First time with Edwort's apfelwein recipe

[SoonerDoc]

After 4 1/2 weeks, I checked it today. Gravity is around 1.000-1.001 but I noticed some carbonation in the thief when I sampled it (it was good BTW ). My question is, if I don't intend to carbonate it further, will this minute amount of CO2 cause a pressure problem if I bottle into regular wine bottles? I'm allergic to flying shards of glass.

 

[Revvy]

It's not "carbonation" in the sense you think. The co2 isn't forced into solution, like in a keg or bottle.

You just have some natural co2 happening but that's not the same as carbonation. In fact if you chose not to add anymore sugar to carb the bottles and chose to bottle it still, then it would just go away during the bottling process.

Look up degassing in the winemakers forum if you are overly concerned. But I've never degassed the portion I've bottled still before. And it was perfectly flat.

It's clear to me, you don't quite get the carbonation process, if you are interested I explain it in detail in this blog, Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

Take a read an you'll understand why you don't have to be concerned.

 

[SoonerDoc]

I only meant carbonation in that there was gas suspended in there. It was flat-ish when I tasted it. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't build pressure in the wine bottle once corked. I'll check out the blog.

 

[Yooper]

I only meant carbonation in that there was gas suspended in there. It was flat-ish when I tasted it. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't build pressure in the wine bottle once corked. I'll check out the blog.

It might. I've bottled gassy wines, and had some issues. Like a cork popping out when the weather got warmer!

A couple of things you can do to get rid of the co2- you can wait a while. Time usually lets ciders and wines degas naturally through the airlock. Sometimes, though, there is co2 in there and just not enough pressure to force itself out of the airlock.

What I would do is gently stir the cider with a sanitized spoon in a warm temperature (room temperature is fine). If the cider is cool, warming it help helps to degas it. You can also keep the airlock on and gently shake or rock the carboy and that will cause it to degas. If you bottle a gassy cider, the co2 will have nowhere to go and you'll have slight carbonation in the bottle.

 

[SoonerDoc]

Thanks!