Number 12 Cider - HOW TO BOTTLE AND CARBONATE HARD CIDER

[@therealmccoy1]

This is hands down the best video series about making cider. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge gentlemen.

[@Number12Cider]

You're welcome!

[@jonathanbagaley5884]

Agree

[@tferguson7636]

I did this exactly and it came out perfect, used brown sugar. excellent video that simplifies the bottling process. thanks guys!

[@VT-tz5bm]

You guys have inspired me and my best friend to try our hand at this!

[@Number12Cider]

Fantastic! Good luck!

[@Whiskeyaficionado]

Nice work, I liked the back sweetening with artificial sweeteners. I'll absolutely give this a go.

[@Number12Cider]

Awesome! Good luck.

[@dustinyager9206]

I liked you bottling bucket.... made one of my own. Thanks for the video

[@robinbanks183]

Great video guys no waffling straight to the point keeping things very simple easy to follow advice.

[@andygeorgiou2846]

Thank you!! Your videos are the best at explaining the cider process. Quality!!

[@bpleunik]

These videos are so helpful thank you both for making these and sharing your knowledge

[@Number12Cider]

You're welcome!

[@delannodelima9720]

Hey, great video! I am a beginner and I'm trying to learn the twiks. 1- why didn't you need to add sorbate before bottling it? 2- How do I carbonate and back sweeten the cider before bottling? Thanks in advance for your attention!

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi. This is a common question. So we made a dry cider in our video which means the sugar was just for "priming" or making it carbonated. That sugar was just enough to give it a good carb but not so much as to blow up a bottle. If you want carbonated cider and to back sweeten, you will need to learn how force carbonate or pasteurize. Check our the Q&A video we are putting up and let me know if you have more questions. With a keg, you can add your sorbate and sulfite blend to kill the yeast, add sugar then keg and carbonate. With pasteurizing, you can add the sugar you need to the bottle both for priming and back sweetening - then pasteurize. As we say in our video - this is tricky and potentially hazardous unless you really know what you are doing.

[@jimjackslak4507]

From my understanding of the video, they didn't add potassium sorbate before bottling it because they left it sit for 2 months until the gravity was zero, which means the sugar was completely used up. There is still a small amount of yeast left in the drained off cider, which when adding the regular sugar they dissolved in water to the batch, then capping it, will activate that small amount of yeast enough to add carbonation to the sealed bottle. If they the potassium sorbate, that would have killed the remaining yeast, which they need in there to create the carbonation. They also said, if you want to back sweeten it and then carbonate it, you need to add a fake sugar that doesn't activate the left over yeast, and also add the regular sugar dissolved in water which will activate the yeast just enough to carbonate it while sealed with a cap. The fake sugar of your choice will be the back sweetener for flavor, and the regular sugar that's dissolved in the water will get used up by the yeast and won't add any sweetening of flavor. The reason the regular dissolved sugar mixed in won't add more alcohol (or very little) is, because the majority of the yeast was left behind in the first container, and there's only a very small amount left that will only get fed enough sugar to add carbonation. Not enough to do much else. That's what I got from the video, and from what I've read and watched in other videos in the past. I hope that helps clarify it a bit more??? Watch the video at about 5:30 in, and he will tell you about the 3 different amounts of regular sugar to dissolve in water that will give you the different levels of carbonation you want.

[@jimjackslak4507]

Oops... I didn't see the reply, so I replied, then saw that there was already a reply...

[@Number12Cider]

@@jimjackslak4507 well stated! Yes, sorbate is for neutralizing the yeast, which you do not want to do if you are bottle conditioning. To carbonate before bottling you will need a "counter-pressure filler" which commercial cideries often have but they are very expensive. We will get to a video soon about kegging. You can sorbate and back-sweeten before kegging - which allows you to "force-carbonate." Again, this is how most commercial operators do it but you need to have the equipment for kegging.

[@alexlarsen6413]

Coming from mead and other wine making, this is actually way simpler to do with higher alcohol levels at which the yeast gives up and becomes inactive. So that would be another option, make apple wine or apple mead! :) For example: my 15.5 % ABV bone dry cyser made with the 16% alcohol tolerant yeast needs 35g of sugar in a gallon to go up to 16 percent and give up. That would give me medium carbonation and then I simply add more of that same fermentable sugar for sweetness..doesn't matter because the yeast won't be able to ferment it any further. I don't need erythritol or maltodextrin. In fact I can add 65 more grams of sugar for light sweetness which will still remain even if the yeast goes slightly above its tolerance (although it shouldn't at this point). This way I simply add altogether 100g of plain sugar and end up with medium carbonated, semi-sweet 16% mead. This is just an example for US gallon. I will actually use more sugar as I have the European 5 liter carboy.

