Can Cider kits live up to half decent scrumpy??

[Rowang]

Just wondering what peoples opinions are? Ive been eyeing the John Bull Country Cider kit.. anyone have any experience with it?

Im after something a bit like the medium-dry cloudy scrumpy that blows your head off and is generally served in a welly boot in the west country. Im after plenty of flavour and well balanced acidity etc.

My idea would be to do the kit, but then when its at the right dryness, kill off the yeast with a hefty dose of campden, rack to a pressure barrel to clear for a few days, then shove it into a bag in a box arrangement, to remain as cloudy as when racked. Anyone got any views on this??

Had a go at a TC last year - tried with crap juice and again with decent apple juice - still wasnt really the desired effect - a bit thin..

I know that with these things il never recreate Old Rosie (etc!) but, hoping to make something a bit like it!!

Cheers!!

[Gordonmull]

Campden alone won't stop the ferment, only stun the yeast. You'll need to use potassium sorbate in conjunction with campden or your bag will soon be bursting out of it's box!

Try a TC, stop at desired sweetness and add some glycerine for mouthfeel maybe. I've never really had much problem with the body in TC, personally, so never tried that.

I've only tried 2 cider kits - Finlandia, which both me and the missus thought was total crap and Black Rock cider which the missus thought was rubbish but I thought was just drinkable, never tried another again since TC.

[fatbloke]

Campden alone won't stop the ferment, only stun the yeast. You'll need to use potassium sorbate in conjunction with campden or your bag will soon be bursting out of it's box!

Try a TC, stop at desired sweetness and add some glycerine for mouthfeel maybe. I've never really had much problem with the body in TC, personally, so never tried that.

I've only tried 2 cider kits - Finlandia, which both me and the missus thought was total crap and Black Rock cider which the missus thought was rubbish but I thought was just drinkable, never tried another again since TC.

Campden and sorbate won't kill the yeast either. The campden stuns the yeast and the sorbate just stops it reproducing, hence any yeast that gets over the campden addition can start to referment.

Yes the above two to get so far, and then cold crash it (less than 4C for a week or so).

if you made a cider kit like the ones I tried (sorry can't recall the make), then a little addition of some crab apples (or even more malic acid) then some glycerine like Gordonmull says, you might get something with a little more mouth feel.

A lot of "normal" ciders get their mouth feel as they're sweetened with non-fermentable sweeteners......

[Gordonmull]

Fatbloke you are confusing me If campden and sorbate doesn't stop fermentation should I expect my wine #2 to start fizzing up again after backsweetening? On previous experience I've had no probs over a couple of months in the bottle. Is this something that happens rarely if you're unlucky, or have I just been lucky???