Newbie question regarding bottling

[bull3tmagn3t]

So I finished my cider and I want it to be a sparkling one. I'm not quite confident in my abilities with heat pasteurizing so I was planning on cold crashing my brew. My question is, do I bottle my cider and let them sit in the bottle for a few days or so to carbonate, and them put them in the freezer to crash them? If so, for how long and at what temperature? Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Calder]

Difficult understanding what your after in the cider. If you have fermented to dryness (stopped fermenting), and you just want to carbonate (make sparkling), just add 1 oz of table sugar per gallon and bottle. If you want a sweeter cider, then that is when you need to mess with heat pasturizing or other method to stop fermentation.

Start with dry sparkling - It's not too complicated, and there is no pasturizing required.

 

[bull3tmagn3t]

Yeah, I think I'll have to stick with some drier ones until I get the hang of it. I'm a victim of a mean sweet tooth so I'll have to figure out the sweet cider later.

 

[Calder]

If it turns out too dry for you, you can add a sweetner to the glass or some apple juice.

 

[naeco]

Or you can add non-fermentable sugar like splenda untill you are pleased with the taste and add you fermentable for bubbles ! You can also add a little natural apple flavour for the apple taste !

 

[Dunerunner]

Couldn't you throw some Campden tablets into it to kill the yeast, then sweeten without heat pasturizing?

 

[Calder]

You can also add a little natural apple flavour for the apple taste !

I know what you are saying, but this just seems wrong!

 

[naeco]

I know what you are saying, but this just seems wrong!

I disagree. Anything you can do to improve taste is fine by me and it's a totally natural product(not the splenda). If he decided to let it ferment to complete dryness, he can wait until it's clear in secondary and adjust to personal taste with splenda and natural apple flavor and then bottle ... it the best he can do now if he is looking for a sweet carbonated cider ! The apple flavor should be used with great caution as a little will really help but to much will make it taste like a jolly rancher.

 

[mattd2]

Couldn't you throw some Campden tablets into it to kill the yeast, then sweeten without heat pasturizing?

Not really in this case as the Campden will stop the yeast and therefore there will be no carbonation, it would work for still cider.

 

[Calder]

I disagree. Anything you can do to improve taste is fine by me and it's a totally natural product(not the splenda). If he decided to let it ferment to complete dryness, he can wait until it's clear in secondary and adjust to personal taste with splenda and natural apple flavor and then bottle ... it the best he can do now if he is looking for a sweet carbonated cider ! The apple flavor should be used with great caution as a little will really help but to much will make it taste like a jolly rancher.

I hear you and don't disagree, but doesn't it just seem strange to add apple flavor to a drink made entirely out of apples.

 

[dinnerstick]

plus, am i the only one who thinks that splenda tastes like pesticide?

 

[RukusDM]

plus, am i the only one who thinks that splenda tastes like pesticide?

Nope. I don't care for it either.

 

[naeco]

Quote:
Originally Posted by naeco View Post
I disagree. Anything you can do to improve taste is fine by me and it's a totally natural product(not the splenda). If he decided to let it ferment to complete dryness, he can wait until it's clear in secondary and adjust to personal taste with splenda and natural apple flavor and then bottle ... it the best he can do now if he is looking for a sweet carbonated cider ! The apple flavor should be used with great caution as a little will really help but to much will make it taste like a jolly rancher.
I hear you and don't disagree, but doesn't it just seem strange to add apple flavor to a drink made entirely out of apples.

No it's not strange at all as apple juice fermented to dryness or close to completely dry taste almost nothing like apples just like wine taste nothing like grapes !

plus, am i the only one who thinks that splenda tastes like pesticide?

I cant tell the difference in a cider but can if tasted by itself. If you want a natural alternative, you can use xylitol that can often be found in health stores: Despite its horrible chemically sounding name, xylitol is a naturally occurring plant sugar that they derive mainly from corn. It is a wonderful option as a sweetener for diabetics, as your pancreas does not 'see' it as sugar either.Bet you waon't be abble to tell the cider with real sugar VS the one where Xylitol was used !

I believe in letting freshly pressed cider age for a while to make it real clear and to let the yeast clean up after themselves. young cider never taste that great so I always let it ferment to complete dryness, rack to secondary for at least 1-2 months and then use xylitol for sugar, apple flavour for a little apple kick and corn sugar to prime and my cider is fantastic ... well I like it !

 

[dinnerstick]

I cant tell the difference in a cider but can if tasted by itself.

that's interesting, i must admit i have never tried it in a cider, only by itself and in coffee, where it is disgusting. my father dumps four packets into a coffee. i would rather have cod liver oil in mine. although i can't see myself using it (splenda, not cod liver oil) in cider i am curious if i could spot the difference in a blind test. i have seen it in many 'recipes' but until now had never actually heard someone say that it tastes ok.
on the other hand xylitol, which by the way tastes nice in smints (although is the reason for the laxative warning on the package, presumably to dissuade one from consuming the some ten thousand required for that effect), to me tastes less 'chemically' but again have never tried it in a cider. on that note i should say that i don't back sweeten because i tend to like dry ciders...