Turbo Cider Experience

Hi chaps. Thought I would record my turbo cider experience in the hope it helps one or two people out!

I poured 23L ASDA Apple Juice from concentrate into a sanitized FV, added 2.5tsp tannin and a packet of Mangrove Jack's Cider Yeast. I chose not to use any acid on Oldbloke's recommendation as the juice already contains citric acid - I tasted a little before deciding, and decided it was probably acidic enough already.

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/asda-com ... te_2L.html
http://mangrovejacks.com/products/craft ... ider-yeast

Fermentation started somewhere around 1.039 - 1.042 after a day (I forget the reading) with a big krauzen that looked oddly like a biscuit! This died down after a few days and fermentation appeared to be over in a week. I left it for 14 days total in the FV, and recorded the same final gravity of 1.002 with a 3 day gap inbetween readings. I always thought that cider finished much lower but a little research told me otherwise. This leaves the cider at between 4.9% and 5.2%.

I syphoned this into a value keg with 100g white sugar and it's clear as a bell. It tastes great out of the keg already and I'd happily drink it, but it will improve more in time. The cider was ridiculously clear after fermentation with no finings required, and has remained so in the keg. The yeast kicks out a nice toffee apple sweetness with a moderately dry, slightly acidic backbone.

Total cost of this brew (assuming you already have tannin or will source it from black tea) was;

11x 2L Apple Juice = £16.50
1x 1L Apple Juice = £0.75
1x MJ Cider Yeast = £1.99
100g white sugar = 10p? lol.

£19.34p for 40 pints of cider, or 48p per pint.

TC is definitely a must brew for anyone who likes cider, it's fast, easy, economic and the final product is lovely!

Cheers!

very good and cheap too nice one

Nice one Rob.

As soon as I've got a spare FV (Mine have all got beer in them). I'll be making a big batch of TC. I have also brought some yeast nutrient. Did you use some in yours?

Lidls was doing 2L of apple juice for £1.29 and I bought 10. I'm going to be using Allisons baking yeast and I've got some sugar sitting around so it will cost me £13 for 20L so around 37p a pint. Magic.

EDIT:-

Scratch that. I'm going to be using a spare packet of Gevin Ale yeast to be sure. I've made TC with Allisons yeast and it tasted great but I don't want to risk using it on a 20L batch.