Turbo cider - First attempt

[hippytyre]

I've just bottled my first beer kit so while I wait for that to prime/condition I thought I'd have a go at making Turbo cider for my girlfriend. Here's how i did it, feel free to steer me right!


Shopping list:
1 x 5 litre bottle of tescos own still water - £0.92
5 x Tesco value apple juice - £2.80
1 x Allison dried active yeast (bakers yeast) - £0.65
1 x Tesco clear honey - £0.67

Total = £5.04

How I did it:
Empty the 5 litre bottle of water down the sink (I know I really should have used it)
Pour 1 litre of apple juice into a pan and heat till its warm on the hob.
Pour the heated apple juice into the empty 5 Litre bottle
Add 1 teaspoon of the yeast
let it sit for 5 minutes
Pour another 3.5 litres of apple juice in, leaving space a the top.
Drill a 10mm hole in the lid of the water container.
Stick a spare bubbler into it with boiled (cooled) water.
Watch it like an idiot until it bubbles.


This may turn out to be terrible so copy me at your own risk, I'm still unsure about priming though. Should I use the honey (1 teaspoon in each bottle),my coopers carbonation drops or more apple juice? I just bought some 500ml swing top bottles so when I give them to my girlfriend it doesn't look too amateurish.
If this works out ok next time I'd like to try wine yeast. it's been about 1 hour so far and its bubbling every 5 minutes or so.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Sorry to say this but your doing it all wrong............ :nono:

You should be making 5 gallon!! :whistle:

LoL :party:
BB

 

[hippytyre]

haha, you had me worried there for a second. If this turns out ok and she likes it I'll make more for our house warming/BBQ. I didn't add any additional sugar because I don't want it to end up like rocket fuel and blow everyone's heads off.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Last cider I made I used 12L of Princess apple juice and a Young's cider yeast, nothing else.....
Left it in the fermenter for 3 weeks under airlock, bottled it and it tastes great!!

Came out about 6% and not too dry!
BB

 

[hippytyre]

This one started at about 1044, I'm not sure where it'll end up but if I get 5> then I'm happy. I just hope it isn't too bitter.

 

[31bb3]

dont worry if it turns out a little dry you can back sweeten it with splenda to taste

 

[hippytyre]

I was just on Gumtree and someone in my area is selling 15 Demijohns..... How many should I get? I'm thinking two but I'll probably buckle and get more when I'm there and see 15 of them.

 

[Samarith]

Get as many as you have room for + 1, if they are cheap (£1 each or so)

I restarted brewing in April and bought 2 kit wines and 2 plastic DJs, then bought 2 glass ones cause I don't like the plastic ones. Then 2 more from a car boot sale, then 6 more from a friend. Damn me if they aren't all in use now and I'm looking for more.

 

[Springer]

Think big with turbo
I don't bother with demijohns, toss 25 litres of juice into a 5 gallon fermenter, use some sugar if you want more alcohol :thumb:
I recon most juice is about 1048 and ferment down to 996 which gives about 6.9% :P
Don't forget responsible drinking
S

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I was just on Gumtree and someone in my area is selling 15 Demijohns..... How many should I get? I'm thinking two but I'll probably buckle and get more when I'm there and see 15 of them.

Don't bother with demijohns, get hold of a 4 gallon water chiller bottle.(Moleys idea) thx :thumb:
BB :thumb:

 

[hippytyre]

I did think about getting one of those actually. I'll see how this first one turns out before I start doing larger batches. I can't wait to try my Coopers kit, them bottles are in the wardrobe tempting me!

 

[hippytyre]

I went and bought three Demijohns from the seller on Gumtree, £10.00 for three of them, I was happy with that. She said she gave them a rinse but they were still covered in crud from whatever was brewed in them last time. I cleaned them tonight this way...

- Cleaned them out again with soapy water and scrubbed the outsides
- Rinsed them with cold water until no bubbles left
- Put about 1 inch of Asdas own cheap vinegar (13p) into each one
- A handful of rice into each one (stolen from my girlfriends mothers kitchen)
- Shook the vinegar/rice mixture like crazy for about 5 minutes each, I used a little bouncy ball as a stopper as I don't have any yet.
- Rinsed the whole lot out again with cold water until no rice or vinegar remain.
- Washed them again in soapy water and scrubbed the outsides with a brillo pad
- Rinsed them out with cold water until no soap remains
- Filled them all up to the neck with warm water and then added 5 teaspoons of Oxy Power to each


I know I'm a little bit OCD but I'm pleased with how they look so far, I'll leave the Oxy overnight I think. I've ordered a bottle brush so I'll go over them with that again when it arrives and I have some Videne on it's way to sanitizer before I start a batch with them

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Don't forget responsible drinking
S

:whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

 

[norfolk brew]

how long from the day you stick it in the old water constainer till drinkable is it ??? few weeks or ?????

going to give it a go tommrow. how much yeast should i put in and how much sugar ???? thanks.

 

[Barkie]

I think either I have OCD or I'm just fussy too I got 9 or 10 D'js from a source that had hens running in and out of the house :sick:

Judging from a label on a couple they had the well glued on remnants of 1999 wines in them.

So, I've had them

1. stood outside filled to the neck soaking, outsides wet brushed
2. emptied and rinsed outside
3. washed /brushed inside and out, washing soda in and left overnight
4. used half the washing soda to scrub the outside
5. brushed inside in remaining soda solution
6. washed and brushed inside and out and rinsed again
7. Filled with cleaner/sanitiser and left 24 hrs

and inspected for cracks.

Bit of a long job to do isn't it, but it is a one off.

 

[abeyptfc]

I'm waiting on my coopers kit aswell and went and bought 3 litres of co-op apple juice, some sugar and some raisins to boil down to put in the turbo cider. I got 2 x 5 litre jugs, im going to try one of them with champagne yeast and one with cider yeast and see what happens.
I was just gona fire in 2 coopers carbonation drops in a 1 litre glass bottle of magners I had, I hope it doesnt explode :?

a good hard or turbo cider vid from youtube, 5 litre jug
this guy uses 'corn sugar' but i'm sure ordinary granulated ate and lyle stuff will do the trick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La38oQjdyPw

 

[abeyptfc]

I think I'll scrap the champagne yeast part, just read a part on another section on the forum saying to use cider yeast.
how long would you leave it in the 5L jug before bottling? how long would you recommend bottling for?
ta
mark.

 

[abeyptfc]

yeeha, filled the jug about 10 mins ago and theres my first bubbles goin now!
my basic step by step guide (this is my first time doing this right enough)

1)3 litres co-op apple juice into 5 litre jug,
2)a handful of raisins boiled in an ordinary sized cup of cold water reduced by half,
stabbed the fcuk out of the raisins to get maximum juice,cooled to room temp then seived into the jug
3)gave it a good shake,
4)then added a cup of ordinary tate and lyle granulated sugar and shook again
5)then added half a pack of cider yeast as the full pack is meant for a 23 ltr fermenter,
6)gave another good shake to mix it all up
7) left for around 10 mins with normal lid on to settle then fitted airlock