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Author Topic: Backsweetening Cider  (Read 6246 times)

Offline stpug

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Re: Backsweetening Cider
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2017, 07:53:00 am »
I've been making cider for the last two years using Lalvin EC1118, which dries it way way out. I ferment about 5.5 gallons, cold crash, put 4.5 gallons into a keg, and then add a half gallon of cider back in. This balances out the dryness of the cider with a little bit more apple flavor. Isn't this possible just with bottling? The natural sugar from the non fermented cider could prime the bottles.

As alluded to above, in the case of bottling that extra sugar from the backsweetening cider would then re-ferment to dryness in the bottle, which would carbonate the beer (potentially too much) and result in a (still) dry cider.  You're able to do this in a keg because you cold crash and (probably) keep the keg cold from there out, which greatly slows down (maybe even halting) any further fermentation.

The tricky part of sweet bottled cider is having it both carbonated AND sweet.  Achieving one or the other in a bottle is easy; achieving both is the tough part but certainly possible.

Offline brewsumore

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Re: Backsweetening Cider
« Reply #16 on: August 29, 2017, 06:24:56 pm »
I guess I started making hard cider 20 years ago, and just fermented dry, added bottling sugar and carbonated in bottles.  It was kind of enjoyable, but super dry and not much apple taste.  I solved this dilemma by going to kegging and now I ferment dry and then backsweeten with 1.5 cans apple juice frozen concentrate per corny - as fresh and natural as possible (Washington grown Tree Top brand).  My kegerator stays at 34 F - plenty cold to prevent refermentation.

However, for those who only bottle but want a little sweetness, in my research I was especially drawn to the method as follows, which takes a pretty good knack (or trial and error) for estimation:

1) ferment until your desired degree of sweetness + a little more sweetness for carbonation.  Or ferment dry and add enough apple juice concentrate to carbonate plus sweeten.

2) bottle, cap and carbonate for a few days (maybe 5?) until you figure it has enough carbonation, but not too much!

3) run your full bottles in your dishwasher on a cycle that you calculate will pasteurize the cider, meaning kill the yeast by staying at 160F or a bit more for at least 20 minutes.  Voila.  Backsweetened carbonated bottled hard cider.  I recall a guy saying he lost a broken bottle here and there until he got the dishwasher cycle right - whether full cycle or interrupted.

Just an idea for a hardy enterprising adventurous person!
« Last Edit: August 29, 2017, 06:45:16 pm by brewsumore »