270: Cidermaker Tips to Avoid Bottle Bombs | Ask Ryan 2021

Bottle Safely to Avoid Bottle Bombs

If like me you grew up in a house where your parents made homemade everything, chances are they also dabbled in making homemade soda, wine, beer, and cider. Mine sure did and I still recall hearing the popping of root beer bottles in the root cellar. Thankfully, we did have a separate room where the exploding glass bottles only left a mess and didn't hurt anyone else around. Bottle Bombs are dangerous and are caused by fermenting sugar over carbonating a bottle that can't withstand the pressure.

Measure Sugar Content before Bottling

In this episode with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider in Ontario Canada we explore the process of bottling with the goal of bottle conditioning with the final product being one that has a bit of sparkle (read: bubbles).

Ryan Monkman - FieldBird Cider in Kent-He wine cellar

Usually I bottle when the cider has not fully fermented. There is just enough yeast cells in solution that they will continue to munch away on the sugar and produce bubbles creating a sparkling cider that is both pleasing to the palate and as Ryan says,”Bubbles make aromatics pop!”

The hook is that the cider has been aging in the carboy for well over 2 years. The yeast look spent, meaning they are dead yeast cells and any that are still holding on to life won’t have enough vitality to multi enough even if priming sugar is added to the cider with the hope of getting a bit of sparkle in the bottle.

Autolysis:  is the destruction (or lysis) of a cell by its own enzymes. This process usually takes place after about 9 months.

What to bottle in to avoid Bottle Bombs

• Quality glass 
  • Champagne bottles are built for pressure
• Crown caps are better than flip tops
  • Caps will have tendency to pop off, whereas flip tops can't and thus the glass is under extreme pressure

How to measure residual sugar

Ryans recommendations

Hydrometer is best for determining alcohol, but can't give you a complete measurment on residual sugar

• Fermentest - what FieldBird uses
• Clintabs (clindamycin hydrochloride )
  • - no longer available unless you have left over tabs that your dog's Vet prescribed.
• AIMTabs
  • here are 3 sources in the US for AIMTabs which are now used instead of clintabs. Note the prices as of April 2021

  • https://www.piwine.com/tablet-refill-residual-sugar-test.html $31.99 (& 17+ for Fed Ex shipping)

    https://carolinawinesupply.com/product/aim-sugar-tablets/ $36

    https://dwinesupplies.com/products/aim-tab-reducing-substances-tablets  $50.55

Once you have determine the amount of residual sugar, you can then determine how much sugar and yeast to use for bottling. In the next Episode 271: Sugar, Yeast and Bubbly Bottles, Ryan and I will discuss the next step of how much sugar and what kind of yeast to use.

Contact for Ryan Monkman at FieldBird Cider

• website: https://www.fieldbird.ca/
• Instagram 
  • FieldBird https://www.instagram.com/fieldbird.cider/
  • Ryan Monkman https://www.instagram.com/rgmonkman/
• Listen to past episodes with Ryan Monkman
  • Ep: 269 Gross Lees in the Barrel | Ask Ryan 2021
  • AskRyan Quarantine Quad series 2020  
    • Part 1
    • Part 2 
    • Part 3
    • Part 4

  • 131: Cider Barrels with a Cooper, a Maker & Thierry Lemaire

    132: Barrels & Bâtonnage

    168: Barrel Aging Cider Inspiration

Mentions in this Chat

• Totally Cider Tours - Reserve your seat for 2022 tour contact mailto:[email protected]
• CraftCon2021 - April 29th & 30th 2021
  • A virtual two day conference based in the UK
• Fermentis by Lesaffre -
  • Q&A #18 What is the ratio of nitrogen to sugar that Fermentis sometimes recommends?
  • Two upcoming Fermentis seminars
    • May 20th - Session 1 for craft and industrial:https://www.edudip.com/en/webinar/exploring-the-diversity-of-yeast-strains-and-fermentation-conditions-for-different-cider-styles-session-1/1135676May 27th - Session 2 for home cider makers:https://www.edudip.com/en/webinar/exploring-the-diversity-of-yeast-strains-and-fermentation-conditions-for-different-cider-styles-session-2/1135696

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