[@Number12Cider]

Good idea! Couple of thoughts though. The higher alcohol is a flavor element that might be a little strong for most but if its good from your perspective that's all that matters. Also, we have had some yeasts show a pretty high tolerance, closer to 20% than 16 - so people might have to be careful about that a it will make the outcome a little less predictable.

[@alexlarsen6413]

@@Number12Cider Very true and good you mentioned it. You can clearly see I'm no cider expert. People should probably do this with ale yeast, not wine yeast and shoot for lower gravity. Also, with full bodied meads ABV in the range of strong wine is desireble. For a simple cider or in that case apple wine, it could be too strong.

[@DmitryPolovka]

Thank you for your videos gentlemen

[@bstasch62]

How many grams Maltodextrin in addition to my priming sugar for carbonation would I use per gallon of hard cider for a basic sweet hard cider?

[@Number12Cider]

Good question Bryan! Actually we had to look up the word "Maltodextrin" to figure out what you were talking about :) and suffice it to say we have not used it before. We are always interested in learning from our followers' experiments though, so hopefully you will fill us in. From what we see, this appears to be used for body and less for sweetness. It also appears that some component of Maltodextrin is fermentable which suggests lowering the amount of priming sugar you use by a small amount. In the context of non-fermentable (or fermentable) sugars used to back-sweeten a cider, our general practice is to taste the product at a range of levels and pick the one we prefer to determine the amount to add. Good luck!

[@peterperigoe9231]

New to your channel, I have a hobby orchard 18 trees here in Ireland. Will you be doing a video on malo-lactic fermentation I'd like to see if I could make a product a little less harsh acid wise? On bottle conditioning I always find the last drop of the bottle gets cloudy when the yeast is disturbed, Guinness do bottle conditioned stout here, and what ever yeast they use (likely a trade secret) it stays on the bottom of the bottle and doesn't cloud the last drop.

[@Number12Cider]

Hi Peter. MLF is great to mellow out the acidity of cider and it imparts some flavors that we enjoy such as that "butterscotch" note. MLF will often if not usually occur naturally following the primary ferment as long as conditions are right. Probably you will need to make sure the temperature is above 60 degrees f. You can buy an MLF pitch if you like from winery supply stores so look into that. It appears as a very slight ferment with pinprick bubbles appearing when it starts. The MLF can last for months so you may have to be patient. As for the yeast, you will have to try a different yeast. Some yeasts are well compacted and some float more. I would suggest a champagne yeast for a try but yeast imparts so much of the end flavor you are probably going to have to start by finding the yeasts that work best then go with the one that compacts itself the best.

[@davidvincentwynd]

Hi all, I can’t find the tasting video, is it available?

[@kennycelt]

Does oxidation impact the Cider and should we try to limit contact with oxygen after fermentation and before bottling? Great informative video.🇮🇪

[@thewildernessbeckons3083]

Hey guys, I had a cider made of feral apples from my cottage that went to 1.004 in primary and stayed there for over a month straight. Can't say it's stuck or not, but with champagne yeast I figured it might be. Racked to secondary yesterday and will leave it for a few months to mellow out and clear up in the glass carboy. I'd like to bottle prime, and get to champagne carbonation. My concern is that the yeast is stuck. I guess I could experiment and just do one bottle, and if it carbonates, I can confirm the yeast is still kicking. But if I add a tiny bit of yeast and sugar to my bottles, will it change the flavour profile? Thanks!

[@Number12Cider]

Definitely add a little yeast at bottling. You may want to be conservative on the priming sugar amount due to the existing sugar in the cider which will likely ferment on the addition of more yeast. Use the same kind of yeast and it should not materially change the quality of the cider but its flavor profile will change over time no matter what you do, but especially if you dry it out more, so if you love it now, you might consider kegging and force carbonating.

[@jwgitface]

Could I bottle before full fermentation is complete to get the sparkle rather than add sugar , if so what would the hydrometer reading need to be?

[@stephenhance5260]

Yes - you can do this. This is not going to be an exact science because depending on the yeast and juice, sometimes the product will finish at .997 on the hydrometer and sometimes at 1.000. I would try bottling it at 1.005 and see if that works for you.

[@jwgitface]

@@stephenhance5260 Cheers , I will give it a try and let you know.

