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Bottle Carbonating Question

Cider
#1

Bottle Carbonation Question - this is my second cider (the first was awesome).

This batch brewed and bottled as follows:

Apple OG = 1.042. Very low so I added a 2/3 Turbinado/Corn Sugar to increase OG to 1.062.
Added yeast and fermented for two weeks with Brupaks ale yeast to FG 1.001 (8.01%).

Primed with 1oz/gal of dextrose and bottled. Four days later, no noticeable carbonation.

In my first batch last month, I used the same bottling procedure and had full carbonation 4 days later. This batch does have other variables though i.e. different apples in juice (with higher sugar so no sugar added), different yeast, cooler ambient temperatures etc.

How long does it usually take to bottle carbonate cider? Will this batch carbonate or am I left with still? That’s fine, it’s tasty–but I’m hoping for some pop.

Thanks–

sm

#2

The higher OG can tire the yeast, taking a little longer to carb up. In addition lower temps can really slow or halt the process. 4 days is VERY minimal time for carbonation. Move the bottles somewhere warm, flip them daily, and check 2 weeks later.

#3

It usually takes about a month to carbonate my ciders. It’s pretty slow but eventually it will happen if you did things right. If you experienced carbonation in just 4 days on another batch, then you did something wrong – you bottled before fermentation was complete, which can lead to very dangerous bottle bombs. Be careful! Patience is always best.

#4

Thank you both. This is good information. I didn’t realize it would take a couple of weeks when done correctly. On the last batch that carb’ed in four days, I drank them all in the first couple of weeks so I unwittingly avoided the bottle bomb issue.

I’ve been keeping my bottles in plastic boxes in the event one or more explode. Are these bottle bombs as dangerous as they sound? Are we talking potential bodily injury?

Thanks again.

Steven

#5

Picture tiny glass shards blown out 20 feet from the source. Yes, it is seriously dangerous. It’s happened to my bottles, luckily I was not injured but easily could have been. Disposal of the remaining ~50 bottles is the most dangerous part of all because they might blow up in your hands.

#6

They are just like a small bomb, one blew up 3 feet in front of me and I that some one had just shot a gun into my house. Luckily me and my dog were not hurt . What a mess!

#7

I’ve had two bottles blow on me from the same batch… not contradicting anyone here, because much better safe than sorry, but both of mine were rather anticlimactic. Just a small little tink as the bottles cracked, then a gush of fizz as the beer poured out. No blast radius, no explosions, nothing. In both cases, the bottle broke cleanly into two or three pieces. That being said, I now keep my bottled beer in big plastic tubs with lids on.

Oh, and my first cider has been in bottles for about a month and is just starting to get to a decent state of carbonation, so yes, four days seems rocket fast. Of course, my storage room has been hovering around 60 degrees lately, so I guess I’m conditioning pretty cold.

#8

This is why it is ALWAYS good to fill a couple plastic empty soda bottles with your cider while bottling. Check them daily for firmness…if they firm up inside of 2 to 5 days…you better get your bottles ready and pastuerize at 190 for at least 10 minutes. This will kill the remaining yeast…thus preventing the bottles from becoming hand grenades. The key to this is when you find your plastic bottle is firming up…put one of your glass bottles in the fridge…and cool down for a couple hours…pop it open and pour…if you are even close to your carb range…then pasteurize. The yeasts will go into a short beast mode of carboninzation prior to their deaths which will result in you having a perfectly carbed cider. This of course is taking into the fact that you are backsweetening…if you are not…disregard this entire reply… :cheers:

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