First time cider brewer here. I'll give you a quick run down of what I have, what I am looking for, and finally the questions.
Don't have any measuring equipment yet such as a hydrometer but here is what is in my carboy.
-2.5 gallons local (Roanoke VA) pressed apple juice
-Half cup brown sugar (wanted a little fallish mollassis taste, I know it probably isn't normal)
-Half cup honey
-Champagne yeast
It has currently been fermenting for 3 weeks in my house that stays about 68-72 degrees.
I am looking to have a hard cider that is somewhere between a beer and a wine in terms of alcohol content so that is why I added some sugar instead of just straight juice.
I want the cider to not be carbonated. Therefore, I was going to stop the fermentation/make sure it is done before bottling. I was then going to let it sit for several weeks/months until ready to drink.
In order to make sure my bottles don't blow, what would be recommended? I have read what looks like four different options...
1) Wait until all the sugar is used up by the yeast (may be a strong ABV that needs to sit for a while before drinking)
2) Use potassium sorbate to kill all the yeast (may give a slight sulfur taste)
3) Use a form of heat pasteurizing to kill the yeast yet not burn off the alcohol
4) Cold Crashing for 3 or 4 days (not sure if this will only slow down the yeast and then make my bottle blow later once it heats back up and starts fermenting again)
Is there another option? Or would someone recommend that I do one of these? Keep in mind I'm not interested in carbonating, so I do want to go ahead and kill all the yeast I believe.
Thanks for any advice!
Don't have any measuring equipment yet such as a hydrometer but here is what is in my carboy.
-2.5 gallons local (Roanoke VA) pressed apple juice
-Half cup brown sugar (wanted a little fallish mollassis taste, I know it probably isn't normal)
-Half cup honey
-Champagne yeast
It has currently been fermenting for 3 weeks in my house that stays about 68-72 degrees.
I am looking to have a hard cider that is somewhere between a beer and a wine in terms of alcohol content so that is why I added some sugar instead of just straight juice.
I want the cider to not be carbonated. Therefore, I was going to stop the fermentation/make sure it is done before bottling. I was then going to let it sit for several weeks/months until ready to drink.
In order to make sure my bottles don't blow, what would be recommended? I have read what looks like four different options...
1) Wait until all the sugar is used up by the yeast (may be a strong ABV that needs to sit for a while before drinking)
2) Use potassium sorbate to kill all the yeast (may give a slight sulfur taste)
3) Use a form of heat pasteurizing to kill the yeast yet not burn off the alcohol
4) Cold Crashing for 3 or 4 days (not sure if this will only slow down the yeast and then make my bottle blow later once it heats back up and starts fermenting again)
Is there another option? Or would someone recommend that I do one of these? Keep in mind I'm not interested in carbonating, so I do want to go ahead and kill all the yeast I believe.
Thanks for any advice!