[@d.b.barker5286]

Great videos. Do you like to add yeast nutrient when you ferment with wild yeast?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. So probably using yeast nutrient is typically inconsistent with the philosophy that goes into the wild ferment but yes, yeast nutrient would encourage vigorous ferment of a native yeast.

[@shellbacksclub]

I find simply adding more of the applejuice or maple syrup enough.

[@michellebenalcazar7580]

Fantascic video, thanks.

[@Number12Cider]

Thank you Michelle!

[@jimjackslak4507]

About how long can you keep these bottles of cider without them going bad or blowing up?

[@Number12Cider]

The bottled cider if dry will last several years. Once all of the sugar is fermented out - provided you did not put too much sugar in the bottle for bottle conditioning, there is no further risk of the bottles blowing up. Look at other discussions related to back-sweetening. Thanks!

[@christianconner5095]

Thoughts on swing top bottles?

[@Number12Cider]

Swing top bottles are great. We do find from time to time that with higher CO2 levels, they can seep/lose pressure through the rubber gasket but they are otherwise typically very good for home bottling. We have seen them used in the commercial setting as well.

[@christianconner5095]

@@Number12Cider I am to the point where I have to purchase bottles. Is there advantage to the round stubby Red Stripe/ Kombucha type bottles vs. long neck bottles? I hear brown colored bottles are the best, but I have some clear swing top bottles already. What would happen if I bottled in clear (also adding sugar for carbonation)? My projects right now are 1 gal jug of peach juice, 1 gal of white cranberry and strawberry juice, 1 gal of passion fruit juice, 1 gal of mango pulp and pineapple juice that I plan on added coconut cream. If these fermentation projects have no apple juice, is it still called cider? Or what would you call it?

[@Number12Cider]

Brown or clear - really it makes no difference. Brown are better if the bottles will/may be exposed to sunlight. If you are not making an apple based product it is probably a fruit wine, strawberry wine, peach wine, pineapple wine, etc. Good luck, sounds interesting!

[@randybernstein9094]

Great videos - I watched a few others, before finding yours, and most of them assumed that the viewer had some knowledge of the process or equipment, which I did not. Your's covered it all very well. I just picked up some supplies that someone was giving away (he was moving across the country) and will try my first batch this weekend. 1 question - does the bottled cider need to be refrigerated?

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi. Thanks for tuning in! Simple answer to the question is no, the finished dry cider does not need to be refrigerated. Good luck on your first batch!

[@Number12Cider]

Finished and dry cider does not need to be refrigerated. If you back-sweeten before bottling, you will need to do something to prevent re-fermentation. One way to handle that is to refrigerate right away and drink quickly :)

[@hugoramos496]

HI! Where can I find a good calculator for the cider priming? I have for beer priming but I dont know the amout of CO2 I want on a cider bottle

[@robertsmith9836]

Have you ever used the type of caps on the bottle that separate the sediment from the cider, I believe if you fit the special caps and inverter the bottle during secondary fermentation all the sediment can be trapped in the cap making it easier to pour.

[@Number12Cider]

Interesting... :) You got us here. We are not familiar with such caps but would be interested in hearing how well they work!

[@justinpeter2584]

Totally new to all of this. I am a few days into the primary fermentation of 1g of cider. I was curious, what are the benefits/drawbacks to using different types of yeast. I used regular fast rise bread yeast from the store since it is what I had on hand but most of the videos I have watched suggest some other beer/wine/cider specific yeast. What is the difference/impact?

[@Number12Cider]

Exciting! So probably the two most important factors in what the cider will taste like when it is done fermenting, what kind of apples/juice you are using and what kind of yeast you are using. It never ceases to amaze us how different cider can turn out with different yeasts (and the same base juice). Cider and wine cultivars of yeast are tried and true for that purpose but really, any yeast will work to create a fermentation, including bread yeast. We say for your one gallon batch - go for it! Best of luck to you on that. Next time you get some more juice, consider buying one of the yeasts we point out in our video on yeast. The dry yeasts we suggest can be ordered by mail for minimal price.

[@KevinPeffley]

Thanks for the video. I’m curious whether you could use a dose of apple juice to prime your cider before bottling. If so, how much apple juice per gallon would you recommend ? Or do you recommend against this technique ?

