Topping off with Apple liqueur?

[Vinman58]

It tastes sweet but will this referment? If not, will it prevent bottle carbonation? It's a one gallon cider with 71b. From local orchard. Thinking probably 3/4 cup,it's 20 percent A/V liqueur.

 

[Miraculix]

It tastes sweet but will this referment? If not, will it prevent bottle carbonation? It's a one gallon cider with 71b. From local orchard. Thinking probably 3/4 cup,it's 20 percent A/V liqueur.

It will ferment dry.

 

[Vinman58]

It will ferment dry.

Hmmm. Really? How is it sweet now and not fermenting? It's store bought liqueur.

 

[bucketnative]

Hmmm. Really? How is it sweet now and not fermenting? It's store bought liqueur.

Liquer is a distilled product, leaving behind any yeast and microbes from fermentation process. Hence, no fermentation. That, and the high alcohol will tend to inhibit microbes that do get in there.

 

[Vinman58]

Liquer is a distilled product, leaving behind any yeast and microbes from fermentation process. Hence, no fermentation. That, and the high alcohol will tend to inhibit microbes that do get in there.

That's what I thought. So if i top off with 1 cup or less I should still be able to bottle carbonate, correct?

 

[Miraculix]

That's what I thought. So if i top off with 1 cup or less I should still be able to bottle carbonate, correct?

Yes.

 

[Vinman58]

Yes.

Groovy!

 

[bernardsmith]

This may be me but it is a little unclear how you intend to prime this cider. Will the yeast be able to ferment the sugars in the liqueur? I could be wrong but i don't think that they can do that even if the final total ABV is within the tolerance of the yeast. I suspect that you may need to add some more sugar to the solution that they yeast can more easily get at but as I say, I don't know

 

[Vinman58]

This may be me but it is a little unclear how you intend to prime this cider. Will the yeast be able to ferment the sugars in the liqueur? I could be wrong but i don't think that they can do that even if the final total ABV is within the tolerance of the yeast. I suspect that you may need to add some more sugar to the solution that they yeast can more easily get at but as I say, I don't know

Yes, I'm adding priming sugar at bottling. So theoretically a little non fermentable sweetness.

 

[Miraculix]

Yes, I'm adding priming sugar at bottling. So theoretically a little non fermentable sweetness.

unless you reach the yeasts abv limit or the liquor has weird sweeteners inside, there won't be any residual sweetness.

 

[Vinman58]

unless you reach the yeasts abv limit or the liquor has weird sweeteners inside, there won't be any residual sweetness.

So are we saying liqueur is fermentable?That is the question I guess.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

So are we saying liqueur is fermentable?

Very. I made a chocolate porter somethingorother some time ago and used a bottle (minus a shot or two) of Creme de Cacao to prime. It did the trick. You do have to wait a few weeks for the hot flavor to subside though. After that it was really tasty.

 

[Vinman58]

Very. I made a chocolate porter somethingorother some time ago and used a bottle (minus a shot or two) of Creme de Cacao to prime. It did the trick. You do have to wait a few weeks for the hot flavor to subside though. After that it was really tasty.

Wow! Ok then maybe very little to no priming sugar then? hmmm.

 

[Miraculix]

So are we saying liqueur is fermentable?That is the question I guess.

The sugar in liquor is fermentable, as much as any sugar is. The difference to any sugar is that the sugar in liquor is in solution with a high alcohol amount which inhibits yeast. By mixing it with the cider, you are thinning the alcohol amount below the abv thershhold that would inhibit yeast, therefore it ferments dry.

 

[Vinman58]

The sugar in liquor is fermentable, as much as any sugar is. The difference to any sugar is that the sugar in liquor is in solution with a high alcohol amount which inhibits yeast. By mixing it with the cider, you are thinning the alcohol amount below the abv thershhold that would inhibit yeast, therefore it ferments dry.

Ok, gotcha. Looks like dry sparkling cider or sulfite and sorbate still sweetish cider.

 

[JimRausch]

Ok, gotcha. Looks like dry sparkling cider or sulfite and sorbate still sweetish cider.

There's another option if you bottle and want both a fizzy and semi-sweet product. Do a search in this section of the forum for 'stove top pasteurization' and 'cooler pasteurization'. I backsweeten and prime both my ciders and Grafs , then cooler pasteurize 4-7 days later when they're ready. Works well.

 

[MarkKF]

So are we saying liqueur is fermentable?That is the question I guess.

It might have residual sugar but a high ABV. (kinda like a port wine)

When you add the liquor to the cider the ABV will be lower and any living yeast will start eating that sugar.

 

[S-Met]

So are we saying liqueur is fermentable?That is the question I guess.

@Miraculix mostly said it, liquor is not fermentable, but diluted into cider puts the abv in a fermentable range: assuming it is a fermentable sugar.

But we have assumptions, not facts. What liquor are you planning to use and what if anything is it sweetened from?
What yeast did you use?
What was og/fg?
Sorbate/sulfate?

 

[Vinman58]

@Miraculix mostly said it, liquor is not fermentable, but diluted into cider puts the abv in a fermentable range: assuming it is a fermentable sugar.

But we have assumptions, not facts. What liquor are you planning to use and what if anything is it sweetened from?
What yeast did you use?
What was og/fg?
Sorbate/sulfate?

It's a cheap off brand,very little info on label.flavored Canadian whisky? So ill top off secondary and if get a little fermentation that's ok,ill wait. I may sorbate and sulfite and bottle still cider.

 

[S-Met]

It's a cheap off brand,very little info on label.flavored Canadian whisky? So ill top off secondary and if get a little fermentation that's ok,ill wait. I may sorbate and sulfite and bottle still cider.

My opinion is subjective since I've never done this. Sounds like a solid plan.

I may suggest: when you transfer to secondary, take a gravity reading and taste your sample. Then add measured amounts of the liquor until it tastes correct.

You could also take gravity of the liquor to get a rough idea of potential alcohol.

 

[Vinman58]

My opinion is subjective since I've never done this. Sounds like a solid plan.

I may suggest: when you transfer to secondary, take a gravity reading and taste your sample. Then add measured amounts of the liquor until it tastes correct.

You could also take gravity of the liquor to get a rough idea of potential alcohol.

Thanks S-Met.

 

[S-Met]

Thanks S-Met.

I think I was also intending to say:
You can always add more but you cannot add less.

 

[Vinman58]

I think I was also intending to say:
You can always add more but you cannot add less.

Update"
Well, I topped it off with a little over a cup with the Apple liqueur. No visible fermentation, quite clear and still. Didn't take gravity reading, so I'll bottle with priming sugar next weekend

 

[Vinman58]

It might have residual sugar but a high ABV. (kinda like a port wine)

When you add the liquor to the cider the ABV will be lower and any living yeast will start eating that sugar.

Yep, this is correct. It did start fermenting, and is going as I write this. Glad I didn't bottle yet. So lesson learned.