Turbo Cider Recipe

Turbo Cider Recipe

Ok, so here's the basic procedure that I follow every time I rustle up a Turbo Cider from Supermarket Apple Juice. This example recipe is for a single demijohn (4.5litres).

Tools needed:

4.5ltr demijohn
A plastic tumbler (or glass)
A reasonably sized funnel
A teaspoon
Cider yeast (1/2 sachet per demijohn is fine).
A syphon (home brew shops do these, or e-bay)
PET bottles

Ingredients:

4 litres of supermarket Apple Juice (from concentrate or not - doesn't matter)
1/2 litre of Cranberry & Raspberry Juice
200g Brewers Sugar (or caster/granulated/demerera - whatever takes your fancy)
2 tsp Malic Acid (or the juice from 2 lemons)
1 tsp Pectolase*
1 strong cup of tea (made from 2 tea bags)
1/2 packet Cider yeast

* Not always absolutely necessary, but it helps when you are adding real apples, jam or tinned fruit, etc.

Instructions:

Sterlise all tools and the demijohn before adding the ingredients. (The PET bottles and syphon can be left until you are ready to bottle) I have found VWP sterilising power easy to use. Ensure you rinse all tools at least 3 times after sterilising before use. (Some cleaning agents do not need rinsing - check the label).

Mix the yeast in a sterilised tumbler with warm water (around 30-35 degrees or less) cover with some kitchen foil and let it sink. Stir after 10 mins and leave another 10 mins.

Put 2 litres of apple juice into the sterilised demijohn.

Put 1 litre of juice, tea, lemon juice, sugar & honey in a pan & heat VERY slightly to help
dissolve. Pour this into the demijohn.

Add the yeast to the demijohn and give it a bit of shake it to mix the contents.

Cider should be kept at room temperature. It's generally OK to keep between 18-26 degrees.

Depending on popular opinion, the fermentation is finished either when the airlock bubbles less than once every 2 minutes, or when you have a volume of 1.008 or below. Be aware though that some yeasts can drop out as high as 1.019. Environmental changes can also cause flcutuations. Depending on the yeast you use, you may need to add more sugar accordingly to bring up the alcohol content once it's finished.

When it's ready, bottle the cider by adding a teaspoon of sugar to sterilised PET bottles. (or use 2 Coopers drops per 500ml bottle). Ensure the syphon has been sterilised as well. Try to leave the mulch at the bottom of the demijohn when syphoning the cider off.

Mix the cider and sugar solution with a little shake of the bottle and leave the bottles in the
warm room for 3 to 5 days to carbonate and settle.

After 2 weeks it will be ready to refridgerate and drink. It may take longer for the cider
to clear entirely.

Cider can generally be kept in PET bottles for up to 6 months without spoiling.