[@kb2vca]

I don't pretend to be an expert but most apple juice is going to have a gravity of around 1.050 - or the equivalent , and so about 1.2 lbs of sugar in every gallon. If 1.2 lbs is 19.2 oz, and if for the sake of simplifying the calculations we are to add 1 oz of sugar to each gallon, then you will need to add about 1/20 of a gallon of apple juice. If a US gallon is 3785 ml, then you need to add 3785/20 = or 189.5 ml. PER GALLON, so for five gallons the added volume is 189 *5 or almost 1 liter (1 qt). The extra volume of liquid WILL reduce your ABV, BUT you are adding an equivalent amount of sugar which will produce BOTH ethanol and CO2, so the total impact should be close to zero

[@Arturutus]

Thanks guys. Same bottling process as with beer. Only one question, whenever you had time to answer. What’s your thoughts on, using blue Agave syrup to carbonate the bottles?, and how much would you recommend hehe?

[@Number12Cider]

Sounds like a fun experiment! In our experience, when you ferment something that is mostly sugar you lose that essence such as you might with agave syrup, but we have not tried this particular experiment. How much agave syrup to add is going to be a different question. You would need to know what amount of sugar is in the syrup per ounce or gram or whatever, and if you can find that out you should be able to come up with the measured dose. Let us know how this works out for you!

[@christinagoetsch3547]

Hi guys! is it ok to use amber EZ-Cap bottles instead?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. Yes, they work well. Thanks!

[@JJ-it8cq]

Hey all love the videos. After bottle carbonation and sealing, how long can you store this cider and it still be good? Thank you

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. So it depends on how well it is packaged and the circumstances (is it it on lees? did you sparge the head space?) but an otherwise stable cider generally stays good and even improves a little over about 2 years. Sometimes even longer.

[@naokostonelake]

Very helpful! Thanks!!!

[@rlrondeau1196]

Great video guys! My cider is in primary fermentation and I learned a lot. Thank you! I noticed a couple things. Just curious why you didn't take the cider off the lees sooner in a secondary fermentation for a few weeks, and then condition? And secondly, is it OK to expose the cider to all that oxygen in your bottling bucket? Cheers, Rand

[@Number12Cider]

Hi Rand. So best practice for cider-making is to rack the cider after its primary fermentation and leave the lees behind. This is typically best done within a week or so of the end of that primary fermentation or when SG is at 1.000 or so. After that, typically it is ready to be bottled within 2 or 3 weeks of racking. Experienced cider-makers may go longer if they are encouraging a malo-lactic fermentation and/or they may rack again for further clarification. Bottling with all of that air is ok. Leaving the cider exposed to air over time exposes it to adverse bacteria that may impact flavor or increase dissolved oxygen, which can give a cardboard type taste. Good luck!

[@rlrondeau1196]

Gotcha, thanks again for the explanation and quick reply! Cheers!

[@raymondjames4027]

Can I bottle it in a wine bottle with a cork ???

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi. So using a wine bottle with a cork is ok as long as you are not seeking carbonation. In other words, no added priming sugar. If you carbonate the product, it will force that cork out of the bottle or break the bottle. For carbonated cider in a bottle you should use a champagne bottle with a cage over the cork to ensure that the bottle is substantial enough not to break and the carbonation does not force the cork out of the bottle.

[@chewax]

Hi guys great video. Thanks. I have one question. Does this process generate additional sediment? Thanks!

[@stephenhance5260]

Hey Daniel. Yes. This process does create additional sediment in the bottom of bottle. Thanks. To have a carbonated product without any sediment you need to do one of two things: (i) use the champagne method, or (ii) force carbonate the product. We have not offered a video about the champagne method but our videos about kegging and back-sweetening discuss the concept of force carbonating. Hope this helps! Thanks.

[@chewax]

@@stephenhance5260 Thanks Stephen! Thats what i thought. I will check that video out. Already sub to your channel :)

[@zachburton4190]

Great vid love them all! Here’s my question, what would happen if you put in 30-40 grams of sugar per gallon to carbonate, but then didn’t put them in the fridge after about 2 weeks? If you just let them sit there will they eventually explode due to not stopping the ferment or is it “shelf safe” and able to sit for long periods of time without refrigeration??

[@Number12Cider]

Zach - at that point it should be shelf safe and able to sit for long periods of time without refrigeration. There will be some malo-lactic fermentation in the bottle after it is carbonated but not generally enough to cause a cap to come off or bottle breakage.

[@zachburton4190]

@@Number12Cider thank you so much!!

[@Number12Cider]

You're welcome!

[@Roombacare]

Thank you for the video. How long can you wait after fermentation is done? I would like the cider to clear by itself and then do the carbonation. Would there be enough yeast left after 2 months or 1 month? Thank you.

