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Bottle Priming for cider Options?

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  • 15-09-2010 10:08pm
    #1
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭


    Ok ready to bottle (home pressed apple blend rather than shop bought apple Juice). hoping for a medium sweet / dry taste.

    So what do people suggest for Priming
    and...
    What ratio to the litre would you use?

    (Ill probably try a few different methods for experimentation)

    1. Apple juice ? Does it matter if it's not been sulphated/pasteurised?
    2. Table sugar ? does it really leave a bad taste (I have splenda to sweeten it up a bit)
    3. Youngs Brewing and winemaking sugar? Is this just for beer and wine?

    Anyone ever use Body brew ..basically just maltodextrin (the pack says" for a better body and smoother finish"!!!)

    Cheers


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    #2
    rabbit Stew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 132 ✭✭rabbit Stew


    Any will do the job just fine
    I've used brewing sugar on my last batch because i had it handy.
    Next time i'm gonna use apple juice to increase my overall volume.
    ie 20L plus 1.2L for priming.
    As far as I know store bought stuff will do the job.


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    #3
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    cheers R.S. so tht'd work out at...

    1.2l = 20l
    300ml = 5l Demi John
    60ml = 1l bottle

    :)30 ml = 500ml bottle:)

    Im doing it per bottle as I'll tweek a few with splenda/body brew/ priming sugar / original pressed oj

    I'll keep the other DJ for tomorrow..

    Any idea how much of the priming sugar per 500ml bottle you would have used?

    It's hard to get any exact info other than teaspoon amount and wierd american fluid ounces per american gallon...


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    #4
    rabbit Stew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 132 ✭✭rabbit Stew


    Thats what i work off of,
    I think about 6-7 g of sugar per litre should be about right.
    The last 2 juices i used were both tesco (cloudy and clear)
    Nutritional info for both was 11.1g per 100grams.
    Do the maths and away you go.

    On the body brew- I don't think I'd bother.
    That, as far as i know, is used for increased head retention and better body in a beer.
    Not something i'd be too concerned about in a cider.

    Hold onto it for your next beer brew and save a couple of cent.


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    #5
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Jury's in...following Initial Priming Question

    Apple juice the way to go..about 40ml per 500ml bottle did the trick...

    Brew sugar at 4gm per 500ml bottle wasn;t enough for a continuous fizz throughout the drinking stage.. would need about 6gm maybe..

    I had 2 batches one sulphated and the other not... both turned out mostly the same!!! i think i'd still do 2 batches next time though again just to be on the safe side..


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    #6
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    i'll be bottling my cider soon...so I got some Qs

    will used used soft drink bottles do (2L)?

    will it keep till xmas?

    will there be a large build up of sediment at the bottom of the bottles??


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    #7
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,880 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    fryup wrote: »
    will used used soft drink bottles do (2L)?
    Yes, as long as they were for fizzy soft drinks.
    fryup wrote: »
    will it keep till xmas?
    Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it probably won't be properly drinkable until about February.
    fryup wrote: »
    will there be a large build up of sediment at the bottom of the bottles?
    Most likely yes.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #8
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    fryup wrote: »
    will it keep till xmas?
    BeerNut wrote: »

    Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it probably won't be properly drinkable until about February.

    really:confused: why will it not taste proper cider?
    fryup wrote: »
    will there be a large build up of sediment at the bottom of the bottles??
    BeerNut wrote: »
    Most lkely yes.

    so whats the best way of overcoming this?


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    #9
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,880 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    fryup wrote: »
    really:confused: why will it not taste proper cider?
    Cider takes time to mellow. Too young it'll be rather sharp tasting. I wouldn't touch a cider before three months is up and even then find they're at their best from about six onwards.
    fryup wrote: »
    so whats the best way of overcoming this?
    With time it'll settle to the bottom. If you put it in big bottles and decant carefully, you can leave most of the sediment behind when you serve. Or you can get over your aversion to sediment: it's good for you :)

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #10
    oblivious
    Registered Users Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭oblivious


    BeerNut wrote: »
    Cider takes time to mellow. Too young it'll be rather sharp tasting. I wouldn't touch a cider before three months is up and even then find they're at their best from about six onwards.

    I was drinking mine as I is was syphoning it into the 10 litre keg, barely got time to carbonate!


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    #11
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,880 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    YMMV

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #12
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    Bottled one demijohn's worth of cider on saturday, primed them with table sugar for fizz.

    Opened one of the bottles yesterday just to see what it was like...very dry, flat cider bit disapointed but maybe it will improve come xmas.

    * btw - how do i work out the alc content? before fermentation i got a reading of 1050 now its 1000..so ?


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    #13
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,880 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    5.4% ABV, assuming both readings were taken at the same temperature.

    Here's an ABV calculator and here's a hydrometer calibration tool.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #14
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    fryup wrote: »
    flat cider

    If its flat you may need to move it somewhere warmer for the secondary fermentation to start...assuming you used enough priming sugar.

    Once the secondary ferment gets going it should give the cider plenty of gas but as has been said,it should be left for a good while yet.


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    #15
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    fryup wrote: »
    Bottled one demijohn's worth of cider on saturday, primed them with table sugar for fizz.

    Opened one of the bottles yesterday just to see what it was like...very dry, flat cider bit disapointed but maybe it will improve come xmas.

    * btw - how do i work out the alc content? before fermentation i got a reading of 1050 now its 1000..so ?

    Bottled on saturday.. opened a few days later!!!! wtf

    Give it at least 3 weeks man (and a bit of a shake)...open a few and throw in some apple juice ..

    I tried mine after 2 months and it was fine (bit soupy though needs loads of ice)

    DEfo increase temp to around 22 deg for the first weeks or so.. it seems all is not lost with cider.. come back to it in a fe months and it might be grand,,, no matter how awful it seems early on..


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    #16
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    Opened another bottle yesterday, a 2L bottle that i primed with table sugar and left in the kitchen.

    Well it blew! like a fountain..lost half a bottle because of it.:(

    What can i do to prevent the remaining bottles blowing out like this..leave them in a colder environment?


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    #17
    mayto
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭mayto


    Looks like you overprimed your bottles or maybe bottled before fermentation was complete. Did you use a hydrometer to confirm fermentation was done before bottling? and how much priming sugar did you use for each bottle? Another possibility is an infection causing the gusher but that is less likely if you sanitised etc before bottling. If you chill your remaining bottles before opening, some co2 will be absorbed back into the beer and you will get less foaming. Well anyway did it taste ok what was left of it ? :)


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    #18
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Store in acolder place I reckon...(17degrees or under).. chill before opening too..maybe leave a bit longer also


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    #19
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    I sanitised all bottles, hydrometer reading was 1000 and no bubbles in air locks and i used 3 teaspoons of sugar for priming.

    Taste > not bad Aok


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    #20
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    Armelodie wrote: »
    Jury's in...following Initial Priming Question

    Apple juice the way to go..about 40ml per 500ml bottle did the trick...

    I've opened a few bottles now over xmas...and i have to say the ones primed with apple concentrate win hands down over the ones primed with sugar.

    Super sparkling and delicous taste, better still are the ones in the 1.1/4L 7up bottles other than 2L bottles that i usually use, as they seem to hold the fizz longer.


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