Turbo Cider - a question or 2

Khannie

My advice: Do. If only so you can see how much it changes with time in the bottle.

It'll probably not be super fizzy though.

Super-Rush

So I popped a bottle just now after 9 days it has a good fizz and its super dry as I used champagne yeast. The taste is not nice at all though.

Khannie

Did you not add any sweetener?

Super-Rush

I primed with juice and some sugar but I have the feeling you're going to say i should have added something else.

howamidifferent

The yeast will have consumed the apple juice and sugar so will leave no residual sweetness. So you should have added an artificial sweetner like splenda etc.
You can still do this as you open each bottle to drink or add something else to sweeten at drinking time.

Khannie

What he said. All the sugar is already gone = mega dry.

I found splenda didn't dissolve well after the fact so if I were you I would just add somewhere between 2 and 4 sweetener tabs per half litre to your glass as you're pouring. They just dissolve away while you're drinking. I use the lidl "cologran" ones and find them fine. The tesco "everyday" ones are exactly the same.

303Techno

Just got 24l on the go.

So I should be looking into Sweeteners now? Is it necessary for a good taste? Going to just opt for Splenda most likely.

Does everyone here measure gravity? Is it possible to just wait 2 weeks and it's highly likely it'll be ready? Not sure whether to order one or not.

adamski8

Lads im going to use stevia to sweeten my cider (natural sweetner from plants) as opposed to that artifocial chemical crap, no worse than big macro brewers adding all sorts of stuff if you use splenda etc in your cider.

Khannie

adamski8 wrote: »

Lads im going to use stevia to sweeten my cider (natural sweetner from plants) as opposed to that artifocial chemical crap, no worse than big macro brewers adding all sorts of stuff if you use splenda etc in your cider.

I'm wary of stevia. I haven't seen anywhere whether it ferments or breaks down in alcohol or not (i.e. it may not sweeten at all). Also it's very expensive and there are no known health benefits associated with it compared with (for example) splenda.

It is well marketed, but I think that's all.

Brewie

Hi folks,

I bottled my second 5 gallon batch last week using the orginal recipe by Khannie posted at the start of the thread and it worked out fantastically. By the time I finished the last bottle, it would have been bottled for 10 weeks. The difference between 3 weeks and 6 sixs is unreal. Such a massive difference in taste.

After that success I am thinking of buying a 5l demi john and trying apple & berry cider and a apple & pear cider maybe. What I am wondering is what it the best way to go about this. I read that I should get the berries in a mesh bag of some sort and just leave them in the bag submerged in the fermenting apple juice? Is it as simple as this?

Should I mash the berries or leave them whole? I'm thinking I should mash them a bit to get the flavours to mix with the apple juice.
What berries should I use? mixed berries, rasberries, blackberries etc etc?
Do I use the same receipe I use for the normal cider and just add the bag?

If someone could post a recipe & method for making a berry and apple cider and a pear one I would be most grateful.

Thanks,
Brewie

avfc1874

hi i've 16 litres of apple juice cider on the go (nearly ready) when its fermented i was going to syphon it into another bucket, add a litre of apple juice to it and then bottle it with 1 tsp sugar per bottle. would this be ok. and should i use sweetner or sugar. any advice appreciated

adamski8

Khannie wrote: »

I'm wary of stevia. I haven't seen anywhere whether it ferments or breaks down in alcohol or not (i.e. it may not sweeten at all). Also it's very expensive and there are no known health benefits associated with it compared with (for example) splenda.

It is well marketed, but I think that's all.

It doesnt ferment! Its cheap enough a big pack of 75g of tescos own is only 2/3 euro.

No known health benefits probably causd stevia has none and none has been found yet on splenda (but splenda is a artificial sweetner and just like aspartamine id rather not be consuming it)

Super-Rush

Had an explosion sometime between Wednesday and this morning.

Wonderful.

