ericbw
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Unless you WAY over carbonate, pry top caps won't come off when you pasteurize. You will pop most corks though. It's really common to do this with cider, though it's just hot not boiling. I usually only take mine up to 160f, though I keep it there for 10 minutes. IMO, the lower temp with the increase in time leaves you with a better flavor. The FDA standard for apple juice is 160f for 6 seconds. I leave mine longer so I can be confident they are up to 160 all the way through.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f32/easy-stove-top-pasteurizing-pics-193295/
That batch was made with apple juice, yeast nutrient, table sugar, and dried distillers yeast. It was horrible when young, and is fantastic now.
EDIT: One thing I don't remember seeing in the stove top pasteurization thread is that you don't want to set the hot bottles on the counter directly. They can cool to quickly and crack from the thermal shock. You should put them on a towel, or something similar to act as a thermal break.
And I THINK it mentions keeping the bottles off the bottom of the pot, especially if the flame is on. A canning rack works, but so does a towel in the bottom of the pot. And they don't have to be submerged to do this.
Also, I don't think you should do it with plastic bottles. BUT I think you should do one plastic bottle as your tester, then you know when they are carbed and can stop it then.