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. So it is hard to define the length of time for cider to self-clarify. If you have used pectic enzyme it should happen eventually. Some ciders clarify in a couple of months, some take longer. The yeast will still be there after several months so not to worry.

[@wassytrini]

I may have missed this, but when dissolving the priming sugar, in my case I am going to use brown sugar, how much water do I use? I am going for a medium sparkle as well, so about 20 grams per gallon.

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. So if you are using water - you should only use as much as you need to get the sugar fully dissolved. So if you have a cup of sugar you probably want at least two cups of water. Another alternative is to pull off a few cups of the cider itself and dissolve the sugar in that. Good luck!

[@jgeear]

the stuff at the bottom of the jug can it be used again? Can we just add more Apple juice to it and repeat?

[@Number12Cider]

We are going to say yes. If they are the same basic product. There are instructions out there on how to clean yeast if you are using it for a different product and obviously the lees do not store well so if you are going back to back - that is still a good use.

[@jgeear]

@@Number12Cider Thanks

[@Crom4President]

Did you guys pasteurize after bottling?

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi. In this case no, we did not. This was intended as a dry cider. We will be offering a video on back-sweetening soon for how to keep residual sugar in the cider. We do pasteurize in our facility but have found that process to be a bit difficult in the home cider-making setting.

[@oak3ee1]

How much water did you add to 20grms .

[@theghostofsw6276]

Any tips on using FAJC to prime the bottles? Will a hydrometer reading be accurate enough to reflect the amount of sugars in the juice? Thanks.

[@Number12Cider]

Yes - you can use apple juice concentrate to prime bottles, or unfermented juice and yes, a hydrometer reading is accurate enough we believe. Good luck!

[@theghostofsw6276]

@@Number12Cider Thank you.

[@shellbacksclub]

Great video!

[@raymond-wk2gp]

Could you use the sugar tablets that go in the bottle like for beer carbonation, seems like it would take the guesswork out of the equation

[@Number12Cider]

Not familiar with such tablets but yes, a pre-measured dose for each bottle would work as well.

[@michaeladdo8463]

can you bottle the cider in pet bottles?

[@Number12Cider]

Yes you can.

[@AlexanderTheCanadian]

thank you very much !

[@mustykingvids]

Hey do you pasteurise your cider after back sweetening?

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi. So if you back sweeten into a sealed package without killing the yeast you will need to drink it soon. See my note above to Delanno de Lima and check out our new Q & A video. Thanks!

[@FromHeintzy]

How long does a still cider last in a cage bottle?

[@Number12Cider]

A still cider should last years if it is not exposed to air. Typically traditional ciders are known to age well for about 2 years before the aging process no longer adds beneficial flavor characteristics. Pressure can build up through the malo lactic fermentation in the bottle and a still cider can become less than still. Good luck!

[@OvieSnips8]

Did you add sulphites after the first fermentation and before adding the priming sugar?

[@Number12Cider]

No we did not. You could prevent the bottle conditioning by sulfiting before bottling. It is common to use a smaller dosage of sulfite before packaging but with bottle conditioning I would not advise that.

[@eddypenn2731]

Not sure if this has been asked if so sorry. In the video all the sugar in the cider has been fermented, and the gravity is 1.000. Would you add less sugar to carbonate if the all the sugar had not been fermented say 1.008?

[@Number12Cider]

That is true.

[@HarrisonK]

Thank you for the video! It was very helpful. What size bottles are you using? Are those 22oz? I was going to do a sparkling Perry, and those look like a good size bottle for longer term storage and portioning.

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. Yes, we used 22 oz bottles in that video.

[@godgunzndrumz]

When the time finally comes to carbonate with priming sugar can you use sugar cubes?

[@Number12Cider]

Sugar cubes would indeed ferment. Whether they dissolve appropriately is something we have not tested.

[@godgunzndrumz]

@@Number12Cider I may try this and report back.

[@TheMart584]

Any idea how much sugar you can add to a bottle before it becomes a bomb?. I got into a discussion on a Facbook Turbo cider group that you should not add sugar as there is a possibility of it going off. Guess i was wrong. i know you can add sweeteners to sweeten it as you mentioned in the vid. But wouldn't adding a little sugar give it a that sweet taste?. I don't like those sweeteners, Awful taste. Thanks.

