thinking about splitting my batch. advice?

[Jon112]

I have a batch of cider that is ready to bottle. I am thinking of splitting it up. Half will be carbonated, the other perhaps backsweetened.

I was thinking i could add 1 tbs of sugar to the bottles, or maybe a full cup of sugar to the batch and bottle what i need then cold crash the rest and ad campden tabs to kill the yeast and give it a few days and then back sweeten the rest. Thoughts?

I want to split the batch because i know how the carb cider will turn out, but i also want to try something new with out doing a whole batch for it since i dont have the space.

 

[Daze]

nothing wrong with splitting a batch. I have a gallon of pomegranate that had just cleared and I decided I wanted a higher ABV so I took 12oz out of my carboy, bottled it in a beer bottle with a carbonation drop and am letting it age. This gave me room to add more sugar to up the ABV. When the wine clears again and I bottle it will be dry and sparkling in 2 bottles and back sweetened and still in 3.

If you back-sweeten before you stabilize it won't work. campden tabs and sorbate will not kill yeast just inhibit yeast growth. Normally you stabilize, weight a few days THEN back-sweeten, then weight another week to make sure the stabilization worked.

You could do things exactly as you suggest but instead of sorbate and campden simply pasteurize the cider you want to be still. I prefer pasteurization to chemicals.

 

[Jon112]

How would i pasturize? Could i not just let the rest sit for another week then backsweeten with splenda.

 

[Daze]

To bulk pasteurize you rack the wine in to a stock pot and bring it up to 140ºF then cover, let it cool, and bottle. Or bottle and follow the directions in the sticky at the top of this forum. If you back sweeten with a non fermentable than yes there is no need to pasteurize.

 

[Jon112]

Ok thanks for the info