Bottled cider on day 3 of fermentation

[Drifted88]

I started a cider Saturday with 3 gallons aldi juice and Nottingham ale yeast. On a whim I went downstairs to check the temperature and give it a taste. I loved it. Took a gravity reading and got 1.015 (OG 1.050.) I’d heard of people packaging and cold crashing, stopping fermentation early to retain sweetness. Remembering my disappointment of last year when I let it ferment dry then back sweetened with frozen concentrate and it just barely tasting ok, I decided to try it. On to my concerns. How fast is this going to carbonate? Last year I had it conditioning for 4 days and it was a little light on fizz. This year, retaining the primary fermentation, is it going to go faster? Slower? Does Nottingham usually ferment apple juice completely dry or stop early? I do have one plastic bottle tester and one swing top tester, but the nagging at the back of my mind of ruining this batch is getting to me. Thoughts, tips, past experiences with this method will be greatly appreciated.

 

[RPh_Guy]

How fast is this going to carbonate?

Very fast, probably within a few hours.

 

[Drifted88]

Just some additional info

This years (19) recipe:
3 gal apple juice OG 1.050
2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1/2 pack Nottingham rehydrated in 1/2 cup 90F water and 1 tsp table sugar for about 30 min

Last year (18) recipe:
1 gal juice OG 1.050
1 tsp nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic
1 pack lavalin 1118
FG was 0.998
1 can frozen concentrate after 30 days in fermenter 4 days in bottle then heat pasteurized

 

[bucketnative]

Any commercial yeast will ferment cider to completion (dry). In my opinion this is a recipe for bottle bombs, unless you pasteurize the bottles when they get to a good carbonation (2.5 to 3.0 vol CO2) for standard bottles. As a rule of thumb, each gravity point gives you 0.5 volum of CO2. If we assume that the cider was already saturated, then it most likely already contains 0.8 vol CO2 prior to bottling. You are looking at the potential of 8+ vol CO2. Boom.

Refrigeration will only slow the process... it WILL NOT stop fermentation.

Your options are to pasteurize when your tester reaches good carbonation (See sticky on pasteurization in this forum)...

or...

Pop all you bottles and pour back into fermenter to let the fermentation go to completion.

Whatever you choose, do it carefully. Exploding bottles are no joke!

 

[Drifted88]

Any commercial yeast will ferment cider to completion (dry). In my opinion this is a recipe for bottle bombs, unless you pasteurize the bottles when they get to a good carbonation (2.5 to 3.0 vol CO2) for standard bottles. As a rule of thumb, each gravity point gives you 0.5 volum of CO2. If we assume that the cider was already saturated, then it most likely already contains 0.8 vol CO2 prior to bottling. You are looking at the potential of 8+ vol CO2. Boom.

Refrigeration will only slow the process... it WILL NOT stop fermentation.

Your options are to pasteurize when your tester reaches good carbonation (See sticky on pasteurization in this forum)...

or...

Pop all you bottles and pour back into fermenter to let the fermentation go to completion.

Whatever you choose, do it carefully. Exploding bottles are no joke!

I definitely planned on heat pasteurization once I have good carbonation. Haven’t had a bomb yet but the swing top I used is shaped kind of like a hip flask so I have no idea what kind of pressure that can take. Thank you for the info on gravity to volume CO2. That’s something I was curious about.

 

[Drifted88]

Very fast, probably within a few hours.

I checked my plastic bottle this morning (about 7 hours later) and it was harder than last night but not stiff. I think I’ll grab a soda bottle to get the feeling of comparison. I know soda has more carbonation than beer if I’m not mistaken. I don’t know how much more though

 

[RPh_Guy]

I checked my plastic bottle this morning (about 7 hours later) and it was harder than last night but not stiff. I think I’ll grab a soda bottle to get the feeling of comparison. I know soda has more carbonation than beer if I’m not mistaken. I don’t know how much more though

Well, I'm surprised.

Soda is generally 3.5 vol and beer generally ranges 2.0 to 3.5, with most probably around 2.5 vol.

 

[Drifted88]

Well, I'm surprised.

Soda is generally 3.5 vol and beer generally ranges 2.0 to 3.5, with most probably around 2.5 vol.

Thank you! I just hope I don’t come home to a puddle in the tote The beer is in

 

[Maylar]

Nottingham will take that to under 1.000.

 

[Drifted88]

Well, I'm surprised.

Soda is generally 3.5 vol and beer generally ranges 2.0 to 3.5, with most probably around 2.5 vol.

So I came hope to a stiff tester bottle. Opened it up and it’s quite carbonated, only gushed a little. Curious if chilling will prevent gushing or not. If they survive pasteurization we will see. Heating them up outside just in case

 

[Drifted88]

So I came hope to a stiff tester bottle. Opened it up and it’s quite carbonated, only gushed a little. Curious if chilling will prevent gushing or not. If they survive pasteurization we will see. Heating them up outside just in case

Rereading the sticky on stovetop pasteurization. Going to check some other bottles before I hurt myself over pressurizing already stressed bottles

 

[b-boy]

Be very, very careful. I know someone who did this. He decided to heat pasteurize in his dishwasher. His cider was a little over-carbonated. As soon as the heat kicked in they started exploding. He had to buy a new dishwasher. Glass fragments got into his water pump and caused havoc.

 

[Drifted88]

Be very, very careful. I know someone who did this. He decided to heat pasteurize in his dishwasher. His cider was a little over-carbonated. As soon as the heat kicked in they started exploding. He had to buy a new dishwasher. Glass fragments got into his water pump and caused havoc.

No glass shards please! I’m using my brew kettle on a turkey burner

 

[Amadeo38]

No glass shards please! I’m using my brew kettle on a turkey burner

Updates?!

 

[dmtaylor]

It will be carbonated by tomorrow. Will explode a day or two after that.

 

[bmd2k1]

An aside question for whomever:

Assuming that everything else is the same....would you expect a 16oz bottle to carb up at same rate as a 32oz?

 

[dmtaylor]

Assuming that everything else is the same....would you expect a 16oz bottle to carb up at same rate as a 32oz?

 

[Drifted88]

It will be carbonated by tomorrow. Will explode a day or two after that.

It definitely would have exploded within 3 days of bottling

 

[Drifted88]

Updates?!

All is well. All the bottles are pasteurized and once cooled down they aren’t geysers. Highly carbonated and definitely going to suggest pouring into a glass for drinkability. It’s like sipping champagne straight from the bottle

 

[b-boy]

All is well. All the bottles are pasteurized and once cooled down they aren’t geysers. Highly carbonated and definitely going to suggest pouring into a glass for drinkability. It’s like sipping champagne straight from the bottle

I really hope they are all 100% pasteurized. You'll know for sure in a day or 2.

I'd keep them in the fridge just in case.

 

[Drifted88]

I really hope they are all 100% pasteurized. You'll know for sure in a day or 2.

I'd keep them in the fridge just in case.

If the water temp dropped too low, (below 140 after 15 min) I sent them through a second time just to be sure. Hopefully there won’t be a problem. Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[Drifted88]

Here’s the finished product. Next time I’ll aim to pasteurize sooner but this is still delicious