Turbo Cider Recipes, Methods and Taste Collection.

[Benson_JV]

Never will i forget my first TC.
IIRC the recipe was 5 litres of apple juice *from sainsburys* and a kilo of sugar, i think.
The OG was off the charts of my hydrometer. By my guess it came out at around 17% (I'm surprised the yeast coped) and I'll tell you what, it bloody blew ye head off!

[Pronay]

Never will i forget my first TC.
IIRC the recipe was 5 litres of apple juice *from sainsburys* and a kilo of sugar, i think.
The OG was off the charts of my hydrometer. By my guess it came out at around 17% (I'm surprised the yeast coped) and I'll tell you what, it bloody blew ye head off!

heh Rocket fuel

What yeast did you use??

[Long-Haired_brewer]

Stage one: Initial fermentation:

Juice used and Quantity: 4.5L of Tesco Apple and Elderflower
Yeast Used and Quantity: Starter made using Youngs Yeast with nutrients and honey and Apple and Elderflower left for two days
Other Ingredients and Quantity: 150g(apr) of Honey ( i kind of just poured it in)
Vessel Used: 5L glass Demi-John with airlock
Method of adding ingredients into vessel: Poured 4.5L of apple juice into pan and boiled for about half an hour with honey. Siphoned into demi john when it had cooled (but not enough) added starter into DJ (but i think it was too hot and i have killed the yeasties)
Starting Gravity: 1052ish
Color/ Cloudiness: Light brownish quite clear
Environment: Wrapped in Towels
Temperature left at to ferment: Around 20C
Time Taken to Ferment: Still Fermenting

Like i said i think i have killed the yeast but this is not too much of a problem as i am popping into town tomorrow so will pick up another sachet, just gotta hope it doesn't get infected.

[Benson_JV]

Pronray: I used Youngs Wine yeast, it got down to about 1015 then died. It never even carbonated, poor yeasties.

[timothio]

It never even carbonated, poor yeasties.

I'm thinking this has just happened to me... Bottled my TC (made with traditional bread yeast) on Wednesday, primed with a bit of AJ and too much sugar, and as of this morning there is no sign whatsoever of carbonation - not a trace of sediment in the bottles, and they're still all squidgy (plastic PET bottles).

I left it a long time after fermentation had finished, not on purpose, just too busy when I was busy and too knackered / lazy when I wasnt, so I thought maybe all the yeast had dropped out of suspension, but now I'm thinking the poor little buggers have drowned in alcohol... Any other ideas?

Guess I'll now have a rather sickly sweet TC to trawl my way through. Still, 'spose after the fiorst couple of bottles I wont notice it... And I guess that means its time to get another 1 or 3 on the go! Was thinking wine yeast this time, but if the alcohol killed yours Benson, I wonder if there's any point? Maybe Champagne yeast? Can that take higher alcohol levels? Or maybe just stick to bread yeast and kewep fingers crossed... Thats how it SHOULD be done, after all!

[DREADSKIN]

you could save it till you make a batch of 'dryer than a nuns crotch' TC and mix it with that stuff. might end up a happy medium

[Benson_JV]

Aye, do as dreadskin says, nothing worse than trying to drink dryer than a nuns crotch TC!
Then again, my old ale (well i know its beer) took forever to carbonate, but it did in the end! So perhaps yours might one day.

[pauljmuk]

New TC brew here - sorry, posted this elsewhere, but figure this is the right place. Couple of questions too.

Made mine up on Saturday. 20litres Sainsburys value Apple juice (just apple juice concentrate, nothing else)
About 500g demerara sugar, and the same of brewing sugar
50g elderflowers, steeped at about 80 degrees in 2 litres of the apple juice 30 mins
mug of super strong black tea (about 4 or 5 bags)
Using Champagne yeast.

It's fermenting away very happily now in a 5gall bin.

OG was 1052. Concerned I've not added enough sugar?

Also, the ferment, unlike beer, is not frothy at all - just looks like it is fizzing. Giving off loads of CO2. Normal?

[Mitchamitri]

Yep - thats normal. You'll only get froth if theres floating cloudy stuff to form the bubbles, so you are ok. If I am a TCF snob I'd say honey would have been nicer to use than demerara with those lovely elderflowers!!

[Benson_JV]

but if the alcohol killed yours Benson, I wonder if there's any point?

Don't forget, mine was 17%! Wine yeast will cope up to about to 12% happily.

[Mitchamitri]

A red or champagne yeats will go 17% +........

[Benson_JV]

Fair enough! I thought those yeasts could only knock out up to 12/13%

[Stringman]

just done first two TC's

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=28226

bit worried that the first one had a sg of 1.065 and i put 3/4 teaspoon of youngs super wine yeast.

should i put some more in?

cheers

[steve thailand]

hi DREADSKIN

this sounds like a nice recipe, i'm going to give it whirl. what benefit do you think there is by adding real apples? do you think there would be a difference in taste if you simply used more juice from a box instead of fresh apples?

also, are you adding yeast at the start or after the first racking?

thx steve

HI ALL,

Although technically new to this forum (ive been reading it at work taking notes etc for the past 6 mothes) i thought i should give my 10p worth on this topic. i love cider and have been experimenting since xmas to come up with the best recipie. this is it. ive since made it three times with perfect strong cloudy scrumpy

my recipe for 20ltrs TC:

20 lts of lydle apple juice
3 pounds lydle honey
8 bramley apples (skinned), blended
1 cup of strong tea made with 3/4 bags
youngs cider yeast

stick 18ltr of juice in the fermenter, blend apples, stick them in. use some apple juice to melt honey, mix with the tea, stick it in.

when the apples 'fall out' of the juice, ie go to the bottom, and the larger bits float to the top, rack off. top up with more juice. ferment to dryness.
if you want it clear, add bentonite, (or just grow up and get a set of b*llox).

bottle it, if you want it with sparkle ad teaspoon or a slosh of juice.#

drinking: get yer mates round and watch them fall over!

i didnt really like the turbo ciders much. they were drinkable, but lacked depth or character or some other pretentious term... by adding the brambleys it gives the cider loads of body and balls. basically its sort of what the kentish cider makers do, and is a cheap method to recreate this.

ends up about 8%

[DREADSKIN]

adding yeast when ive added everything else. then i give it a good long shake. as for adding the apples. if you can get bramley apple juice you could add that. but ive never seen it anyway. cider needs a blend of apples. the apple juice in the cartons is from desert apples. the bramley adds the flavour and acid from cooking apples and the tea adds tannin.