I did not cold crash or do a secondary. I was in a rush to get it ready for christmas. I back sweetened using sucralose at bottling, about 5 tablespoons of liquid. It is a family favorite, and packs one hell of a punch. I'm sure it would pour clearer if I cold crashed and used a secondary. I also used 6 oz of corn sugar to get carbonation.
The original recipe uses 1 quart of black cherry juice to 7 quarts of apple juice. To put it another way, you would want 1/8th or more of the volume in black cherry juice.If i were going to do a gallon batch of this... Does anyone have any tips or anything? How much cherry to apple to use... Should i use any sugar with it???
The amount of sugar you need for backsweetening is typically far in excess of what you need to bottle carb. You'll want to keep some in a plastic soda bottle of about the same volume of the bottles you are filling. When the plastic bottle is hard to the touch your bottles are carbed, and you will then want to pasteurize to keep them from exploding.Just put together 4 gallons motts AJ and a gallon of juicy juice cherry and pitched an ale yeast. I'm going to back sweeten and prime with these:
Dynamic Health , Black Cherry Juice Concentrate, 8-Ounce Bottle, (Pack of 2) by Dynamic Health http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E127O6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Not sure how many yet, but bought 48 oz.. Got to also figure out how much more sugar I need to add before bottling as I am carbonating. May have to wing it and see what happens. I'm looking for a nice carbonated sweet cherry flavor.
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Actually, the amount of time it takes for your bottles to carb varies massively. The amount of yeast suspended in your brew is actually far more important that the actual amount of sugar. The temperate is important too. It's best to check the plastic bottle on a daily basis. I've seen batches carb in two or three days a few times.Fantastic idea! I just put some numbers together and I would have some major bottle bombs if I added 48oz of concentrated cherry juice. It would be be more than 5 times too much sugar for carbonation. So, with using the plastic bottle idea and excess sugar in priming, I assume the process with carbing will take much less time compared to a two week period correct?
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I have a question concerning the heating of bottles to kill off the yeast. I have my first batch of cider (Plain Jane) in the Primary, and used Nottingham. I saw someone say to heat them to avoid bottle bombs, but doesn't this also make it a still cider? This is the first thread I have seen talk about that. I am bottling, not kegging yet. I did not get an OG.. I really wanted it carbed... lol
So, I can accomplish the same effect by moving them to the fridge vs heat pasteurizing? I conveniently have a beer fridge in the garage....
Yes. You are going to reduce the amount of yeast in the mix, so things will take a bit longer.Makes sense... I just scored a great deal on amazon for a 5 gallon carboy shipped for $24 so going to transfer recipe to secondary which I have never done. I assume most yeast will be left behind which will yield a slower carb. Am I correct with this assumption??
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That's only partly correct.There is a thread for Caramel Apple Hard Cider that addresses this pretty thoroughly. The heating of the bottles stops the process but does not reduce the carbonation that has occurred. WARNING if the bottles are overcarbed, do not attempt to heat pasturrize them. Chill them to near freezing instead (normal fridge temps).
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That's right.Yes, correct. This will make the yeast go to sleep, but not kill them. Pasteurization would in fact kill them.
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With live yeast in the bottle at fridge temps fermentation will still continue, just much more slowly. If you don't pasteurize and kill the yeast off, and you have to much sugar in the bottle, your bottles will eventually explode. You've probably just been drinking your brew before that happens.Exactly correct on all accounts. When I bottle a batch, I fill 2 12 oz water bottles with cider. At about 48-72 hours, if one is firm, I open it and pour. ( This is based on adding a caramel syrup with a cup of brown sugar and 5 cans FAJC to the bottling bucket) Not carbed enough yet, try another in 24 hours. And so on. Once I get the carb I want, into the fridge they go. Time for em to sleep. If I have overcarbed, no worries, pour slowly. Undercarbed? Take em out and give em another 24 hours. The challenge here is you cant let em sit around and get warmed up (like room temp for days) or they will explode if there is enough sugar in em. Or give em a a gift if they wont keep em in a fridge.
