help with first TC attempt

[cabbie]

i am about to start a large batch of turbo cider.
i have 22 litres of apple juice from aldi. 56p a litre and says that its apple juice from concentrate and contains citric acid.
the sugar content is 99grams per litre and i would like the end product to be around the 8.5 to 9% abv. is this do-able? and if so, how much sugar shall i add, and should i dissolve it with some warmed apple juice first?. do i need cold tea for tannin?, if so, how much?
when its done i will be putting it in a barrel with a co2 thingy at the top of it. will i still need to add priming sugar? and if so, how much? and do i need to add anything else such as pectalose or yeast nutrient?
i have searched the forum but haven't been able to find a definitive recipe, sorry for asking so many questions

thanks

tim

 

[graysalchemy]

TC is basically apple juice. The juice on its own will give a dry cider of about 6% so I never add sugar.

You will need to add tannin, grape tannin from your LHBS is best 1 tsp per 4.5l. If you want clear cider you will need to add pectolase enzyme at the same rate. I also add malic acid again at 1tsp per 4.5l, tannin and malic acid are both found in cider apples at much higher amounts than desert apples which are used to make apple juice.

You may want to use a cider yeast you can either buy this in a sachet or do what I did and buy a bottle of westons old rosie cider and culture the yeast residue at the bottom of the bottle. Basically all you need to do is save the last inch of the bottle and pur into a sterilized demijohn and add a litre of apple juice and allow it to ferment. After it has fermented allow it to clear and pour of the cider leaving the yeast residue, this can now be added to a gallon of apple juice, once it has fermented this can be pitched into your big batch.

Finally give it time. If you are just wanting tramp juice then drink it straight away. I always find it disapointing so I tend to leave it six months and then drink it (after bottling it) totally different drink.

Hope my take on TC helps.

 

[oldbloke]

I think you'll get a bit less than 6% with just juice, more like 5. You want about another 3, which is about 1.5kg of sugar in 22 litres.
Real tannin would be best, but tea does quite well. 2 mugs full of quite strong tea in the amount of juice you have.
Dissolve the sugar in some warmed juice or it'll settle out - the yeast will probably still find it, but let's make its job easier.
Don't overwarm the juice though, just enough to dissolve the sugar. A litre should take that sugar easily, I think.
I've never used pectolase and mine have always cleared.

 

[bobsbeer]

To get your ABV up to 9% ish you need about 180g sugar per liter so you need to add about 2.2kg sugar. As said above use the apple juice to disolve the sugar. I also agree it is best left for a few month to condition and mature. Then it becomes drinkable. Just after fermentation I would say TC was awful and would put anyone off HB for ever. But having said that I bet 99% of have done a TC

 

[oldbloke]

Your arithmetic is a bit off.
He wants 180g/l, he has 99g/l, so he adds 81g/l
*22l=1.762kg

I was a bit low myself, first guess.
I never understand why people want it that strong though.

 

[bobsbeer]

Your right. I just multiplied 100g x 22. I agree that higher alcohol genrally means even more **** TC. I try to go for about 4-5%. But everybody is different. And even then leave it for 6 months.

 

[alphacento]

Hello Cabbie,

as the the other members have said you will need to add more sugar if you want you cider at 9%.

For what tannin is concerned I would recommend adding some but thee amount depends on how much of a bite you would like to have in your cider. That you will find out as you experience different levels of tannin in you Cider.

I would suggest use some Malic acid as it will protect you brew while it matures and e enhance Malolactic fermentation.

Have fun!

 

[Cussword]

I think you'll get a bit less than 6% with just juice, more like 5.

Sorry to disagree, but I'm with Alistair.
I'v never put sugar in TC & never had less than 6% :thumb:

 

[graysalchemy]

I usually get a sg of about 1042 out of apple juice and this will ferment to dryness 997 giving 6% :thumb:

If you use the tannin, malic acid and give it six months you get quite a good cider. If you just use apple juice and sugar and give it no time you will get tramp juice as that is how tramp juice is made commercially. :sick: :sick: Insipid vaguely apple flavoured.

 

[calumscott]

I'm with GA on this (having just done my sums)...

To make a 5 gallon batch using tesco's juice is going to cost £24.16 (juice + yeast + tannin + malic acid + pectolase). That's a smidge over 60p a pint.

If you go the cheapest route (juice + yeast) that's going to be 52p a pint. If you are looking for cheap cider then tesco's own value cider is 40p a pint. Tesco's strong cider comes in at 50p a pint. Crofters 5% is 57p a pint.

So you can make a poor TC which is going to be no better than tramp juice which is 12p a pint cheaper... Pointless.

 

[oldbloke]

I usually get a sg of about 1042 out of apple juice and this will ferment to dryness 997 giving 6%

1042 implies 115g/l sugar in that juice. Whose juice are you using?
The ones I use are around the 100g/l mark.

 

[graysalchemy]

aldi

 

[calumscott]

Juice or nectar, GA? And do you know what the usual price is there?

 

[graysalchemy]

juice can't remember the price of hand.

 

[alphacento]

Do you have lidl in the Uk as well? If I remember correctly they sell 100% pressed apple juice and not just 100% juice from concentrate.

Price wise it was a few € cents more expensive than the aldi one but a very small difference.

 

[graysalchemy]

We do but I am not so concerned whether it is from concentrate or not at the end of the day it is all made from desert apples and not cider varieties so tannin and malic acid need to be added anyway.

 

[alphacento]

We do but I am not so concerned whether it is from concentrate or not at the end of the day it is all made from desert apples and not cider varieties so tannin and malic acid need to be added anyway.

That's true. Did you try to compare the two of them? Does the 100% pressed apple juice add any value?

Cheers

 

[graysalchemy]

No I haven't. I think what is more important to improving TC is time the addition of tannin and malic and something most people don't seem to bother with yeast.

 

[cabbie]

thanks for all your input and tips. 5 gallons now started. so hopefully it will be a reasonable first attempt and will go down ok at my next barbeque. which hopefully will be in May, weather permitting

 

[alphacento]

No I haven't. I think what is more important to improving TC is time the addition of tannin and malic and something most people don't seem to bother with yeast.

I have read in a cider book that wine yeast use to make German white is very good for making cider. I have found a German website specialized in wine brewing and I want to try some of their Bioferm yeasts.