How I make TurboCider, with pics

[oldbloke]

Finally got round to photographing the process: http://oldbloke.livejournal.com/745294.html

[nutmeg31415]

Hi, When you say the cheapest from concentrate works, I could just use economy apple juice? This looks far too tempting to not try! Pretty easy to do it all in one go in one of my old beer FVs too. I see you are using loose leaf tea, but if I was to use tea bags , how many do you think I should put in the pot?

[eddy31384]

2 or 3 into a big cup or about 1/2 pint cup

[oldbloke]

2 or 3 into a big cup or about 1/2 pint cup

I used 4 last time I used teabags.

Yes, economy AJ is fine. I've normally used Lidl's apple nectar (or Apfel Nektar to be precise) or Morrison's Saver AJ. It all works.

The batch I photo'd has been ready to bottle for a few days but RealLifeTM has got in the way. Waiting a bit won't hurt it, still be enough yeast left in it to bottle condition. Should get it done tomorrow. Or Monday...

Did finally get the coffee wine bottled, and it's tasty stuff - planning on making more very soon.

[hong]

Just out of curiosity, from start to finish when is the soonest you can drink this? I like the idea of the other juice in too.

[oldbloke]

Fermentation takes owt from 10 to 21 days, depending on the exact ingredients, yeast chosen, and mainly temperature. I just let it go until it clears.
After that I bottle with 1tsp sugar per pint (or 500ml), and give it 2weekswarm2weekscold for the fizz to develop. You can shave that down a bit, and if your warm place isn't very it might actually prefer longer.
Depending on the exact recipe it may then be drinkable, or it might want a week or so for any sharpness or bitterness to age out. The longer it's left the better it gets though most of the improvement is near the beginning (NB experts adding malic acid will need to leave it to age much longer)
So, after bottling, absolute minimum is about 2 weeks, preferred minimum is 4 weeks, it'll be way better at 6. Which typically means you're drinking it 4 to 8 weeks after starting it off.

[Flea]

We've just popped the first bottle made to this recipe, very nice! It certainly puts the kits we've tried in the shade.

Having tried it and liked it we've upped the scale and put on a 5gal batch tonight, all in cost of around £15 at current Lidl prices for apple and cranberry.

[zerodivine]

Hey i have made my 1st batch of tc using tesco value apple juice. And a lemon.
I do like a cloudy cider so my 2nd batch i haven't added pectolase.
Do you really need to add the tannin as mine tastes alot like scrupmy after 5 days anyways????
Just wondering. Thanks

[oldbloke]

You may regret the lemon. Or maybe not.
In my opinion it does need tannin, but you can always try making two batches, one with and one without and see what you think. It changes as it ages and the tannin matters more as it gets older. My very first gallon didn't have any and it was nice enough, but I've preferred the 30 or so gallons I've made since that did have it.
I never add pectolase anyway. Most of the cloudy juices in the shops are made cloudy by an industrial process, it's got very little to do with the pressing of the juice. They may clear or they may not. If they don't, it's a little harder to know when to bottle - might have to get the hydrometer out (I rarely use mine in the normal run of things)
At 5 days in there's all kinds of biochemistry going on which will be all gone when it's finished, it probably won't taste like scrumpy then (although this may depend on which yeast you used). Personally I prefer the clean style to the scrumpy style - too many bad morning-afters growing up in Zummerzet in the 70s. But if you like the way it tastes now, and if it's strong enough for you, why not stop it with wine stabiliser? You'd have to drink it flat or force carbonate though.

[zerodivine]

Hey man. Thanks for the advice on the tannin. I will try it in the next batch along with malic acid.
And really try not to drink the lot. Only have 2 liters of the last one left already it was good tho so can't complain.
I added some campden tablets in to stop it at 8.7% but the yeast had others ideas. Up in the 10% area now and not as sweet. Still good.
A working process. May add a sweetner to it next time though.

[oldbloke]

Campden alone won't stop yeast, you need Campden and potassium sorbate in combination.
And then you can't carbonate naturally...
If you don't want dry cider, best to do the sugars to get your desired ABV and then add non-fermentable sweetener (eg Splenda) to the recipe

[Pinto]

Sugar is for the yeast to make alcololly If you want it sweet, add an artificial sweetener at the bottling stage. I've tried Sucralose and Stevia and found both worked well, no real difference in flavour between them (or added to the cider) - dosage of 1tsp/500ml to take the sharp edge off and 2tsp/500ml to make it appreciably sweeter.

If you're looking for suggestions, One of my best so far has been Apple & Lychee

[GrogMan]

I made this yesterday, only my 3rd brew, just made a gallon of it in a demijohn but added 200g of sugar, do you think that will be ok? Cheers old bloke !!!

[oldbloke]

It'll add around 2% to the ABV.

[GrogMan]

That will be perfect, cheers pal!