[@lukecramsie5014]

If you add sugar, the yeast will just eat it all

[@stephenhance5260]

Adding sugar does initially give it a sweet taste, but over time the residual yeast in the product will ferment that sugar, and the product becomes dry. Sometimes that fermentation can cause the bottle to break depending on the amount of sugar you had in the bottle. That process can be slowed by refrigerating the product but eventually the yeast will take care of all of the sugar. Watch our upcoming video on back-sweetening but to add sweetness to the finished cider you need to kill the yeast by pasteurization or by using sorbate.

[@toast022]

If you add sugar to carbonate and there is still some yeast in the cleared cider after bottling, if you leave it to age, will you get a sediment build up on the bottom of the bottle? I've only made a couple batches in the past and am now getting back into it, but even after racking twice, I always had build up on the bottom of my bottle (and they were clear bottles so you could see it). Can you carbonate it without getting that build up? Did I just get too impatient on my other brews and didn't wait long enough you think?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. Yes, the bottle conditioning will leave a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. There are two ways to avoid that. One is to force carbonate the product - using a keg and CO2. See our kegging video. The other is the methode champenoise, which is using gravity to slowly force the "lees" (which is the term for the sediment) to the top of the bottle, freezing the top of the bottles, removing the cap, removing the lees and replacing the cap. This is how traditional Champagne is made and it is obviously labor intensive.

[@allwalksoflife6987]

If I use carbonated sugar can I just put my cider straight into bottles and Crown tap it

[@Number12Cider]

Hi Kane. Not sure we understand this question. There is no such a thing as "carbonated sugar." Enlighten us if we are missing something. Per the video, we use sugar to allow the product to self-carbonate in the bottle - "priming sugar." With priming sugar you crown "cap" the cider and allow the bottle conditioning to occur which creates the carbonation.

[@woutjehhh6607]

I have made my first hard cider this week. I have let it ferment for almost three weeks now and when I tasted it, it was quite sour and dry. I would like to sweeten it and at the same time carbonate it. What do you recommend me doing?

[@Number12Cider]

WE recommend you watch our video called "back-sweetening cider" :)

[@Seniortoscratch]

Can you use priming sugar in the bottles, but stop before it’s all consumed for a sweet, carbonated cider? I don’t like the idea of using those sweeteners.

[@bb7851]

If you put it in the fridge earlier I’m pretty sure it would stop it but not positive

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi. Yes, for back-sweetening, we will offer a video soon but it is a bit more complicated. If you do as you suggest above you will need to pasteurize the product before the sugar is fermented out. Pasteurization is a bit tricky in the home setting but basically if you heat the bottle up to 160 degrees or so you will kill the yeast and preserve the remaining sugar. Problem is that in heating bottles to that point you often encounter breaking bottles which can be dangerous and messy.

[@jaredgray7872]

Couldn't you back-sweeten it with a fermentable sugar then bottle then pasteurize your bottles?

[@Number12Cider]

Yes. We've gotten this question before. Consistency is going to be hard to find with this method because the bottles will not all ferment at the exact same pace. Additionally, the bottles better be pretty strong if you are heat pasteurizing them. Ones that have higher carbonation may tend to break.

[@jaredgray7872]

@@Number12Cider thanks, so does that imply that the conditioning sugars would ferment at a more even rate then?

[@jaredgray7872]

@@Number12Cider or is it that you're only giving it enough sugar to ferment enough to carbonate?

[@Number12Cider]

@@jaredgray7872 What we do is give it just enough sugar to carbonate. Adding more sugar and attempting to pasteurize before it is fully fermented is going to be difficult to do and inconsistent because the bottles will not likely ferment at the same pace so some will be over-carbonated, possibly to the point of bursting or leaking and some may be under-carbonated.

[@Joe.8671]

Do you have to melt the sugar in water?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. We think the best practice is to dissolve the sugar in the cider or water to make it better disperse but it will likely ferment and get dispersed anyway if you just add it in because of the activity associated with fermentation. Good luck!

[@mattdavidson3283]

great video guys! I have a batch ready to bottle. I am wondering how long i can store it once i cap it. Do i have to store it refrigerated? I made about 70 gal. so I wont be drinking it all at once. ! Ha!

[@Number12Cider]

70 gallons? Nice! So it can be stored at room temperature and it will probably be good or improve through aging for up to 2 years or so. So hopefully you can drink it in that time :)

[@mattdavidson3283]

@@Number12Cider Thanks, no worries there, I know a few cider lovers!

[@kzufolo1]

what’s the best sugar for priming? and would monkfruit powder work for backsweetening? i’m not a fan of the mentholishness of most stevia type sugars… would you recommend a good sugar?

