I was in Asda yesterday...

[Robbo78]

And after my Champagne yeast arriving in the morning I ended up buying 5 litres of apple juice, some light muscovado sugar and 5ltr of spring water.

Before I embark on my first turbo cider roller coaster ride I have a few questions that need answering by the pros here.

If I add muscovado sugar to the brew, how much? Around 200g?

Should I bring some apple juice to the boil first and add the sugar and melt it in by stirring then allow to cool and add to the rest? Or should I just throw the muscovado in with the apple juice from the start and let it take care of itself?

Am I right from reading other posts that you add 4 litres of apple juice and the sugar and yeast - let the frothy fermentation die down and then add the final litre?

I dont have a demi john nor a bubble thing for the top. Can I just drill a hole or leave the lid on loose?

I know its turbo cider because its quick so how long does the whole process take?

Do I add the whole 5g sachet of champagne yeast?

Do I need to rehydrate it first? And is this simply adding a touch of water to it in a cup and leaving half hour or so?

Many thanks.

[Curious Brew]

And after my Champagne yeast arriving in the morning I ended up buying 5 litres of apple juice, some light muscovado sugar and 5ltr of spring water.

Before I embark on my first turbo cider roller coaster ride I have a few questions that need answering by the pros here.

If I add muscovado sugar to the brew, how much? Around 200g?

200g of Muscavado will raised the final alcohol content to between 7-8% depending upon the intrinsic sugar in the juice.

Should I bring some apple juice to the boil first and add the sugar and melt it in by stirring then allow to cool and add to the rest? Or should I just throw the muscovado in with the apple juice from the start and let it take care of itself?

Boil it in apple juice to dissolve and sterilise it.

Am I right from reading other posts that you add 4 litres of apple juice and the sugar and yeast - let the frothy fermentation die down and then add the final litre?

I add 4.5 litres to start and save the rest to prime with but you method will be fine.

I dont have a demi john nor a bubble thing for the top. Can I just drill a hole or leave the lid on loose?

Just leave the lid loosely on top.

I know its turbo cider because its quick so how long does the whole process take?

Anything between about four days and two weeks depending upon the juice, yeast, temperature etc.

Do I add the whole 5g sachet of champagne yeast?

I do. But you can reuse the yeast by adding more juice to the slurry after you've bottled the previous batch. Anything up to three times have works fine so far.

Do I need to rehydrate it first? And is this simply adding a touch of water to it in a cup and leaving half hour or so?

Just add the yeast to the full demijohn (I use a bit of card as a funnel) and give it a damn good shake!

Many thanks.

No worries!

[prolix]

Curious I can't believe you didn't suggest chopped beetroot to make it red or mashed bananas and grapefruit for turbo fruit salad

[Curious Brew]

Curious I can't believe you didn't suggest chopped beetroot to make it red or mashed bananas and grapefruit for turbo fruit salad

Hmm, new ideas.

*makes note*

[Robbo78]

Cheers everyone im off now to make my first turbo cider!

I will report back!

[Robbo78]

...and I did.

Just went down to the toilet from the computer - my 5L of turbo cider has a frothy head forming

[Curious Brew]

...and I did.

Just went down to the toilet from the computer - my 5L of turbo cider has a frothy head forming

You're brewing it in a toilet?

*makes note*

[erebus]

*makes note*

Turbo Toilet Duck? God help us all.

[Robbo78]

No I had to pass through the kitchen to get there!

By the way the frothing died down and now its just fizzing/bubbling. Is this the norm? I was expecting loads of foam?!

[Robbo78]

Just to update. I didnt seem to get any mad frothing/fermenting but there is constant fizzing?!

How long should this go on for?

By the way - made a silly mistake tonight - opened my 5L plastic bottle when I got home from work. I am leaving the lid on loose. So just went to lift the lid off and it was stuck. So my natural instinct was to undo the lid. I made a quater turn and *BANG* the lid shot off like a bullet from a gun and hit the ceiling! I shouted something that rhymes with clucking bells as I felt the blast whizz past my left eye!

Now I cant remember if I had a look inside this morning before going to work and accidentally did the top up a small amount before going. Either that or the wife wants me dead but she swears she hasnt touched it.

Either way it was a close shave as I could feel the bottle top shoot past my eye - it was that close!

Anyway it fizzed up fratically and I lost a tiny amount over the kitchen work surface.

Needless to say somethings definately happening in there!

I guess they dont call it turbo for nothing !

[Hoppkins]

I added almost 1kg ogf sugar to my first TC. It was....surreal, it was like wine but fizzy with a hint of special brew.

My nextdoor neighbour exclaimed "It was great, got me quite drunk after one bottle"

I retorted "Urm...yeah about that. I didnt quite measure the % vol right...nevermind..."

It turned out about 11+% or something. Some of my friends recall it as "Toxic Rocket Fuel"

[Robbo78]

So err does mine sound like its heading in the right direction ? Its still "fizzing" today.

[Robbo78]

Left it until now although I added the final litre back midweek when things went dormant then it fizzed back up again.

Bottled it tonight with 1 tsp of muscovagdo sugar per bottle as I had no more apple juice to use to prime.

If you dont hear from me in the next 6 weeks you know it all went well

[booldawg]

Sounds like its fermenting out well Robbo. Cider doesnt really produce a big frothy head. It kind of seethes and fizzes alot. Mine was even fizzing when I bottled it. I was worried about it over-carbonating but its absolutely fine.

[mikewest]

Cider doesnt really produce a big frothy head

I don't have any pictures because I was too busy cleaning up but rest assured you are wrong. 21 Litres of lidl AJ + 1 S-04 yeast + warm kitchen = big frothy mess all over kitchen table and floor. At least I found it before swmbo awakened in the morning.