JoeyB wrote:
> I asked this on rec.crafts.brewing but nobody wanted to give it a shot.
> After thinking on it, maybe this forum is a better home for this:
>
> Last Oct. when cider was prolific, I bought 4 gal of pasturized cider,
> pitched cider yeast, added pectic enzyme and let it ferment - OG about.
>
> About 3 weeks ago I racked into 2ndary and the gravity was 1.000 - it
> tasted good but very dry. Now, I want to get it out of 2ndary and
> sweeten it. I've been reading that about 1.015 is considered medium
> sweet. I'll also make it sparkling by kegging and counter pressure
> filling to bottles so I have no need for further fermentation.
>
> My Idea:
>
>
> Buy frozen apple juice that has preservatives in it. Add a quantity of
> this to my fermented cider until my SG is 1.015. Keg, pressurize to 2.5
>
> volumes, after a time, counterpressure fill my bottles with sparkling
> medium sweet cider.
>
>
> My Question:
>
>
> Will the preservatives in the apple juice I add be sufficient to
> prevent my cider from further fermentation?
>
>
> Any comments appreciated.
>
I doubt it. You will firstly have a dilution issue. Secondly pottasium
sorbate, a common yeast inhibitor only inhibits yeast growth, it does
not kill yeast which may be present from pervious fermentation.

I suggest you need to filter it in someway down to about 0.45um. There
are a number of ways for the home winemaker to do this. Pads, and also
cartridge type systems. I would want the final 0.45um filtration to be
straight into a sterilised keg. The best way to sterilise a beer keg is
put some water into it, say 1/4 full, put it on the stove and then boil
for 20 minutes.

When you bottle, make sure that the lines are all clean, as well as the
bottle. I have heard of someone doing what you describe, and I think
that it did work for him, but this was 15 years ago, and my recollection
may not be correct.

James.