What to do after fermentation???

[MtnGoatJoe]

So, I'm aiming to stop my fermentation at about SG 1.010. I want more than a little sweetness. I'd also like some apple flavor.

I'm not going to bottle, and I don't really have space in the fridge to cold crash.

So, what can I do? Can I just heat it on the stove to 160 degrees for 10 minutes and then store it in my 1 gallon jugs? Will I lose flavor?

Do I need to add anything to keep it from going bad while I store it in the closet?

Are there other considerations I'm not taking into account?

Thanks!

 

[rlmiller10]

Read up on back sweetening mead. You could use the same processes. The idea is stun the yeast by adding campden tabs and potassium sorbate.

Another option is to heat, but if you don't bottle I suspect you are still risking re-fermentation and contamination. For a cider to which I added brown sugar and spice after it has fermented, I bottle it and then pasteurize at 160 degrees for 20 minutes or so. Never had a fermentation restart on those.

 

[Bombo80]

Joe,

I have done this with a lemon cider, a couple years ago. Check out the data from this thread ...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=193295&page=7

My only concern is, what are your plans after the heating process ??

I kegged and force carbed mine. I have entered these in several contests, and remarks have been favorable, but with a slight flavor change from the heating process. I did not notice these, but it tasted good and still had a good amount of sweetness to it.

If you are planning on keeping it "still", I would definitely get it bottled some way to keep it from oxidizing. Unless you are planning on drinking it is a very short time. Then just chill and enjoy.

 

[MtnGoatJoe]

Interesting. I would be storing the juice in sanitized glass gallon jugs with lids. I would think heating the cider to 160 for 10 minutes, just like bottles, would kill just about everything, just like with bottles.

Also, I'm trying to kill the yeast before it chews through all the sugar. If I can do that, I shouldn't need to back sweeten. I understand the ABV would be lower, but I'm OK with that.

I suppose if contamination was a risk, I could heat the cider in the glass jugs. I think I'd need to keep the top off so I could check the temperature, so there would be some risk. Does anyone have any experience with this? I read about people pasteurizing non-fermented cider this way, so I would think it would be fine.

Thanks!

 

[Bombo80]

I posed this same question in the mead forum. I don't see any problem in doing the way you described. I have done it, and it works.

Lots of people mis-read the question and keep putting the campden and potassium metabisulfites into the mixture to kill the yeast. But that is a whole different conversation.

If you can monitor the fermentation and catch it at the right gravity level you want, heat it up and kill off the yeast.

If it gets past where you want, backsweeten to where you want it to be, then heat it up.

My only concern was in gallon jugs, you could run the risk of contamination once you open it, but don't finish it soon enough. Kind of like most organic liquids you get in a grocery store. That was all.

I say go for it. I am going to with my next mead.

 

[MtnGoatJoe]

If I'm reading this correctly, I don't need to add any chemicals, correct?

What is the gunk on the bottom of the bucket called? Yeast cake?

At any rate, I will siphon the cider off the gunk before I heat it, but I'm thinking I don't need to let it sit in secondary, correct? I can rack and pasteurize the same day, correct?

And finally, do I need to heat the cider in the container it's going to stay in? I've got a couple of growlers I'd like to store it in, but I don't want to heat them (I'll sanitize with StarSan). I'd like to heat the cider and then pore it into it's final containers.

Thanks!

 

[Bombo80]

You don't need any chemicals. Just rack it int your brew pot. Heat it gently to 160.

I would actually monitor the temps closely, and follow that pasteurizing temp guide link I posted earlier.

Personally I would get it to 140, really lower the heat, so it doesn't climb too much more, then start a 10 minute timer.

When it goes off I would rack into the jugs you are going to use, seal them and get them in the fridge to cool down.

Your jugs need to be clean and sanitized. Starsan is perfect. I would get the cider on the heat, then sanitize the jugs and have them and the caps ready to go when the timer goes off.

 

[bucketnative]

What is the gunk on the bottom of the bucket called?

It's the lees (dead/dormant yeast).