do any of you pasteurize?

[Ty520]

Contemplating getting a sous vide to pasteurize some of my low abv beverages so they I can both backsweeten using natural sugars, and bottle carbonate.

was wondering if any of you pasteurize? and if so, if you've noticed that it induces any alterations to the flavors and aromas as a result - I've heard conflicting claims

 

[VinesnBines]

I've read about it on cider forums but never tried it. I gather it would be similar to canning in a water bath but I'm still skittish. I have a keg set up and bottle gun. That works for carbing lower abv beverages.

 

[Ty520]

I've read about it on cider forums but never tried it. I gather it would be similar to canning in a water bath but I'm still skittish. I have a keg set up and bottle gun. That works for carbing lower abv beverages.

yeah, i just read some stories about exploding bottles right after posting the thread and am leaning toward force carbonating now, LOL

 

[VinesnBines]

I’m not convinced beer, wine or champagne bottles are tempered enough for pasteurization.

 

[sour_grapes]

I’m not convinced beer, wine or champagne bottles are tempered enough for pasteurization.

You can pasteurize at low temperatures (like 150F) if you wait long enough. This won't degrade glass at all.

 

[Ty520]

You can pasteurize at low temperatures (like 150F) if you wait long enough. This won't degrade glass at all.

on that note, the second part of the issue would be, does it degrade the wine? Many sommeliers will insist that even 80 degrees can ruin a bottle

 

[sour_grapes]

Yeah, that would be a concern, I agree. I suppose it would be easy enough to give it a try. Put a crockpot full of water on low, put some of your wine in a mason jar in the crockpot for a few hours. Then cool and compare to some unpasteurized wine.

Here is a resource for time vs. temperatures: http://www.cookingissues.com/uploads/Low_Temp_Charts.pdf

 

[Ty520]

Thanks - I found another resource in a cider book for "Pasteurization Units" that I am going to try using a sous vide machine

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks - I found another resource in a cider book for "Pasteurization Units" that I am going to try using a sous vide machine

Nice. I suggested a crock pot because I thought (based on your first post) that you did not have a sous vide machine. FWIW, about a decade ago, I made a sous vide machine by using a temperature controller to control a crockpot (which is how I still do my sous-vide cooking). With the advent of cheap temperature controllers, I can put a SV unit together (for friends) for about $25.

 

[Ty520]

Nice. I've been exploring something like that for my cheese making, but hooked up to a hotplate instead of a slow cooker. I've seen some commercial ones online for around 75 -100 bucks

 

[Wayne Freeman]

yeah, i just read some stories about exploding bottles right after posting the thread and am leaning toward force carbonating now, LOL

I tried using sous vide to pasteurize a batch of root beer in order to avoid having to refrigerate the whole batch in my fridge with no extra space.

It was a disaster. Glass and root beer all over the place. Good thing it was in the winery room and not the kitchen.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I have pasteurized wine in the bottle.
The industry perspective is that any heat treatment will degrade flavor! That said factory processes which protect flavor favor a treatment as 15 seconds at 160F in a continuous heat exchanger over thirty minutes at 143F in a temperature controlled kettle, the time above ambient temperature typically will be two to three times the desired treatment hold time unless you have tools like a steam jacked kettle that is also piped for chill water.

Practically speaking do you object to the flavor of pasta sauce versus make your own sauce?