Turbo cider issue

[seez]

Good afternoon,

3 days ago I put together a turbo cider with the following ingredients:

1 litre strawberry ribena concentrate
250ml morrissons lime juice
3 litres Tesco value apple juice
1 sachet Wilko wine yeast
1 tsp Wilko yeast nutrient
1 tsp pectolase

I heated the ribena and the lime juice in a pan for 10 to 15 minutes then let it cool for a little while. I put the yeast, the nutrient and the pectolase in a cup with some apple juice while the juice was in the hob occasionally stirring it and kept it covered with foil whilst waiting.

When the juice had cooled slightly I put it into the sterilised demi John then topped up with the apple juice.

Took a reading and the SG was 1.076 !

I poured the yeast starter into the dj at 24 degrees, put the airlock on and put into the cupboard.

Over the next couple of days the temperature dropped to 18 degrees which is what it normally is in the cupboard.

The issue I am having is that I am not getting any bubbles in the airlock and there doesn't seem to be any activity at all. I gave it another shake yesterday morning and put the lid back on but this hasn't made any difference.

Does anybody think maybe I hadn't boiled the strawberry and lime enough to get rid of the preservatives or could this be something else?

If it is the preservatives is there anyway to resolve the issue ? I have some youngs super wine yeast, is it worth adding some of this ?

Thanks all

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Using juice with preservatives has been discussed many times on the forum, i tried ribena wine using the boil it method and it took weeks to get down to 1020 and i ended up pouring it down the sink, i dont believe boiling gets rid of the preservative or not all of it, if it fails to ferment you could make a red grape juice with apple juice and add the ribena to taste later. - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

 

[seez]

Other people have had success with the strawberry ribena so must be a way of making it work, will add some more yeast to see what happens

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The problem is it takes ages to ferment and a many do not finish fermenting and end up very sweet with little alcohol, i am not saying don't try just that its easier to make a juice wine than add the flavour than chance it failing.

 

[seez]

Thanks Chippy, if it takes a while thats ok, will see what happens and report back. Also if it doesn't get down to 1.0 that's fine as if it does it will be over 10% ! Thanks for the advice as always

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I just noticed the title of the thread (must stop skimming the titles) i see you are making cider, you would need to drop the sugar a lot if you were to follow my link as that is for 13% wine.

 

[seez]

Haha no worries ☺

 

[Frogbrew]

I would say you've put way too much Ribena in that mate, I made my t/c up with 500ml Ribena & 500ml water + 3.5ltr a/j and that was too sweet and overpowering. It seems to leave the artificial sweeteners behind and not much flavour, I wouldn't try it again.
My favourite t/c is 3.5ltr a/j and 1ltr of either 100% pineapple juice or dimes sour cherry juice. Fun experimenting with different flavours until you find a favourite:drunk:

 

[seez]

Maybe split it over 2 demi johns and add some water to each ? Or maybe some more AJ, I have 4 litres in the cupboard

 

[Frogbrew]

Maybe split it over 2 demi johns and add some water to each ? Or maybe some more AJ, I have 4 litres in the cupboard

Sounds like a good plan that, is it fermenting now?

 

[seez]

Its been in the cupboard since 28th and has hardly bubbled at all, so maybe split it and top up with AJ and then add some more yeast and nutrient ?

 

[Frogbrew]

I would add 2ltr a/j and 2ltr cooled boiled water with 250g sugar dissolved in it to keep the alc/sugar content right. Up to you really though:smile:

 

[seez]

OK sounds good, will do that but skip the sugar as it is going to be too strong for my tastes anyway. Thanks for the help

 

[seez]

OK, split into 2 DJs and added a litre of AJ and a litre of water to each. SG now down to 1.062 which sounds better and more to my taste. Pitched Youngs Super Wine Yeast and Youngs yeast nutrient at 22 degrees and give it a good shake up. Let's see what happens :)