# Aargh...Pasteurize?



## Propolis30 (Aug 25, 2005)

Hmmm I would like to know if you can do that as well. I guess you would do that before you put the corks in or they would all blow out?

I had a batch of blackberry gas up on me once even though I used K Sorb. I was holding it up to the light looking at it in such admiration of this great thing I had made when POW!....the cork shot out and hit the front door. Luckily I had blue carpet in the house and after I cleaned it up you could't see a thing.

[ April 04, 2006, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: Propolis30 ]


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Not totally unusual to get some sparkle over time even in one you thought was totally dried out. Degassing before bottling helps. As fas as sorbating after it's been bottled, I dunno. I've gone back and added a couple grains dry yeast to sparkle ones that never sparkled but sorbate is unlikely to stop an active ferment, however gentle. It'll only prevent a renewed ferment. 

A water bath pasterization could be run, but realize that raising the temp also raises the pressure and will likely blow corks. Caps should be OK as far as strength of seal goes. COVER the kettle if you try it, and realize that grenades are a distinct possibility. I don't recommend it and the usual disclaimers apply, but the procedure is put the bottles in a tepid water bath, raise slowly to 130, hold a bit, and allow to cool naturally and slowly (don't force-cool). It should stay at 130 for a good 15 mins at least... I don't recall the exact time/heat chart for pasteurization but it could be looked up. The heat will likely change the character of the mead somewhat, but then drinking mead off your ceiling would taste worse







. I used to do this with sparkling hard cider that wasn't totally dry, but those were all in returnable beer bottles with crowns (very sturdy), and I did it on the patio inside a covered kettle standing around the corner.

Alternately keep 'em cool enough to slow/stop the sparkling process. If you're confident in there being little more sugar for them to eat, pull the corks/open the caps, let them sit a sec to degass a little or even swirl gently, and recap/recork. They'll still be sparkled or petillant at least, but you'll get some of the pressure and gas out and possibly avoid grenades with minimal O2 exposure (CO2 devolving out, no gas coming in).

In one extreme case, I opened the whole batch and put it in a keg. Heckuva party. Draft mead... you'll be amazed at how many friends you didn't know you had, and at how the friends you _thought_ you knew behave!


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

OK, looked up the procedure from Annie Proulx's "Making the best apple cider"; this will completely pasteurize even unfermented cider for long-term storage: 

Cork one "test bottle" full of water with a cork that'll allow a thermometer to be snugly inserted through the cork. Submerge all the capped bottles alomg with the test bottle, which sits on an upside-down tuna can, in a water-bath canner. The can is so the heat from the bottom doesn't skew the test bottle's rread if bottle temps from the bath. The cork should be above water.

Heat the bath until temp reads 143F. Hold 30 mins. Remove bottle and lay on sides on several layers of paper in draft free area. Allow to cool.

For them that's done it, it's a alot like water-bath canning.


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