bottling

[billy]

when i bottle FLAT cider do i need to fill it to the very top to stop any nasties ??

when i prime my bottles for fizz should i leave an air gap or fill to top..

iv left gaps in both and one of my flat cider has a larger gap then originally as i keep tasting it

billy

[crafty john]

when i bottle FLAT cider do i need to fill it to the very top to stop any nasties ??

when i prime my bottles for fizz should i leave an air gap or fill to top..

iv left gaps in both and one of my flat cider has a larger gap then originally as i keep tasting it

billy

If you are making flat cider, add 1 campden tablet per gallon and bottle leaving an air gap, as for fizzy cider you also need to leave a gap of about 2 inches.

[mooj]

Yeah, what craftyjohn said. If you are priming bottles any oxygen present in the gap is diluted greatly with CO2 as the bottle conditions.

However if you're drinking it before you even capped it I suspect you might not be worried about keeping qualities

[billy]

cheers chaps.. done the campden tab bit with the flat cider ..

billy

[Mitchamitri]

I have decided not to bother with bottling flat cider a) as I make real cider I need to add a campden to a gallon to make it last more than 3 months and I am sure I can taste that campden, and b) when the summer comes, because of my storage conditions, it tends to blow the corks out of the bottles (I use corks as Id rather have a cork blow than a bottle burst).
So this year, I have done 3 primed budget kegs and 60 beer bottles – also primed, which means no campden tablets after the fermentation stage,
I am not an expert but I believe from my ciders a campden "taste" becomes stronger over time once the bottle is corked.