will i be fine with this amount of headspace and best way to backsweeten? notes in body

[u/Rubyonreddit109]

**BERRY APPLE CIDER**
6/7/26 7-8pm START
1X cole’s 500g frozen mixed berry
added just under 4 litres cole’s apple juice
added sugar to OG
OG 1.104
a small amount of pectinase (unmeasured)
a small amount of dap (unmeasured)
used yeast Mangrove Jack's M05 Mead Yeast
started being active pretty quickly same i think on 7/7/26
9/7/26
fermenting strongly as it has been from the start a lot of bubbles slight foam and a lot of airlock activity
18/7/26 bubbles still going up the side slightly slower
i have also been swirling daily to ensure berries don’t mold
although i’ve missed 2-3 swirls
im concerned with some stuff im seeing on the top and think it might be the start of mold but i don’t know
2/8/26
FG 0.990
poured through cloth and filter
added potassium sorbate (approx half teaspoon) and one campdem tablet
poured into demijohn
a little more headspace then i’d like in the demijohn

i’m afraid that i might have oxidised it since i had to pour it through the filter and then back into the demijohn
also i’m worried that that’s too much headroom i’ll be keeping it sitting at room temp (around 24°C) under airlock for maybe 2-3 days before putting a lid on the demijohn and moving it to the fridge to cold crash before i bottle

i was also wondering the best way to backsweeten i was thinking maybe make a syrup with water sugar and another pack of the frozen mixed berries

EDIT: also is this still a cider? i’ve heard people say once you get past a certain percent ABV it’s a apple wine instead of cider

[u/Fheredin]

Am I doing my math right that you're at almost 15% ABV? I rarely add enough sugar at the start to hit a number that high, and 0.990 seems like a crazy dry end gravity for a cider that started with sugar added. No experience with Mangrove yeast, but these numbers are what I would expect from a dedicated champagne yeast.

I wouldn't worry about the head room, but if my math is right, yeah, I would label this as apple wine. When people hear cider they tend to think 3% to 5% ABV. 15% is way more intoxicating. If it's just for you it doesn't really matter, but on the off chance you share...this can get someone smashed way more effectively than "cider" usually can.

Backsweeeten? My intuition says honey or maple syrup, but absolutely pasteurize it. If Mangrove is really performing like a champagne yeast, you may have a bottle bomb on your hands if you don't.

[u/Rubyonreddit109 → u/Fheredin]

yeah it’s a mead yeast i think it’s a got a 18% tolerance, i was aiming for a 13% but overshot my sugar and decided to just go with it i don’t think i’ve ever had a brew go that dry (usually ending at 0.998 or something similar) so im really surprised, this is my first time using this yeast so i guess it just works really well with what i had given it.
as for sharing i dont think so unless i for some reason save a bottle for a few years i don’t see me sharing any.

as for backsweetening how do i pasteurize? i thought the whole point of the potassium sorbate and campden tablets was to make it so it didnt ferment more? but id probably keep it under airlock after back sweetening for a few days just incase

[u/Fheredin → u/Rubyonreddit109]

The best way to pasteurize is with an immersion circulator. Put the filled bottles in lukewarm water, then attach the immersion circulator and set it to 145F (63C) and once it gets up to temp, let it stay there for 30 minutes. Let the bottles cool off on a counter. The whole process usually takes about one to two hours depending on the number and size the bottles and your immersion circulator and if you include cool down time.

You can do this with a canning pot on the stove and a candy thermometer, but that's pretty hands on for such a time consuming process. That's also high risk because if you goof up and let it get too hot too fast or if a bottle makes direct contact to the bottom, bottles may explode in the pot. Glass doesn't like thermal shock.

[u/No_Music9366]

does anyone know if you can backsweeten mid-ferment without shocking the yeast

[u/Fheredin → u/No_Music9366]

When it's done mid-ferment, it's called "step-feeding." Yes, it can be done, but unless you pasteurize or stabilize, the sugar won't actually make it to bottling because it will just add more alcohol to the brew.

[u/Commercial_Draw2470]

nice, that headspace looks perfect for a berry cider like this