Pasteurise DIY?

[Beanhead]

Hey guys,

Just wondering if there's a DIY on pasteurising at home?

I'm tired of continual fermentation when I bottle (no matter how many times I rack/clear) and I also want to have a consistent sweetness to my brews.

Currently doing a cider brew which is ferment ed and racked to which I will be adding strawberry and lime to flavour and sweetness, prime and then bottle.

But I'm really worried considering how my previous brews have gone that it ends up fermenting further in the bottle and lose some of that sweetness.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[scott78]

taken from a cider book

On a domestic scale you can sweeten your still cider to taste and then pasteurise the filled but unsealed bottles in a tank of hot water on a stove top, holding them at 68o C for 20 minutes. Use a digital thermometer in the bottles to be sure that the contents reach the specified temperature for the specified time. Then cap the bottles, take them out of the water bath and leave them to cool on their sides to sterilise the inside of the bottle neck and the cap. Crown or screw cap glass bottles can be used, but not plastic because it will not stand the heat.

hope this helps

 

[Beanhead]

Thanks Scott. How would you prime the bottles?

Before pasteurising or one pasteurised?

 

[scott78]

any sugars or juices should be added prior to heating the cider.

 

[Beanhead]

Thanks Scott.

So once I'm ready to bottle, I prime, sweeten and then pasteurise.

Cap and cool.

Could I use a large DJ as opposed to individual bottles (as long as my pan is big enough?)

Beans

 

[scott78]

I would stick to bottles, easier to move, easier to get the correct temp and easier to cap.
pouring hot cider from DJ to bottle, you would need to heat the DJ higher so once poured the bottle as the correct temp.
hope that helps