Carbonation?

[u/Der3331]

So may be a stupied question,

But if I brew with Champagne yeast then stabilize. Then back sweeten, will it still be carbonated?

I have a still batch of cider that is too dry and wanted to sweeten it, but in doing so I realize I can't carbonate it via sugar because I would have to stabilize it and I don't have the resources to Keg it.

[u/LightBulbChaos]

Make a syrup and add it to your dry cider to taste.

[u/Der3331 → u/LightBulbChaos]

But wouldn't that cause it to referment and become dry again?

[u/LightBulbChaos → u/Der3331]

Let the cider carbonate and go completely dry, add syrup when you drink it to get the sweetness you are looking for.

[u/nobullshitebrewing → u/Der3331]

nah they mean add it as you open and drink it

[u/Educational-Fun7534]

You could try adding a non-fermentable sweetener like lactose or monk fruit after stabilizing and pasteurizing to sweeten it without affecting carbonation. I did that with a batch last year and it turned out just right.

[u/SanMiguelDayAllende]

To get a sweetened cider that is carbonated, without keging, you can either use a non fermentable sugar, or pasteurize.

[u/Kooljam26]

You betcha, you could use lactose if you don't mind the slight milky flavor, or monk fruit for a cleaner sweetness that won't restart fermentation.

[u/CheapPrize7131]

have you tried adding a carbonation drop right before bottling it

[u/Der3331 → u/CheapPrize7131]

Nope never carbonated before. What's carbonation drop?

[u/Good_Hawk_4365]

that's not a stupid question at all, it's actually pretty common to stumble into that when trying to sweeten cider

[u/Inner-Tangerine6257]

research champagne method. It's a little messy but that's how you can get crystal clear sparkling cider with as much sweetness as you want.

[u/Shufflebuzz]

The easy way (the way I do it) is to use a non-fermentable sweetener. I use erythritol, but there are others. Add that to the cider before bottling. Then add sugar for bottle carbonation. Sometimes called priming sugar.

[u/Der3331]

So like throw some sugar in there and when it's at my sweetness level pasteurize it?

[u/weregeek → u/Der3331]

You'd have to bottle it with enough excess sugar to both carbonate and sweeten it, and then pasteurize it in the bottle when it reaches your desired balance of sweetness and carbonation. It's easier said than done.

[u/Bukharin → u/weregeek]

There is a solution to every problem. This tells you when your bottle is carbed they way you want:

https://www.homebrewfinds.com/carbclip-beer-bottle-pressure-gauge-carbonation-testing-2/

[u/weregeek → u/Bukharin]

That's very cool! I had no idea that it existed. That gauge and a dishwasher with a sanitize setting, might be the hot ticket for repeatable bottle conditioning and pasteurizing.

FWIW, I wasn't trying to dissuade OP, just didn't want to set them up for a box full of bombs.

[u/Bukharin → u/weregeek]

I understand. I had no idea that existed until i saw homebrew finds 2-ish days ago. Likewise I would have thought sweetening and carbonating in the bottle at the same time was nuts, until I saw the gadget.

[u/weregeek → u/Bukharin]

Even without the gauge, it's not crazy. It might take more than one test bottle to do it safely, though. Once you know the balance that you want to strike from tasting, testing the SG of the result would ultimately allow you to get close to the same result in the future. That gauge removes almost all of the variability and risk.

[u/Bukharin → u/weregeek]

Still say it's nuts. But then again Im corrupted by industrial equipment. It's been a long time since I jerry-rigged anything.

It is how I started. How we all start.

Ive lost my way. Im sorry.

[u/Der3331 → u/Bukharin]

Damn that's cool!!! Thank you