Re-pitching yeast for carbonation

[SJPennings]

I recently ended fermentation of a couple of batches of cider. I wanted to bottle about half and keg the rest, but since I'll need to repitch the yeast, I was wondering what the best way to do that is as far as strain, amount, and when to pitch. I am also planning on back sweetening one. Can anyone help me up?

 

[Pratzie]

back sweetening will add enough sugar for the yeasties that are left to carb the bottles, even if u don't use alot of sugar. But be careful, u could be subject to bottle bombs. theres awhole thread here for that and how to pasteurize them once they reach the carb level u like.

For kegging, i'd use a campden tablet, wait 24 hours and then keg and let the co2 carb it that way.

 

[Meadiator]

Not sure on the keg, but with the bottles, if you want a sweet carbonated cider, you'll want to fill a coke bottle with cider after you've sweetened to taste, and then bottle and cap the rest of your beer bottles. When your coke bottle firms up, pasteurize your bottles. If you want to carb with the keg, you should probably ferment dry and add enough sugar to make about 2.5 vols of carb. It's just a lot easier and safer to do it that way, even though it may not taste as good to you. The only way around this is using a non-fermentable sweetener like Splenda or Xylitol, but some people don't like that taste.

Edit: forgot to mention that you can always pasteurize at your wanted sweetness level and force carb.

 

[SJPennings]

Thanks guys. I also meant to mention I killed the fermentation with some potassium sorbate and some metabisulphite. I've heard that once you do this re pitching the yeast might not go well. Is this true?

 

[Meadiator]

That may be a problem.... I'm not experienced with that, so I'll bump the thread for you.

 

[SeamusMac]

Thanks guys. I also meant to mention I killed the fermentation with some potassium sorbate and some metabisulphite. I've heard that once you do this re pitching the yeast might not go well. Is this true?

Sounds like you killed em good :rockin:

I wouldn't waste my time trying to naturally bottle carb any of the cider after having added potassium sorbate to the mix. Back-sweeten and force carb all of it then bottle half from the keg after it's carbed. There's a handy little thread on how to build a beer gun on HBT here someplace...

 

[SJPennings]

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounding like that'd be my best bet.