[@Number12Cider]

Kyle - you can use monk fruit powder for back-sweetening. I would say we do not have a recommendation as it depends on your taste preference. For priming - finer sugar is good for dissolving. Otherwise it doesn't really matter whether it is from cane or otherwise as long as it is fermentable. Good luck!

[@kzufolo1]

@@Number12Cider would using biofine clear to fine my cider prior to backsweetening and carbonating still leave my bottled cider with enough yeast to carbonate?

[@Number12Cider]

Yes - it should not impact your bottle ferment.

[@kzufolo1]

@@Number12Cider EXCELLENT! Thank you guys SO much. your videos rule

[@oibal60]

Thanks again.

[@pensionat60]

Question: When pouring from the brown bootle how do we leave the small amount of sediment behind? I find that during the pouring process I always seem to get some sediment causing cloudiness in the drinking glass. Many thanks!

[@Number12Cider]

Hi John. In general you will have better luck if you store your bottles upright, refrigerate them and handled them gently to avoid stirring up the sediment. Refrigeration keeps the carbonation more in stasis. Also, over-carbonated bottles may bubble so vigorously when opened that they stir up the sediment, particularly if they are not refrigerated. If in doing all of these things you still have carbonation stirring up the sediment you might consider a little less priming sugar next time. Finally, some kinds of yeast are more compacted than others so take note of that while you are working with different yeasts and choose the more compacted ones next season. Good luck. Thanks!

[@pensionat60]

@@Number12Cider Many thanks. I’ll keep you posted.

[@Number12Cider]

Great! Look forward to it.

[@MattyA_18]

Great video! I did have 2 questions: first, how much water did you dissolve the 20 grams of sugar in? The second is if I wanted to back sweeten my cider, do I add the non fermentable sugar along with the priming sugar? Thanks again! I have my first batch that I’m going to bottle in about a month

[@Number12Cider]

Hi. So we use just enough water to dissolve the sugar easily. Maybe 2 cups? Yes, you can add the non fermentable sugar along with the priming sugar.

[@geoffoutdoors]

Great videos, can i package my still cider in growlers with screw tops?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi Geoff. Maybe?! I cant say that for sure. Obviously you are going to find out by screwing it down really tight and finding out if it holds the pressure of bottle conditioning. I suppose it will depend on how much carbonation you are looking for as well.

[@geoffoutdoors]

@@Number12Cider very good..we'll give it a try! I appreciate your input!

[@johnmoran7238]

I'm probably really late to comment on this video but is it safe to leave the cider ferment in the glass bottles? Should they be pasteurised? Or put into the fridge? Thanks

[@Number12Cider]

John: We may misunderstand you question here but: not a good idea to do a primary ferment in a sealed bottle as it would build up too much pressure and the bottle will fail. Using sealed glass bottles for a finishing ferment to create light carbonation with a measured dose of priming sugar (as we have done in this video) is common and works well to make a dry sparkling cider. Check out our video on back-sweetening if you were looking for something sweeter. Thanks!

[@johnmoran7238]

@@Number12Cider thanks so much. That actually cleared it for me. I actually watched that video earlier today. I think I meant to say in the bottles after racking. I'm trying to get my head around carbonation, bottle conditioning and back sweetening. Cheers

[@LivingLife-Lovingit]

Will this process create a sediment in the bottle. I’m keen to have a crystal clear cider that is sparkling.

[@Number12Cider]

Yes it will. If you are not concerned about carbonation, you can bottle the dry cider and consume it as a still cider. If you want a carbonated product that is clear, you need to either disgorge the sediment (as with a champagne) or use a different option to carbonate. Disgorging would have to be a new video because there are a few steps. Other than disgorging - you can keg the cider and force carbonate. You can check out our other videos on that - or you can bottle from a pressure tank or keg using a counter-pressure filler. Good luck!

[@LivingLife-Lovingit]

@@Number12Cider will you be doing a video on disgorging?

[@stephenhance5260]

Hi Stuart. We are familar but not well practiced in disgorging. We are therefore probably not going to cover that topic any time soon. Sorry.

[@leon2194]

Hey guys so i am from belguim (eu) and want to make some cider but there is some confusion by the (gallon) / gram for correct carbonation can you give correct amount in liters / gram

[@danjustice1751]

About 5,3 g per liter :)

[@adam7896]

Hi, great videos. Once you've added the sugar to the bottled cider doesn't the fermentation process continue meaning when you crack the bottle the finished cider is drier and stronger? If so how do you prevent this from happening?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi Adam. I would suggest you watch our back-sweetening video. The answer is yes, the fermentation process continues. To slow the process you can refrigerate for a time while you drink it up or you can find a way to pasteurize.

