Help please with 1st cider kit

[lenny1976]

I have made my 1st batch of cider using a Youngs Brewbuddy Kit. I have followed the instructions exactly but it tastes awful!
My question is should I leave it and see if it gets any better or can anybody recommend something I can add to improve the taste? I am new to home brewing so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[pittsy]

Hi , first off how long has it been in the bottle ? The cider kits aren't too good i hear and the pear is awful (i've read) but many here make excellent cider using cheap apple juice and a few bits and bobs (acids etc ) i think folk do have to leave em in the bottle for some time (6 months 1 year etc ) Have a look in the how to guide , i think the recipe and methods are listed .

 

[MattyyttaM]

I hope mine doesn't taste bad, its been fermenting just short of a week.

Did you bottle the cider or keg it? Because I'm planning on bottling mine with sugar in the bottle to carbonate it for a few days after it has finished the fermentation

 

[oldbloke]

Never tried a kit cider but my turbociders aren't up to much until they've been in bottle a month (2 weeks warm, 2 cold, to condition)
You can more or less tell from the taste at bottling what they'll be like when they are ready but at bottling time they're often much too sharp and maybe too tannic. This fades rapidly. They improve an awful lot if left longer than that month, too.
So, yeh, how long has this stuff been out of the fermenter? Time quoted on kit instructions are also often optimistic so you may have bottled early and have a lot of yeast in it not tasting too great as well. Give it time and it'll get much better.

Then read up on TurboCider. Cheap, quick to make, easy to make. Very acceptable results can be had in 6 weeks, from start to swallow. Really good results require long maturing.

 

[lenny1976]

Thank you for your replies. I have put the cider in a keg as per the instructions. It states leave in a warm place for 3 days then move to a cooler place. It has been 2 weeks now so i'm thinking maybe its not been long enough. I will leave it another few weeks and then hopefully it may be drinkable :)

 

[Gayle]

I've not tried that particular kit but the ones I have tried have all improved drastically with a month or two aging before drinking. You can add some apple juice or sugar in the glass to make it more palatable now if you like. I usually make Turbo Cider from supermarket apple juice but the next kit I try, I will be replacing some of the water with a few cartons of apple juice as this is supposed to help the taste.