303Techno

avfc1874 wrote: »

hi i've 16 litres of apple juice cider on the go (nearly ready) when its fermented i was going to syphon it into another bucket, add a litre of apple juice to it and then bottle it with 1 tsp sugar per bottle. would this be ok. and should i use sweetner or sugar. any advice appreciated

Be interested to hear this also.

blueshed

avfc1874 wrote: »

hi i've 16 litres of apple juice cider on the go (nearly ready) when its fermented i was going to syphon it into another bucket, add a litre of apple juice to it and then bottle it with 1 tsp sugar per bottle. would this be ok. and should i use sweetner or sugar. any advice appreciated

I have used the cheap sweetner from Lidl, Colgrain and first time used 4 tabs per 500ml btl but 2nd time only used 2 tabs per 500ml btl.

to prime my btls I use approx. 50ml of cloudy AJ per btl and a few btls with 1 tea spoon of caster sugar.

going by the advice here and a few other sites the 50ml of AJ seems to work better.

Super-Rush

So I chilled another bottle and opened it just now with a couple of splenda tablets and all I can say is wow. Really refreshing and it packs one hell of a punch. It worked out at 10%.

avfc1874

blueshed wrote: »

I have used the cheap sweetner from Lidl, Colgrain and first time used 4 tabs per 500ml btl but 2nd time only used 2 tabs per 500ml btl.

to prime my btls I use approx. 50ml of cloudy AJ per btl and a few btls with 1 tea spoon of caster sugar.

going by the advice here and a few other sites the 50ml of AJ seems to work better.

is that all you need just apple juice. no sugar?

Weevil

avfc1874 wrote: »

is that all you need just apple juice. no sugar?

50 mls apple juice will give you approx. 5 gms sugar, equalling a teaspoon.

stuchyg

Bottled 10ltrs tonight, much stronger bang of alcohol off this batch for some reason. Rocket Fuel ftw

blueshed

just had 2 btls of my apple and frozen raspberries cider.

the 1st btl was from a normal AJ from concentrate and the 2nd was from the Lidl cloudy AJ.

The Lidl btl was much nicer.both were made same day and bottled same day.

giftgrub

I have some rhubarb growing in the back I'm thinking of putting into a mix....just to make sure i have it right...it DOESNT go into the primary fermenter, you add it after you've racked and leave it again for a bit before bottling as normal?

Khannie

That seems to retain flavour better with the berries alright. stands to reason it'd be the same.

Super-Rush

Could you use honey as a sweetner?

howamidifferent

Super-Rush wrote: »

Could you use honey as a sweetner?

I dont think so as it 100% fermentable.

EDIT: I'm assuming you mean adding as an ingredient during initial fermentation.

avfc1874

howamidifferent wrote: »

Has any one tried any of the the Kit ciders? at around €18 euro a kit it works out much cheaper than Lidl apple juice which is usually €1.29 a litre... But what's the result like? How does one compare to the other?

Any inputs appreciated.

i used the brewbuddy cider, turned out really good:p(the few bottles i did give away went down well):)

giftgrub

Has anyone tried another type of juice? the only reason I ask is because the TWO Lidls near me were out of the cloudy stuff!!

I wouldnt mind, i had everything sterillised and ready to go

Khannie

giftgrub wrote: »

Has anyone tried another type of juice? the only reason I ask is because the TWO Lidls near me were out of the cloudy stuff!!

I wouldnt mind, i had everything sterillised and ready to go

Don't do it! I have tried the stuff from concentrate and even after a long time in the bottle it was rubbish compared to the cloudy stuff.

Aldi do it too, and SuperValu have one too though it's 1.59 a litre.

You should check the fridges in your lidl if they're out too. They do keep some in the fridges for whatever reason.

matrim

Khannie wrote: »

Don't do it! I have tried the stuff from concentrate and even after a long time in the bottle it was rubbish compared to the cloudy stuff.

Aldi do it too, and SuperValu have one too though it's 1.59 a litre.

You should check the fridges in your lidl if they're out too. They do keep some in the fridges for whatever reason.

Is there any other non apple juice you could use for it to get different flavours

Khannie

matrim wrote: »

Is there any other non apple juice you could use for it to get different flavours

I made "pineapple turbo cider" (from concentrate) and a mixed fruit juice. Both not great, even after time in the bottle.

I have flavoured a few apple ciders with spices and honey though. They have worked out well.

matrim

Khannie wrote: »

I made "pineapple turbo cider" (from concentrate) and a mixed fruit juice. Both not great, even after time in the bottle.

I have flavoured a few apple ciders with spices and honey though. They have worked out well.

Was wondering as my GF does't like apple cider and was thinking about alternatives. Would it just be finding a good quality juice and using that instead of apple juice