few days until it's carbed right an is to your liking taste wise. Them stovetop pasteurize. I'm using a 1.5 volumes of co2 target (petulant sparkling as I believe it's called. Also just lightly carbonated. That was my preference). I would guess 2.2-2.5 volumes of co2 from the picture, maybe slightly more. Maybe the OP can tell us for sure?

The real question though is what carbonation are you trying to replicate? A particular brand? Like beer would be carbonated? Do you just like the head on it?


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[pricelessbrewing]

Just bottled a batch with notti. Fg was 1.010, should I wait a week before pasteurizing or 3-4 days? I did fill a plastic bottle, but it's one of those ridged water bottles and it's already fairly hard so I think it'll be a bad guide

 

[mattmmille]

Personally, I don't think plastic bottles and glass bottles carb at the same rate. I just plan on using one of my regular bottles. I'll sanitize a fresh crown and have it ready, open my tester bottle, pour just enough into a cup to taste for carbonation and immediately recap the bottle. If the carb is ready, I pasteurize all of the bottles. If not, I will repeat the test in a few more days. After a third opening, I just refrigerate the tester and drink it later. I don't think it will be a good indicator after it has been opened three times and the volume has changed too much. Hopefully, by then you are done; otherwise, designate a new tester bottle. It's possible that your bottles are adequately carbed after 3 or 4 days, but without opening one, it's a guessing game.

 

[brewski09]

The plastic bottles need more carbonation to achieve the same amount of perceived glass carbonation because there is a lot more give in the plastic. It's still useful to know how carbonation is progressing in the plastic though.

 

[vsusinga]

Off subject , but if i want to back sweeten with frozen concentrate to give my cider a Woodchuck kind of sweetness, how many cans should i use? ( i have about 5 gallons of cider)

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Well from what I can find, woodchuck has 5% abv and 200 calories per bottle. Assuming starting gravity of 1.050 and 5% abv that gives you 160 calories per bottle. You'll get an additional 30 calories from a gravity of 1.015 which should be 3 cans of concentrate.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

So it's been almost a week now, fg was 1.010 any idea why my plastic bottle still seems uncarbed? Should I open one of the 9 bottles tomorrow or keep waiting?

 

[mattmmille]

Seems uncarbed or IS uncarbed? The obvious question is : Do you have a good seal and is the cap on tight? Personally, I would probably wait until day 10 and check a glass bottle, if the plastic one that s not giving a good to indication. What yeast and temperature ?

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Nottingham, cold crashed a couple days, bottled, then 6 days at room temp in Michigan. Around 68 or so.

I filled the bottle with oxyclean and capped it briefly before realising it might explode. Got rock hard in about ten minutes. Definitely a tight enough seal to carb up to proper pressure for this. It seems a small bit harder tonight, but it's hard to tell until it's rock hard imo.

 

[brewski09]

I think cracking a glass bottle is worth it. They have a different carbonation profile than a plastic bottle because of the "give" in the side of the plastic bottle.

 

[jak14]

When fermentation slows down, I start taking gravity readings and tastings. When its at the right level of sweetness/dryness (for me, that's about 1.010- 1.014), rack to bottling bucket with priming solution and bottle.

When you take the SG, do you degas the sample that is tested?

My wife liked the apple cider but her eyes lit up over the batch made with Simply Organic brand white grape juice. Ok, maybe it isn't cider but I don't care cause she loves it so much. Made her a 3 gallon batch the second time (and points for me).

The stove top pasteurization worked perfectly. I am also having very good luck with the dishwasher.

Wow, this method/recipe is like getting what I always wanted for Christmas - fizzy, sweet, chemical free cider that is simple and quick.

Thanks again and Cheers!

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Alrighty I'll wait another few days and see if the plastic test bottle is carbed or not. I'll chill one on the ninth night and open it on the tenth to see if it is actually carbed or not.

Any concerns with yeast content, again Nottingham, after cold crashing for several days? Have read some posts commenting on this but nothing substantiated either way.

 

[vsusinga]

Here's a question I hadn't thought of before. I have some cider that has been aging in the carboy for about a month. Im ready to bottle. Im going to backsweeten with frozen concentrate amd pasteurize, but im debating on where to do it stovetop in the pot or to use the method with the cooler.... My main concern is this: the pot i would be usi g is stainless steel with a heavy glass lid. If a bottle were to explode, should i be worried about ut breaking the lid? Or would the force be powerful enough?