Will this work ?

[naeco]

I want to test something using a 1 gallon carboy to get a non-carbonated sweet cider.

If I use freshly pressed cider(with pectin enzyme) and put the glass carboy directly in hot water at arround 1.014 after racking off the lees, will the cider eventually clear and how long would be the shelf life be if I bottle after it clears.

The ABV will be arrount 8%.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Do you mean, will it clear because you are concerned the hot water will set the pectin? ... if you have properly used pectic enzyme first, I would think it will clear ok.

Shelf life has to do with a lot of factors ... pH, the use of sulfites or not, the amount of tannin, the amount of residual nutrient left in the cider, exposure to light once bottled, oxygen getting in once bottled, oxygen introduced to the must before bottling and during handling, prior-to-bottling sanitation to avoid spoilage bacteria and infection, the temperature at which you store the cider and the changes in temperature while stored ... and yes, ABV%.

With ABV% ... every little bit helps but there are a few breakpoints that people seem to talk about ... they are around 8%, 10% and 12% ... the higher the better. The best shelf life for wine is at 12%+ (not surprisingly).

 

[naeco]

Thanks Jacob !

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

Are you going to put it in hot water to pasteurize it? Basically to kill the yeast and keep it sweet? I'm not sure the heat would be even enough to get at the yeasties in the center of the carboy. You'd probably need to swirl it often which means you'd probably loose some degrees of heat doing so. (Not 100% sure) but I thought you needed to keep it around 160º for a while. I would think your water would need to be near boiling the whole time to make sure it got everything. (again, not 100% sure on that)

Are you opposed to racking and using some chemicals (sulfites) to retard the yeasties? And possibly some sorbate to stabilize it for long term. I've only read about using these so you could probably check with the people in the wine forum for more info on these.

 

[Daze]

pasteurizing in the carboy, is IMHO a bad idea. it will be hard to make sure you got it all. If you are bottling in capable bottles, bottle and pasteurize in the bottles. if you are corking pasteurize by racking the cider in a stock pot and then heat it up to 150º (thermometer required) then after it cools bottle and cork it.

The biggest advantage of bottle pasteurization is you extend the shelf life (in theory, indefinitely) and acidity and ABV no longer become a factor. By pasteurizing in a sealed bottle the bottle becomes sterol inside and basically the shelf life becomes indefinite.

 

[naeco]

Are you going to put it in hot water to pasteurize it? Basically to kill the yeast and keep it sweet? I'm not sure the heat would be even enough to get at the yeasties in the center of the carboy. You'd probably need to swirl it often which means you'd probably loose some degrees of heat doing so. (Not 100% sure) but I thought you needed to keep it around 160º for a while. I would think your water would need to be near boiling the whole time to make sure it got everything. (again, not 100% sure on that)

Are you opposed to racking and using some chemicals (sulfites) to retard the yeasties? And possibly some sorbate to stabilize it for long term. I've only read about using these so you could probably check with the people in the wine forum for more info on these.

I`m using BrewFrick`s panty recipee https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/drop-them-panties-again-sweet-sparkling-cider-166484/ with Safale s-04 and want to stop fermentation at +-1.014 so I taught I could stop fermentation with the pasteurizing method directly in the carboy.

by reading a little more, I think I now understand that I can rack at 1.014 and put everything in the fridge to stop fermentation until all yeast settle to the bottom of carboy. I will then be able to bottle without having to worry about bottle bomb as I wanted a still cider for a change ... I do not own a carbing system and I`m tired of the yeast cake forming at the bottom of a yeast carbed bottle.

Does my plan make sense or will I have to use chemical anyway ?

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I would think this particular recipe could benefit from a little carbonation. That said, if you want a still cider, racking it once or ever multiple times will eliminate the sediment in your bottles. Unfortunately, I think the only options (after racking) would be to use chemicals or bottle pasteurize as soon as you put it into bottles. In theory, they would fall out of suspension when they die though.

I'm thinking someone else might have a suggestion as well.

 

[Daze]

by reading a little more, I think I now understand that I can rack at 1.014 and put everything in the fridge to stop fermentation until all yeast settle to the bottom of carboy. I will then be able to bottle without having to worry about bottle bomb as I wanted a still cider for a change ... I do not own a carbing system and I`m tired of the yeast cake forming at the bottom of a yeast carbed bottle.

Does my plan make sense or will I have to use chemical anyway ?

yes and no. cold crashing can be effective, especially if you do it more than once, BUT if any yeast are left is suspension you run the risk of the fermentation restarting. The only way to guarantee that your sweet cider will stay still is to use a stabilizer AFTER it clears (crashed or naturally cleared) , or pasteurize.

 

[divi2323]

yes and no. cold crashing can be effective, especially if you do it more than once, BUT if any yeast are left is suspension you run the risk of the fermentation restarting. The only way to guarantee that your sweet cider will stay still is to use a stabilizer AFTER it clears (crashed or naturally cleared) , or pasteurize.

Or filter... it can remove enough yeast to prevent restarting.

 

[naeco]

OK, I think I will rack and cold crash until fully cleared and then I will use chemicals. Is it possible to taste the chemicals after you add them ?

Is this right: 1/2 teaspoon of potassium sorbate and one campden tablet per gallon.

 

[Daze]

you shouldn't need the campden tab, the potassium sorbate should do the trick all on its own