Please help! I may have made time bombs

[Siiteri]

Just bottled a 5 gallon batch of hard cider. I used a calculator to determine it needed 5 oz table sugar to achieve 3 volumes CO2. But I added around 3 pounds of table sugar... I thought I was adding the correct amount. Hassle me later Help me now! I don't know what to even consider doing about this.

 

[sportpak]

If that seriously happened I'd dump it all and start over. You could watch them and pasteurize when they're carbed, before they start popping. They will be candy sweet, but you won't be dumping them.

In the meantime I'd start reading about processes and practice the details. This sort of thing hopefully only happens once.
Good luck.

 

[argyle]

Just a suggestion...

Gently empty the bottles of cider back into a fermenter and let it ferment again. Your yeast will eat the sugar until it is gone, or until you cider has reached an alcohol percentage that is beyond the yeast's tolerance. If the yeast stops early and you don't like the sweetness of the cider, you can add some champagne yeast, which has a considerably higher alcohol tolerance than many beer yeasts.

Hope it helps.

Welcome to HBT!

 

[bds3]

There's no way you accidentally put 3 pounds of sugar in, thinking it was 5 oz, so I'm gonna call a troll on this one. If on the off chance you're not messing with us, you could pasteurize but since that'll be undrinkable-ly sweet I'd probably dump it. Or carefully dump it back a ferment in and let it ferment out.

 

[Siiteri]

There's no way you accidentally put 3 pounds of sugar in, thinking it was 5 oz, so I'm gonna call a troll on this one. If on the off chance you're not messing with us, you could pasteurize but since that'll be undrinkable-ly sweet I'd probably dump it. Or carefully dump it back a ferment in and let it ferment out.

dude i thought the recipe called for 5lbs, only had 3 lbs





oh my god i cant believe i ****ed this up so hard.... noooo.....

 

[liquiditynerd]

Re-ferment. 3 pounds in 5 Gallons won't be to bad, depending on what it's at now. Or add 3 more pounds and call it Accidental Apflewine.

 

[Siiteri]

Re-ferment. 3 pounds in 5 Gallons won't be to bad, depending on what it's at now. Or add 3 more pounds and call it Accidental Apflewine.

Do I have time to wait or should I attempt to referment asap? Is that really my only option? Could I wait like 3 days for the c02 to form, uncap, recap in seconds? Maybe do that once every 3 days for like 9 days?

 

[bds3]

dude i thought the recipe called for 5lbs, only had 3 lbs

I guess that makes a little more sense. Either toss it out or referent it to completion. If you do that be very careful dumping it back to a fermenter. If all goes well it'll be fine.

 

[liquiditynerd]

Do I have time to wait or should I attempt to referment asap? Is that really my only option? Could I wait like 3 days for the c02 to form, uncap, recap in seconds? Maybe do that once every 3 days for like 9 days?

Just telling you what I would do. I can't imagine uncapping and capping all those bottles. I don't even like capping them once. But then again if you wait they might just uncap themselves!

 

[argyle]

Do I have time to wait or should I attempt to referment asap? Is that really my only option? Could I wait like 3 days for the c02 to form, uncap, recap in seconds? Maybe do that once every 3 days for like 9 days?

No, that's not a very viable option, as you have added an extremely high amount of priming sugar.

If you were to employ an uncap and recap method you would have to do this far too many times.

Good Luck

 

[Siiteri]

If that seriously happened I'd dump it all and start over. You could watch them and pasteurize when they're carbed, before they start popping. They will be candy sweet, but you won't be dumping them.

In the meantime I'd start reading about processes and practice the details. This sort of thing hopefully only happens once.
Good luck.

I'm not familiar with pasteurizing, is this what you mean?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/pa...tabilize-bottled-fermented-apple-cider-71180/

How long would I wait b4 pasteurizing?

 

[Siiteri]

My local Home Brew Store reccomended that I wait a couple days trying them every 6 hours after the second day. Once one is appropriately carbonated I should move them all into the fridge and throw a party. The fridge might keep them good for a short time

Anyone find flaws in doing this? Seems like my best shot and not chance of oxidation in a fermenter

 

[fartinmartin]

I would not empty them out to re ferment , re oxidation.
I would wear safety glasses, gloves and dump the lot. You know what the risks are, your family and visitors don't , you have to be responsible, those bottles can do life changing damage, and if it's not you that cops it, you will still have to live with the fact that it's your fault !

 

[Siiteri]

I would not empty them out to re ferment , re oxidation.
I would wear safety glasses, gloves and dump the lot. You know what the risks are, your family and visitors don't , you have to be responsible, those bottles can do life changing damage, and if it's not you that cops it, you will still have to live with the fact that it's your fault !

What happens when a bottle bombs?? I thought the cap would shoot off, is there more too it? glass shards and such? I'm really tempted toward what my homebrew store reccomended and just waiting a couple days then putting them into the fridge so they burst too soon.. Or just throwing a party and pouring them all into the punch bowl since there so damn sweet xD

 

[grrickar]

Most of the time bottles burst before the caps come off. Therein is the danger with your guests. I'd re-ferment. Capping multiple times would not be practical IMO

 

[fartinmartin]

I have only ever had one bottle go and am still adamant that it was a weak bottle. When it went the neck was in tact the cap still on but about five feet away from where it started, the rest of the bottle split into at least four big parts and there where shards all over the place, this happened inside a cupboard, I was lucky, some of that could have gone in the trouser dept had I been holding it, Or an eye, or facial laceration . Man up bin them , and mind what advice you get from the hand at the brew store, two days bubbling up in a bottle who knows what's going on in there ? Plonker !

 

[grrickar]

What happens when a bottle bombs?? I thought the cap would shoot off, is there more too it? glass shards and such? I'm really tempted toward what my homebrew store reccomended and just waiting a couple days then putting them into the fridge so they burst too soon.. Or just throwing a party and pouring them all into the punch bowl since there so damn sweet xD

Go to the store and buy a Sodastream and carbonate it, then drink it.

Hey, why not? Least it would have some fizz and not be sweet *and* flat...

 

[liquiditynerd]

My first response and the three others like it are your best option, spoilage percentage is near 0%, the yeast will consume everything just like they did the first time and at 3 lbs. it won't take all that long. Actually probably less time than all that checking every couple days.

here's option number two. Get your pot out and start boiling it into a reduction adding herbs and butter (or nature's balance like we do). It should caramlize nicely for a pork roast rub. season to taste.

 

[Hoosierbrewer]

Re-ferment. You can always take a gallon off and add a gallon if juice if it is too dry or potent.