Pasteurizing mead/cider experiences

[bushman101]

Howdy.
I'm reading about Pasteurizing home brew and I'm wondering what peoples experiences are.
I primarily brew mead and cider, using wine bottles and corks.

Does this affect the brew in anyway? (flavor, ABV,etc)
Any bad experiences? Any tips?

 

[bushman101]

Did I chose the wrong sub-forum?

 

[JimRausch]

I make a graf each year and want it to remain slightly sweet and lightly carbonated. The past 2 years I've also made some cider and wanted it lightly carbonated. My remedy has been to use 1 can fajc for a 5G batch and bottle one soda bottle along with the rest. I keep track of that one and when it's turgid, I cooler pasteurize the batch. Works well, and hasn't seemed to affect the flavor.
The cider section of the forum has a sticky on the stove top pasteurization method, and a regular thread on the cooler pasteurization method. Do some searching there and you'll find plenty of info.

 

[dmtaylor]

Did I chose the wrong sub-forum?

Maybe.

I don't think anybody really pasteurizes beer. Only mead and cider. Very rare in homebrewed beer. I would fear it would result in a cooked flavor. In beer, we can generally change recipe or process or yeast to hit the final gravity we want. This is more difficult in cider and mead, which tend to always finish low around 0.992-1.000 gravity, which is why pasteurization is more prevalent there.

 

[bushman101]

ah, ok. good to know.
Thanks for the info