I hate choices, need advise

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scotsmn30

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Hey all, this is my first cider and so far all has gone well, It taste great to me but a bit to dry for SWMBO. I started this the weekend before christmas using Nottingham yeast, racked it to secondary middle of January and have let it sit since. For the last 2 weeks it has sat at a reading of 1.000 so pretty sure it is done.

Now the problem and choice to be made. SWMBO has insisted this be part of the offering at the annual St. Pats party that we have. She also wants it back sweetend (will be using non fermentables for this) and Carbed.

I could Keg it but since I only have a 25# CO2 bottle, it is a pain in the arse to drag Keg, cooler, and CO2 to the party.

Here is where I need advise:confused: . I know that cider ferments slower than beer. Will 2 weeks in a bottle be enough to carb it since this would be the preferred method of transport?
 
I don't know. I guess it really depends on how alive that yeast still is and how much is still in suspension. What was the OG? Is it super clear now?

I would think you'd be ok if you bottled it today and kept it in the 72-75 degree range for the two weeks.
 
YooperBrew said:
I don't know. I guess it really depends on how alive that yeast still is and how much is still in suspension. What was the OG? Is it super clear now?

I would think you'd be ok if you bottled it today and kept it in the 72-75 degree range for the two weeks.

OG was 1.056. It is currently pretty clear but can still see some clouding.

As for the cartridges, I have thought of that but have the bottles on hand, but still an option. DAMN one more choice.
 
Actually, if you could force carb and use those chargers to dispense, that might be best. Then you'd have even more choices! You could sorbate and campden the cider, and sweeten with honey, sugar, apple juice, brown sugar, etc. and still have carbonated kegged cider! You could use unfermentable sugar and bottle! You could have flat bottled cider and add 7UP to it! Um, I bet I'm not helping here, am I? ;)
 
If you prime with Corn sugar, it will carb just like beer. Same fermentable. The only concern would be having enough live yeast, but if you are still slightly cloudy, that should not be a problem at all. If you are super worried about it, drag your racking cane across the bottom of the secondary when going to bottling bucket.
 
I just bottled a crystal clear cider with dextrose as the priming sugar. It was quite carbed by a week and a half. I over primed it a bit though, and put it in champagne bottles that I had.
 
Two weeks should be fine. Cider may ferment slower than beer, but bottle carbing with priming sugar would be the same. I would recomend mixing it with something like cranberry juice or sprite instead of backsweetning it, but that's just me. I like it straight.
 
Ok, after much deliberating on this mater I went to the LHBS and bought some sorbate. I decided to keg anyway (that was the original plan before SWMBO stepped in) and just get a travel CO2 catridge for the LHBS to take along. This will allow me to sweeten it to her hearts desire and still take it to the party.:tank:

Thanks all for the input.
 
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