Any problem doing this

[John Doe]

Take a cider that has that has not quiet finished (like to leave some sweetness) and cold crash in fridge for a few days and then bottle in beer bottles? These bottles would then stay in the fridge.

 

[MarkKF]

That might work but it still has potential to overcarb. My fridge is 38 deg. and I’ve still had fermentation restart.

 

[bernardsmith]

I would go with screw tops, John Doe. Those you can loosen from time to time to allow CO2 to escape in a controlled manner. Or wine corks that can pop. "Not quite finished"...can mean far more CO2 than beer bottles can be expected to hold at (as markKF, suggests) temperatures that don't necessarily adequately inhibit fermentation.

 

[John Doe]

Thanks for the help.
Corked wine bottles stored upright sounds like a good solution.

 

[CKuhns]

Cold crash will seriously slow the yeast but as Mark mentioned fermentation has been known to not stop even in the fridge. In the fridge the yeast has been known to slowly eat the residual sugar and make CO2 thus build pressure.
.
Corked wine bottles are not designed to hold pressure. Agree with Bernard go with screw tops and check them every week or so.

I have used plastic 3 Quart or Gallon apple juice containers. Again not designed for too much pressure but you can feel them to see if they are building pressure and easily release it as needed.

 

[MarkKF]

I’ve heard of people use spring tops (kolsch) bottles but holding the top on loosely with an elastic as a pressure release.

 

[John Doe]

Would it be safe to assume that the corks would pop before the bottle broke?

At this point I'm not gonna risk it and I'll let them ferment out first.

 

[JPBrewLI]

Would it be safe to assume that the corks would pop before the bottle broke?

I'm interested in the answer, i would lean on the bottle breaking side but just a guess.

 

[John Doe]

I'm interested in the answer, i would lean on the bottle breaking side but just a guess.

I know someone who left a bottle of wine in a hot car that blew the cork, but that's only one example.

 

[bmd2k1]

I toss my conditioned/flavored ciders back in their 1gal plastic jugs...and back in fridge. Invariably those I've backsweetened will continue to carb up...and the jugs can distort their concave bottoms if not used/consumed or burbed over time.

Cheers!

 

[myndflyte]

Have you made this recipe before to have a really good idea of where it stops? My only thought might be that you think it could be close to being done but if you haven't made it before, it might not be as done as you'd like. If you're just going for residual sweetness, I'd just let it finish and back sweeten to taste.

 

[MarkKF]

I know someone who left a bottle of wine in a hot car that blew the cork, but that's only one example.

I’ve had corks let go in the house and the basement. Never in the fridge. If you’re hoping it will I’d go with the push corks over actually corking.

 

[Drewed]

Corks will blow out before the bottle breaks. CAPS will blow the bottle. Swing tops will usually blow the bottle, but I have seen examples where they blow out the seals, but I think that was a special case.
If I have a questionable brew that I don't want to pasteurize, I will bottle in a swing-top bottle but not lock the bail down. I instead hold it down with a fat rubber band. this allows it to build some pressure for carbonation but also allow the excess pressure to release.

 

[Jhoss]

I think your thought plan will work. I would bet on no more fermenting before I would bet on a bottle breaking due to continued fermentation. I've had some homebrew beer that had ummm...AMAZING! pressure built up that did not blow bottles. I can't believe refrigerated product will gain even half the pressure I'm remembering. I think with the rate cider gets consumed (at least around my house), even if you stuck a case in, by the time its gone is relatively short - what a month or two on the outside?

 

[John Doe]

Thanks for the posts.
I'm doing some one gallon batches in their jugs this weekend and I'm gonna do this with one of the plastic snap lid jugs.
I figure I'll ck it every day or two and stick it in the fridge when I think it's running low on sugar, but still has some sweetness.
I'll leave it in there and see if it has any sweetness left after a couple months.