Turbo Cider - a question or 2

Lovely Bloke

flanaganred wrote: »

I tasted a bottle I made last summer, the artificial taste from the sweetener is finally gone,I noticed a marked improvement after around six months but its hard to leave them alone for that long!

I've got Turbo Cider in a press that I made 3 years ago - about three pints left from a 10 litre batch.

giftgrub

Put 15 litres on with Aldi cloudy juice on Friday, Am i right in remembering that a reading of around 1.000 is bottling time?

Also I'm going to get a capper and do it in 500ml glass bottles this time (used PETs) before.

Are they reliable enough for getting a good seal?

flanaganred

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

I've got Turbo Cider in a press that I made 3 years ago - about three pints left from a 10 litre batch.

Does it still carry on improving after a year?I wonder how long it can be kept

matrim

flanaganred wrote: »

Does it still carry on improving after a year?I wonder how long it can be kept

I found a couple of bottles from a batch that I'd made last summer and had them about 2 weeks ago. They were a good bit nicer that what I remember from the fresh batch

giftgrub

Bottled 15L on friday, just stuck another 20 on tonight... Setting myself up for the summer

Elbow

Just did a quick gravity check on my latest batch and obviously there was no point in pouring the sample down anything other than my throat ðŸ˜

Looking (and tasting) very promising, used a mixture of black & green tea, half a jar of organic honey and white labs cider yeast in this batch and its definitely the best to date, sooner it's ready to be drunk the better!

tommiet

Just goin sampling a few bottles of cider tonight, I have fresh cider pressed from, apples, I've a cranberry apple juice blend and some cloudy Aldi juice and I've bottles marked 24 July 2013.

laurence997

tommiet wrote: »

Just goin sampling a few bottles of cider tonight, I have fresh cider pressed from, apples, I've a cranberry apple juice blend and some cloudy Aldi juice and I've bottles marked 24 July 2013.

Well?

tommiet

well....

Cider was great, the cranberry apple blend was very good and looked good too, like a well known brand, it was 9 liters of cloudy apple juice and 1 of cranberry juice light, 3 tea bags, all from Aldi, they did need sweetening, only had artificial sweeteners, the fresh stuff was very clear, a bit dry, so again sweeteners, would have preferred apple juice to sweeten... the other batch was 10L cloudy apple juice, 3 tea bags, raisins, all so great, all were aged 6 months plus, the 24 of July bottles were cloudy apple,tea bags, no raisins, (had to check the dairy) 6 months is long enough...

Was sampling beer last night, a light ale... nice...

giftgrub

Ive had a batch in a primary for over three weeks now, still havent got around to bottling because of work/kids/life etc, will it still be ok?

laurence997

giftgrub wrote: »

Ive had a batch in a primary for over three weeks now, still havent got around to bottling because of work/kids/life etc, will it still be ok?

Should be perfectly fine. I had a batch in for over a month and it tastes great.
While it might not be the best idea to leave it sitting there for too long - once it finishes fermentation it no longer produces co2 to keep that protective 'layer' over it - it's probably not gonna do it any harm. It will still need a good few weeks in the bottle though, the extra time in primary doesn't make up for that.

wotswattage

Got around to tasting mine last weekend and it was really good!
4 weeks in primary, only 1 in the bottles!!! I just couldn't wait... Looking forward to it tasting better in another week or 2.

I used two sweetener tabs per bottle and more or less stuck exactly to the recipe from the start of this thread.

Khannie

The difference between one week and two is like night and day. After 2 months it's absolutely delicious.

wotswattage

I know I shouldn't have been tasting after only a week, but there were a few home brew fans over and we cracked open a few bottles just out of curiosity and were all astounded at how nice it tasted! Great carbonation too.

Khannie

Oh I've tasted it after two days. Just for science, like.

wotswattage

sham69

BeerNut wrote: »

I'd give it another two or three months before trying another bottle.

Well I finally admitted defeat.
I tasted another bottle last week and it hadnt really improved (has been in the bottle since 26th December)

I reckon the yeast was dead or something as I didnt see any activity when I had it in the fermenting bucket.

Anyway, orderded 2 plastic demijohns, some cider yeast and started again.
Its definitely fermenting this time, loads of activity, lots of brown gunk at the top of the demi.
Its been fermenting since Friday and looks good.

Elbow

Just had my first bottle of the batch I brewed in April, the honey definitely adds somthing to the brew, best batch to date by far!

Khannie

Oh that reminds me. I've been meaning to do a batch with some honey for a while now.

flanaganred

Elbow wrote: »

Just had my first bottle of the batch I brewed in April, the honey definitely adds somthing to the brew, best batch to date by far!

Brewed a batch with two jars of orange blossom honey and used safale so4 ale yeast it is also my best batch to date,didn't ferment to dry and like you say the honey adds another dimension

blueshed

picked up some 5L cartons of pure apple juice from the Lithuannian shop on main st Blanchardstown at €7.

going to try these next week, 1 im going to add the raisins n tea bags and the other just the yeast.

being busy last few weeks and bottled 4 different turbo ciders

5L mixed with rhubard, 5L mixed with raspberries, 5L mixed with elderflower, 5L mixed with ginger.

also bottled a gorse wine and a dandelion wine and plan on an elderflower wine this wend.

Khannie

Is that from concentrate?

blueshed

Khannie wrote: »

Is that from concentrate?

Nope, not from concentrate

The One Doctor

Khannie wrote: »

Oh that reminds me. I've been meaning to do a batch with some honey for a while now.

It's technically called 'cyser' and it's fecking great. Just bottled a TC today and it's essentially tasteless after 10 days. Never fear, it won't be wasted.

I will. But it won't.

Paddy The Pirate

Hey! I hope this isn't a question asked too many times, but would I have all the equipment I need if I get this kit:

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/33-l-brewsmarter-starter-kit-for-cider-1059-p.asp

Or do I need another barrel? Apart from that I think I'm right in that all I need is : Apple juice, raisins, tea and sweetener?

Khannie

Yep, that should do you for your first brew. Don't forget to buy yeast.

NewCorkLad

My turbo cider should be ready for bottling soon. The fermentation seemed to slow down very early on I will test it soon and see whats happening. I plan on priming using 2 litres of the cloudy apple juice just wondering could i batch prime using the apple juice in the first fermentation bucket or would I need a secondary bucket?

Donadea Leo

NewCorkLad wrote: »

My turbo cider should be ready for bottling soon. The fermentation seemed to slow down very early on I will test it soon and see whats happening. I plan on priming using 2 litres of the cloudy apple juice just wondering could i batch prime using the apple juice in the first fermentation bucket or would I need a secondary bucket?

you ll need the 2nd bucket, put the apple juice in first and syphon in the cider on top, try to keep the cider flowing in the same direction creating a very calm whirlpool. That should mix it fairly evenly. That's the case with beer anyway i guess cider is the same.

NewCorkLad

Donadea Leo wrote: »

you ll need the 2nd bucket, put the apple juice in first and syphon in the cider on top, try to keep the cider flowing in the same direction creating a very calm whirlpool. That should mix it fairly evenly. That's the case with beer anyway i guess cider is the same.

Thanks only ordered secondary bucket today so I will just have to wait.

Khannie

Instead of waiting, you could just bottle and add in some sugar to the bottles for priming (probably handier than priming with the apple juice).