[@adam7896]

@@Number12Cider thanks for your reply, yeah I actually just watched that video, was really helpful. I was thinking of pasteurising by bringing the bottled cider to an adequate temperature but I’ve read that that can affect the taste. Is that your experience or is there anything else I need to be aware of if pasteurising via heat? Thanks again.

[@Number12Cider]

@@adam7896 Heat pasteurizing is common and we do not think it impacts taste if kept to a minimum. Your cider will no longer be "live" at that point though, so if you hope for ferment or malo-lactic ferment in the bottle, it will not happen.

[@alegaertner]

This bottle is secure?

[@Number12Cider]

The caps hold carbonation well up to a point. We have rarely had trouble with bottles not holding the pressure.

[@snowdogs59]

50 grams of sugar per gallon will create a bomb.

[@Number12Cider]

We have used that level of sugar before without incident but it would be wise to use strong bottles if you are going that high. The flip top bottles are often strong enough and leak through a gasket if they are over their capacity. We tend to use champagne bottles for this level of carbonation, which are much more durable than your typical bomber.

[@spencerTmanson]

i’ve calculated how much priming sugar and cider is just under 9%ABV should i pasteurize it after 2 weeks when it’s done carbonating?

[@Number12Cider]

You could pasteurize it but if its a dry cider at that point it should be fairly stable. If you pasteurize it will be stable for longer term shelf storage. Without pasteurization, the malo-lactic fermentation occur in the bottle and add a little pressure/carbonation but in our experience, malo-lactic fermentation is not enough to blow up your bottles. Malo-lactic fermentation however, will change the flavor some, adding butter/butterscotch notes and reducing acidity.

[@BazzSelby]

After 3 weeks, the bubbles from my cider has slowed to about 1 bubble every minute. Can I bottle it now, or wait until there are no bubbles, at all?

[@stephenhance5260]

Probably you can bottle it now. The best way to know is to measure the specific gravity which should be at 1.000. But if it is being stored at room temperature and you have seen a vigorous ferment - it is probably ready to bottle.

[@Bobotrucker]

So I guess i already messed up and killed my yeast before I remembered I was gonna add some sugar to carbonate.. Anybody got any ideas to remedy at this point?

[@Number12Cider]

So you can add a little more yeast at the time you bottle along with your priming sugar. That should do the trick.

[@jaygraboski3587]

You guys aren’t concerned about making bottle bombs as some say by adding sugar and not later on pasteurizing?

[@Number12Cider]

Hi Jay. We only add enough sugar to carbonate, but not so much that it will make a bottle bomb. Frankly, in all of my 25 years of cider-making, I have not had a bottle explode from refermentation - though I have no doubt it is possible. I have, on the other hand, had many bottles explode when I was trying to pasteurize...

[@CarlPapa88]

I think I watched this a year ago after getting into homebrewing because of Redd's 🍎 Ale.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

2 months?? 😮

[@Number12Cider]

Maybe less. You can certainly try it in one month and see if its ready :)

[@spikelove9533]

I just made some with SO-04 pale ale yeast. I've made it with dady, red star clasigue, and Cuvee,Lalvin D47, K1 1116, and 71B I liked them all but the SO-04 retIned the apple goodness the most IMO. It is kinda cloudy is the only draw back. I did nerd out on the yeast rehydration at 100 degrees added a table spoon of must about every 15 min for an hour ,used firmaid O in the starter and a pin drop of olive oil disolved in the same amount of 190 in the must . It came out at 12% abv id planned on adding some sparkle but it evaporated to quickly 🤷‍♀️

[@1978garfield]

I was wondering about DADY. I am just getting started and am a cheap skate. I see you can get it cheaper than bread yeast. How was the DADY cider? My plan is to back sweeten and refrigerate after it is carbonated. I won't be doing huge batches so I should be able to finish it off before bottle bombs become an issue.

[@Twobirdsbreakingfree]

Why not just hold the mouth of the bottle directly underneath the spigot and fill it that way without all the tubing and specialized equipment? KISS principle - keep it simple stupid.

[@Number12Cider]

Whatever works right! Actually we are using a wand that when it is pressed against the bottom of the bottle starts to fill from that point, minimizing the froth/foam effect. We would recommend using that device because it is cheap and effective but certainly bottles can be filled from the top.

[@ssdettrt2773]

Steve, you talk a lot. You make me bored🤨

[@stephenhance5260]

I have that effect on some people ;)