The Lidl near me does apple, pear, and blackcurrant juice, (ratio is something like 50% AJ, 40% PJ, and 10% B/C juice, not from concentrate) it's in the fridge section and is £1.29 per litre. Maybe that would help the flavour of the pear kit?
Magnum Pear Cider Review
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cnelsonplumber
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Interesting thread this as I have made this kit several times and it is a great success with everyone who has tasted it. :
I always boil my water before making the kits as this gets rid of the chlorine, but not sure if this is the reason. :wha:
I have dropped an email over to the kit manufacturers (Hambleton Bard) to see if they have any suggestions and will post when they reply.
:hmm:
I always boil my water before making the kits as this gets rid of the chlorine, but not sure if this is the reason. :wha:
I have dropped an email over to the kit manufacturers (Hambleton Bard) to see if they have any suggestions and will post when they reply.
:hmm:
In my first review, I said I poured it all away. I lied. I totally forgot that I saved a bottle and I found it yesterday. It's now about 3-4 years old and tasted :sick: but it did have a rather nice pear cider after-taste. Still wouldn't bother making this again.
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cnelsonplumber
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I have emailed them twice now with no reply will give customer services a call later.
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cnelsonplumber
Guest
Just spoke to David Woodland who is the GM of Hambleton Bard. Understandably he is concerned about the problems I reported with the pear cider kit but to date they have not had any kits returned or complaints from customers or suppliers.
I know it is probably to late for those who have binned their kits but if anyone has problems in the near future, then the first point of contact is the kit supplier, who I am adviser will offer a refund or replacement, and then the supplier will contact Hb.
I did suggest this may not be the practice generally followed as the only evidence left at drinking time is a bad bottle of cider, everything else has likely gone in the bin.
David is very keen to identify where the problem lies, so if anyone has batch numbers or a bad bottle they are prepared to send this will help.
[email protected] .
What ever happens if you think the product is bad then let the suppliers have some feed back.
I know it is probably to late for those who have binned their kits but if anyone has problems in the near future, then the first point of contact is the kit supplier, who I am adviser will offer a refund or replacement, and then the supplier will contact Hb.
I did suggest this may not be the practice generally followed as the only evidence left at drinking time is a bad bottle of cider, everything else has likely gone in the bin.
David is very keen to identify where the problem lies, so if anyone has batch numbers or a bad bottle they are prepared to send this will help.
[email protected] .
What ever happens if you think the product is bad then let the suppliers have some feed back.
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
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cnelsonplumber
Guest
Can you post some details to look at
ie how did you sanitise, any water treatment, what temp did you pitch the yeast at, OG, fermenting temp etc
To see if there is anything obvious
ie how did you sanitise, any water treatment, what temp did you pitch the yeast at, OG, fermenting temp etc
To see if there is anything obvious
Are you absolutely sure it's not doing anything? These kits don't show the same signs of fermentation as beer kits etc, they won't really generate any head and if the FV isn't 100% airtight the airlock won't show any signs either.
If the yeast was pitched at the correct temp then I would guess it's working away just fine, check the gravity with a hydrometer and that'll either confirm or deny fermentation :)
If the yeast was pitched at the correct temp then I would guess it's working away just fine, check the gravity with a hydrometer and that'll either confirm or deny fermentation :)
Hi guys - thanks for the responses. I sanitised all the used equipment for around 20 minutes in the recommended steriliser strength. I used standard tap water as it has a very low chlorine content here.
Yeast was added at around 25 degrees and it's now been fermenting for about 7 days at around 18-20 degrees.
It seems to be at about 1.008 on my hydrometer but unless I'm reading it wrong it's showing potential alcohol content to be about 0%
Yeast was added at around 25 degrees and it's now been fermenting for about 7 days at around 18-20 degrees.
It seems to be at about 1.008 on my hydrometer but unless I'm reading it wrong it's showing potential alcohol content to be about 0%
VXR.Tom said:Hi guys - thanks for the responses. I sanitised all the used equipment for around 20 minutes in the recommended steriliser strength. I used standard tap water as it has a very low chlorine content here.
Yeast was added at around 25 degrees and it's now been fermenting for about 7 days at around 18-20 degrees.
It seems to be at about 1.008 on my hydrometer but unless I'm reading it wrong it's showing potential alcohol content to be about 0%
Sounds like it's almost done.
You need to check the gravity using the hydrometer at the start. You then check the gravity again once it's finished. The difference between the gravity at the start and the gravity at the end allows you to calculate how much alcohol is in your brew. We refer to these as OG (Original Gravity) and FG (Final Gravity). SG is often used as well which just means Specific Gravity which just means a reading of x.xxx.
The reading 1.008 that you got is it's current reading after a lot of fermentation. With a cider kit you will generally finish around 1.000, so give it a few more days then check again.
If you don't know what the starting gravity was then there is no way to be sure how much alcohol is in the cider, but it would be reasonable to assume 5-6% I imagine.
End result is that it's fermenting away nicely, so just leave it to it :)
That is excellent news! Thank you :) I didn't take a reading at the start so that clears up my worry regarding the alcohol content. Thought I was just going to have twenty odd litres of apple and pear juice :) I will be sure to get a reading at the start next time. Will leave it until Saturday or Sunday then move onto the next stage.
Thanks again
Thanks again
VXR.Tom said:
No problemo :)
I wouldn't move onto the next stage until you are certain things have finished. On Saturday take a reading with the hydrometer and write it down, repeat on Sunday and finally repeat on Monday. If all 3 readings are exactly the same then you're good to go onto the next stage.
I would be more likely to leave it till next weekend to be honest.
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cnelsonplumber
Guest
All sounds like it is going along nicely. Its really difficult to be patient some times, just wait till you have to resist drinking it until it has matured :lol:
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cnelsonplumber
Guest
Nice one :-)
Just bought this kit to prepare over this weekend. Comments aren't good but will give it a try.
The instructions are to put everything into a fermenter, seal with an airlock half filled with water.
So 'normal' beer brewing kit isn't suitable?
I've made 2 brews of beer, so have a bucket, but the lid that comes with it isn't going to make a seal like an airlock? I also have a secondary tub that has a dispenser tap and a screw top type seal. Will this be good enough?
D-day is tomorrow, so thanks in advance for any reply.
The instructions are to put everything into a fermenter, seal with an airlock half filled with water.
So 'normal' beer brewing kit isn't suitable?
I've made 2 brews of beer, so have a bucket, but the lid that comes with it isn't going to make a seal like an airlock? I also have a secondary tub that has a dispenser tap and a screw top type seal. Will this be good enough?
D-day is tomorrow, so thanks in advance for any reply.
i brewed a batch of this up almost 10 months ago now along with a strawberry one, as a lot of reviews above the strawberry one is pretty much all gone and bottles are been serialized for my next brew but the pear one is still almost undrinkable.
i have moved away from kits now and much prefer the (tc) that i brew. to get the most out of magnum kits you have to brew short to 20l and leave longer than the instructions say to leave. although a lot of good comments from really experienced kit brewers above both me and the OH much prefer to make our own from scratch, takes longer mushing and pressing fruits but the satisfaction is far greater in the long run making a greater drink to your own taste :drink:
i have moved away from kits now and much prefer the (tc) that i brew. to get the most out of magnum kits you have to brew short to 20l and leave longer than the instructions say to leave. although a lot of good comments from really experienced kit brewers above both me and the OH much prefer to make our own from scratch, takes longer mushing and pressing fruits but the satisfaction is far greater in the long run making a greater drink to your own taste :drink:
