Turbo Cider - First Batch Review

[TELEDU]

ok thanks

[eskimobob]

I haven't added any sugar for this first go as the OG was 1047 - quite sweet that asda apple juice

[TELEDU]

how long does this take to ferment roughly? and what do you mean bob when you say 'the OG was 1047' ?

[eskimobob]

Well mine has been fermenting since Tuesday (two days) and it has slowed down significantly now. I would imagine only a day or two more until I can transfer it to my second plastic bottle and get another batch going on top of the existing yeast.

Sorry, my OG (Original Gravity) measured with the hydrometer was 1047 so the juice itself is quite sweet without adding any more sugar. Assuming it ferments out well (which cider normally does in my experience) the I hope for somewhere between 5% and 6%.

I would be surprised if 'normal' yeast would cope with alcohol percentages much higher than that. When I made cider years ago from cider kits, I always dumped the yeast provided and used Champagne yeast instead having first upped the sugar quantity a bit - used to make a very strong cider :stun

[TELEDU]

ah i see, some people said that it fermented for around a week.I'll get some champagne yeast if that has a higher ABV than 5%.I'll have to buy a stopper for a 5ltr and an airlock.

[bod]

i've brewed beers upto 9.5% with muntons gold yeast and Wyeast 1007 with no bother in the past!

edit: i should elaborate on that a bit i suppose. it was my first all grain experience, and having been taught the basics by the batch sparging king, denny conn, i used one of his recipes, but mistook pounds for kilos.... ended up with a monster beer by mistake, was meant to be a light german alt beer. the second time i made the same mistake with a bitter..... :huh: what a fool.

[eskimobob]

Surely that's rocket fuel not beer

[bod]

yeah, it really did some damage!!!! when i realised my mistakes i ended up ageing it fir a year to mellow out. hogmanay that year was a blast!!!

[Andy]

QUOTE (bod @ May 25 2006, 05:01 PM) i used one of his recipes, but mistook pounds for kilos.... ended up with a monster beer by mistake, was meant to be a light german alt beer. the second time i made the same mistake with a bitter..... :huh: what a fool.

[fizzypop boy]

First time i brewed it i put in 10 oz(age shows) and it took 9days before i could bottle it.Second one which i'm doing at the moment had 1 LB of sugar added and its still going strong after 5days.

[TELEDU]

I might start my own first batch of TC soon but once that has finished i'd like to try brewing some in a 25ltr fermenting bin, so does anyone know how much yeast should I use for a 25ltr fermenting bin, obviously more than one sachet I shoud think, any help appreciated I think this will look odd me walking out of Tesco's with 25ltr's of apple juice.

[TELEDU]

QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ May 28 2006, 06:21 PM) I used 2 sachets of gervin high alcohol yeast for 30L, just sprinkled it on, nothing fancy and it was fine. That much alcohol in any one household should be illegal


I'll buy some 2 packets of champagne yeast, as that comes highly recommended.

[Reg]

QUOTE (TELEDU @ May 28 2006, 06:39 PM) QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ May 28 2006, 06:21 PM) I used 2 sachets of gervin high alcohol yeast for 30L, just sprinkled it on, nothing fancy and it was fine. That much alcohol in any one household should be illegal  


I'll buy some 2 packets of champagne yeast, as that comes highly recommended.
Champagne and stuck ferment yeast works very well. I just bottled up a mini brew into 10 recycled Black Sheep ale bottles. (Some slight variations to the recipe as I sat the cider in a demijohn charged with cleared, freshly-squeezed apple juice for a couple of weeks which has added some crispness to the flavour).

Just added a little more charge into the bottles and put them down to mature.

[craggy]

hi all
just getting back into all this,
what would happen if i used half apple juice half water?? lack of strength , taste?
or would it not work?

[Reg]

QUOTE (craggy @ May 31 2006, 11:58 AM) hi all
just getting back into all this,
what would happen if i used half apple juice half water?? lack of strength , taste?
or would it not work?
Primarily, you qould dilute both the strength of your final brew and the flavour elements of the brew by diluting the initial must, (must = juice for fermenting).

However, if you want a lighter cider then a smaller amount, (say 20%), of dilution with boiled and cooled water will do no harm. However, simply reducing the sugar in the original recipe is probably more practical as you will reduce the strength without reducing the flavour.

Reg