I will continue to do it this way until I get a dishwasher. Ive tried stovetop pastuerizing and had 3 explode. Dint want to risk it in my oven, now, inside my grill is a possibility...
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Yes. You are going to reduce the amount of yeast in the mix, so things will take a bit longer.
That's only partly correct.
That's right.
With live yeast in the bottle at fridge temps fermentation will still continue, just much more slowly. If you don't pasteurize and kill the yeast off, and you have to much sugar in the bottle, your bottles will eventually explode. You've probably just been drinking your brew before that happens.
If you want to avoid bottles breaking during pasteurization you can do that by avoiding thermal shock. Put a wire rack, or false bottom, in a large pot. Put the bottles on top of that. Cover the bottles with luke warm or cool water. Heat the pot of water until the water temp reaches 160f. Either remove the bottles from the water and set them on a towel to cool, or turn off the heat and allow the pot to cool. A silicone oven mit, or a jar lifter work well for removing the bottles.
Do not add hot water to the pot. Do not reuse hot water when doing multiple batches. Pour it out and start with new cool water. Do not set the bottles directly on the bottom of the pot. Do not set the bottles directly on the counter. Do not try to pasteurize obviously flawed bottled.
This process is essentially identical to water bath canning, only at a lower temperature.
I hope that clears a few things up, here's wishing you no bottle bombs.
Yes. You are going to reduce the amount of yeast in the mix, so things will take a bit longer.
That's only partly correct.
That's right.
With live yeast in the bottle at fridge temps fermentation will still continue, just much more slowly. If you don't pasteurize and kill the yeast off, and you have to much sugar in the bottle, your bottles will eventually explode. You've probably just been drinking your brew before that happens.
If you want to avoid bottles breaking during pasteurization you can do that by avoiding thermal shock. Put a wire rack, or false bottom, in a large pot. Put the bottles on top of that. Cover the bottles with luke warm or cool water. Heat the pot of water until the water temp reaches 160f. Either remove the bottles from the water and set them on a towel to cool, or turn off the heat and allow the pot to cool. A silicone oven mit, or a jar lifter work well for removing the bottles.
Do not add hot water to the pot. Do not reuse hot water when doing multiple batches. Pour it out and start with new cool water. Do not set the bottles directly on the bottom of the pot. Do not set the bottles directly on the counter. Do not try to pasteurize obviously flawed bottled.
This process is essentially identical to water bath canning, only at a lower temperature.
I hope that clears a few things up, here's wishing you no bottle bombs.
Hey, whatever works for you. I've just seen to many bottles blow corks, or destroy fridges that got left to long. Rice wine is the worst. That stuff really doesn't seem to care if it's cold, it just keeps fermenting along.LeadGolem,
I appreciate your insights. Ive learned a few things here tonight, as they say "The devils in the details". With the caramel Apple hard Cider recipe, Ive been able to create a hard cider that is drinkable and enjoyable. Im gone 4 days each week for work, so Ive had to find a way that works for me (fridge the yeast). Ive known there is a better way. More complete. Jus cant pursue it. Good advice though.
Possibly so. According to Danstar it's cold tolerant to 57f.I wonder... I use Nottingham exclusively for my hard ciders. Maybe its a real good sleeper at fridge temps?
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There are reports on this forum of notty fermenting to 9.5, so I believe your LHBS is in error.And on Nottingham, the LHBS told me that Notty can't survive in a high alcohol environment, say over 8%... They told me that my cider would kill it off on it's own, since it's going to be 8.5-9%
Any input?
That might be an interesting project. I wonder how one could achieve that kind of liquid silver look without using something that either tastes bad or is outright poisonous.So I made some of this not too long ago. Came out great! I was watching Harry Potter the other day and when they show unicorn blood, it's actually more of a silver color. It saddened me that my drank was not comparable in color.
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