Fern0022
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2021
- Messages
- 25
- Reaction score
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I’m having issues with my cider bottles carbing. I used fresh grolsch flip top bottles and one plastic coke bottle (w/hot glue) to gauge the average pressure. After 10 days the coke bottle had not firmed up. I popped one of the glass bottles and it’s flat. It’s darn good and strong, but I prefer my cider good, strong, and carbonated.
This is the recipe/process this batch underwent. It was my first cider, so I learned quite a lot. I also live in south Florida, so my thermostat is set to 74 year round.
Recipe:
Fermentation:
OG = 1.08
FG: 1.01
Estimated ABV: 9.1%
Backsweet/Bottle Carb Recipe:
Current FG: 1.053
I have two suspicions…
I’m not in a rush to drink, but I also don’t want to put off a possible solution for a month or two and have to address it then anyway.
Possible Solutions:
Thoughts??
This is the recipe/process this batch underwent. It was my first cider, so I learned quite a lot. I also live in south Florida, so my thermostat is set to 74 year round.
Recipe:
- 1gal pasteurized cider (no preservatives)
- 1 lb brown sugar (fresh bag)
- 1/3 packet of Red Star Champaign Yeast
- 3/4 tbsp Yeast Nutrient
- 1 gal glass carboy w/ airlock
- StarSan’ed everything throughly
Fermentation:
- 2 weeks in primary fermenter, racked
- 2 weeks in secondary fermenter, racked
- Racked with a siphon/pump
- Added a double dose of Pectic Enzyme (late, I know) to try and reduce haze: no results after 4d.
- Added Super Kleer KC to further address haze: worked extremely well and was completely clear after 2d.
OG = 1.08
FG: 1.01
Estimated ABV: 9.1%
Backsweet/Bottle Carb Recipe:
- 12oz frozen apple juice concentrate (no preservatives)
- 8oz fresh apple juice (no preservatives)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (fresh bag)
Current FG: 1.053
I have two suspicions…
- The Super Kleer worked too well and I racked away too much of my yeast. Some sediment has formed in each bottle, but nothing major.
- I rushed the addition of frozen concentrate while backsweetning. It was too cold and dropped the overall temperature of my cider in the bottling bucket. Essentially cold crashing right before bottling.
I’m not in a rush to drink, but I also don’t want to put off a possible solution for a month or two and have to address it then anyway.
Possible Solutions:
- Toss my bottles in the hot garage for 24hrs to reinvigorate whatever yeast remained after clearing, then cold crash when desired pressure is achieved?
- Pitch a yeast starter with equal parts water and this cider (to acclimate the new colony) and add a controlled amount to each bottle?
Thoughts??