recommended cider kit

[Alex Noodles]

Hey guys,

newbie here. Just got a wilko's kit for Fathers day and am currently staring at a bucket of woodfordes wherry which hopefully will turn out ok.
Already found out my projected 5 weeks for a pint of that will be 10 weeks, but I am not in a rush, ...much :)

Keeping that in mind I'd like to plan drinking a homebrew cider before the end of summer, so I would love some suggestions as to which kit's are nice and tasty.
I personally a fan of the slightly drier ciders, not the sweet magners etc kind. Also open to suggestions of non apple ciders.

Any suggestions?
cheers,

Alex

 

[calumscott]

Hi Alex,

I found that the only cider kit I did took a very long time to condition properly - a year basically.

You would probably be better going for a "clean" style turbo cider - check out the "compleat" how to guide in the wine and cider section. :thumb:

 

[iceo]

go for a cheap turbo cider(cheap supermarket apple juice) will cost less than the price of a kit and taste just as good. add a few litres of cranberry,cherry, raspberry to give more body.

 

[Tyronnster]

I made that cider an it fairly gives a kick

 

[boozy_shoes]

I've recently racked off into a barrel the wilko apple cider kit. It's only been in there 4 days and from a quick taste yesterday it will be a very nice pint for the summer afternoons (assuming we get anymore).

 

[fbsf]

Firstly, you won't get a scrumpy-style cider by the end of the summer (aging is key here), but you can do a TC as mentioned above which can be fermented quite dry using something like Young's super wine yeast compound. Brew it just with apple juice (don't add any sugar - it'll just make it taste thinner, although it will bump up the %abv) and you should get a dry 5-ish% cider. 6-8 weeks in the bottle and it'll be perfectly acceptable.

 

[oldbloke]

Firstly, you won't get a scrumpy-style cider by the end of the summer (aging is key here), but you can do a TC as mentioned above which can be fermented quite dry using something like Young's super wine yeast compound. Brew it just with apple juice (don't add any sugar - it'll just make it taste thinner, although it will bump up the %abv) and you should get a dry 5-ish% cider. 6-8 weeks in the bottle and it'll be perfectly acceptable.

I do 90% apple juice, 10% something else (cranberry/blueberry/cherry) to broaden the flavour. Helps a lot.
And up to 1tsp/gallon powdered tannin (or a mug of stupidly strong tea)

 

[Alex Noodles]

I've done some reading and have realized I have a very important bit of kit already in the house, a Phillips Juicer which I am pretty sure I can use as a press substitute.
So one of my projects will be to get a home 'pressed' cider going for next summer instead :)

thanks for the suggestions wrt TC, will look at that as well for possibly the end of this summer, if that ever arrives!

Alex

 

[CarafeKid]

I'm just finishing off the 2nd batch of Brewmaker Cider Deluxe. 2 weeks in the FV, then 3 in the bottle. Made with table sugar. And it's pretty good. This 2nd batch I swapped 4 litres of water for apple juice, and it's much better than the first.