Importance of cold chrashing/pasteurizing.

[1GallonNoob]

Hi, I am wondering if I have had a naive approach to cider making, and I would like some input.
I assumed that one would let the yeast do its work untill sugar is depleted, the measure carbonation priming sugar safely, so there should be no risk of bottle bombs, and then simple leave the bottles on the shelfes and let it be.

Reading this forum, it seems like most people have pasteurizing or cold chrashing as a proces in the cider making.
Is this strictly necessary, or is patience just as good?

Is it a tool so you can make sweet er cider, og have more bubbles, or bottle sooner - or is it the only way?

And if you cold chrash - will a few days in the fridge kill the yeast, or just make it dormant, so you need to store it in the fridge till you drink it?

 

[wasully]

Cider almost always ferments dry. So properly done bottle conditioning should be perfectly safe, if the cider is done with fermentation. Have patience.

Cold crashing is more to clarify than anything else. Patience is fine, so is being okay with a hazy drink.

Refrigeration will NOT kill the yeast. It might slow the yeast down, the yeast might go dormant. But it absolutely be ALIVE.

Pasteurizing(again, properly) WILL kill the yeast and prevent further fermentation in a sealed bottle.

 

[RPh_Guy]

let the yeast do its work untill sugar is depleted, the measure carbonation priming sugar safely, so there should be no risk of bottle bombs, and then simple leave the bottles on the shelfes and let it be.

This is what I do.

I don't care for sweet cider but Pasteurization and cold crashing are two methods to make it.

 

[bmd2k1]

With my go to yeast - D47 (& sometimes S04) I routinely cold crash & then store my cider in the fridge -- except for some bottles I carbonate at room temp. I'm able to "stop" my fermentation at desired SG this way & easily clarify my cider. I prefer a sweeter cider & this protocol works very well for me. Zero chemicals & no pasteurizing used.

Cheers [emoji111]

 

[CKuhns]

Ferment nearly dry or until the yeast give up, Time and Cold crash to clarify. Cold crash will not entirely stop any remaining yeast but will slow them considerably if kept in the fridge. I have used bmd's method and do prefer it if nearly dry <1.008 and pretty darned clear then drank in a relatively short period of time if bottled. (Weeks vs. months - I have defaulted to kegs, much less hassle and no risk.)

 

[1GallonNoob]

So I should be safe, as long as I let it ferment as much as I can, great!

Is 1.008 almost dry? I believe I got to 1.002 just in the primary fermentation, within a week. I know, I probably should ferment at lower temperature, but chilly rooms are not available in my house.

So, cold chrashing for clarification, when and how and what happens?
If it clarify, will there be extra lees afterwards? So is it better to cold chrash before bottling to be able to rack it off the lees?
And if I put my cider in the fridge after six months of aging, will it still make it more clear - or does it need to be done at a certain time?

 

[CKuhns]

Is 1.008 almost dry? It really depends upon what you personally call dry.
This is a table from 2012 Wisconsin State Fair...
- wine with a final specific gravity of 1.002 or less is considered dry.
- wine with a final specific gravity of 1.003 to 1.010 is considered semi-sweet.
- wine with a final specific gravity above S.G.1.010 is considered sweet
With that said, sweetness is subjective (each of us has a differing perception of what sweet is) and although I generally agree with the chart above for wine it does not always hold true for me with ciders and meads. (Cider isn't wine)

I cold crash and rack from the lees produced to help clarify when i am ready to bottle. That does reduce the amount of sediment in the bottle. Cold crashing allows the suspended particles (Yeast, and anything else) to more easily sink to the bottom of the carboy. Probably due to the density change caused by the temperature swing. (Although that's an assumption)

I have found that often cider in-the-bottle even if clarified and visually clear at bottling (regardless of if you place it in the fridge or just leave it on the shelf) after a number of months will precipitate some small amount of sediment. You may not be able to determine if it has gotten any clearer as these very fine particles in suspension are really hard to see unless there are a bunch of them.