pitching yeast into already bottled cider

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Rick Stephens

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Interesting conundrum. A few weeks ago I took a 3 month old 5 gallon batch of fresh pressed cider that was run on 1116 champagne yeast and been in secondary mellowing out. I added 5 cans of FAJC and a couple homemade syrups (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg... that kind of thing) to get an apple pie flavor. Then bottled with a plastic coke bottle for carbonation timing. Well, three weeks later still have zero activity. Stored in mid 60ƒ temps.

In thinking about how to repitch some yeast, seems to me I could get a yeast batch expanded into a cup or two of warm water with teensy bit nutrient, pop the caps, and eye dropper a couple CCs of said yeast mamma directly into each bottle and recap. Shake a little bit, drop in the cases and go back to storage in the basement shower enclosure that I use to contain possible bottle bombs. Wait for carbing and pasteurize.

I'd think doing it that way will do the least amount of oxygen contamination compared to dumping them and rebottling.

Thoughts? Better ways?

Thanks... Rick
 
I'm suprised that after 3 months there isn't enough yeast to do the job. I've done that before, and with less active ale yeasts. I've also converted a totally clear 71B cider into a cyser just by adding honey and waiting. But, that said, I don't see a problem with your plan.
 
I'm suprised that after 3 months there isn't enough yeast to do the job. I've done that before, and with less active ale yeasts. I've also converted a totally clear 71B cider into a cyser just by adding honey and waiting. But, that said, I don't see a problem with your plan.
Thanks for the input. I'll give it another week. I have some nottie cake in the fridge from an earlier batch. Probably use it instead of more 1116.
 
To conclude this, I pitched a couple eye droppers of hydrated 1116 yeast into each bottle and immediately recapped. 4 days later the plastic test bottles are starting to get hard. One or two days at most and I'll pasteurize.
 
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