Apfelwein carbonated

[markb1983]

Hey everyone! Currently I have 6 gallons of apfelwein in a 6 gallon carboy. My intention is to ferment to dry then back sweetened the must. Also I would like to carbonate the wine too.


How would you guys accomplish this?

 

[WI_Wino]

If you back sweeten then you can either force carbonate via keg and co2 or you can bottle in beer bottles and then pasteurize once the bottles are carbed to where you want them. There is a sticky on bottle pasteurization on homebrewtalk.

Never bottle carbonate in wine bottles. Champagne bottles are fine.

 

[markb1983]

Thanks I am aware of the dangers in wine bottles. Now would you add the sorbate and potassium meta sulfite and clarifiers. Back sweetened? I'm curious if use sorbate that no new fermentation will happen which is good however will that impact the carbonation process

 

[Jstokerjr]

I made mistake of sorbating mine and can't bottle carb now. I think you could still force carb it though. I don't care for the still version much. My brother in law has a soda carving thing I'm curious if I could use to carb my remain stills with and then rebottle?

 

[SBWs]

Here is what I did; I ordered Xyla sweetener from Amazon, a bit expensive but does not ferment. It's a one for one sugar substitute.

Dissolved the Xyla and priming sugar in very hot water (190°), added to hard cider, stirred it in, and then bottled in beer bottles. I used 1 cup of Xyla and 1/3 cup priming sugar for 3 gallons of hard cider.

No sorbate or potassium meta sulfite or you won't get carbonation.

I did use sulfite in the primary but none after that. Was extra careful to clean and sanitize everything.

I read up on the pasteurization method but couldn't get by the "bottles may blow up" part. That along with the timing issue of having to do the pasteurization when the carbonation is at the right level. I can't always drop what I'm doing to pasteurize.