Newbie advice on magnum cider kit + general advice please

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seymour

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Hello Im a new boy please forgive me but my knowledge is very limited, im eager to learn though. I have just purchased a starter kit and am just starting my very first bash at fermenting a magnum apple cider kit (followed instruction to a tea and havnt added anything) and would be gratefull if anyone had any reviews.

I feel like an idiot but could someone tell me what racking is?? does this mean syphoning??

Will the fact i live in a hard water area make the brew taste horrible??

and could anyone give me the most cost effective way to produce a good quality full flavoured sparkling apple cider.

Apologese again for being a numpty
 
seymour said:
I feel like an idiot but could someone tell me what racking is?? does this mean syphoning??

Don't worry - we were all beginners once.

Racking does indeeed mean syphoning - taking the brew off the yeast/sediment/gubbins into a clean vessel.
 
ahhhhhhhh cheers for that.

i was going to have a bach at making tc next is there any problem with using aj from concentrate, supermarket stuff??
 
No problem with "from concentrate" AJ, but make sure it doesn't have any preservatives in.

Could be worth adding a bit of pectolase - especially if using cloudy juice - to prevent pectin haze.
 
Thank you that helps a lot have had a look and was thinking bloody hell the price of pressed apple juice is
£2.50 a ltre its going to cost me a fortune.

Ive just raked the magnum into the keg after opening the sachet of apple flavour it literally blew me back really strong chemy apple smell has stunk my flat out.

will be trying the tc recipe with ginger next sounds like its what im after

cheers for your help
 
Was told by the guy in my local home brew shop that the magnum stuff stinks until you put in the flavour and then it just turns into something nice :D He was telling me the best is the Strawberry and the Elderflower.

Luke.
 
seymour said:
Will the fact i live in a hard water area make the brew taste horrible??

Some brewers use bottled water like volvic. In my area there are many chemicals in the tap water, chemicals which I will assume is bad for the yeast so I never use tap water.
 
iu can tell you now the magnum kits are nice ive tried apple pear and strawberry
 
Cheers guys im finishing the magnum now and going to have a taste saturday so will let you no.

I was considering the strawberry next as everyone seems to rave about that one and get a tc on the go then i can work off the magnums leaving the tc to mature. :cheers:
 
uh oh HELP PLEASE, thought id have a cheeky taste i opened a bottle a day early it doesnt taste to good put when i tested with hydrometer it just reads 1000 still

what have i done??? any suggestions welcome please??
 
My experience with Magnum Cider Kit was


Stink the house out with the smell of rotten eggs for a couple of weeks while it was fermenting
sample a bottle after a month - Still smells and tastes of rotten eggs
sample a bottle after 6 months - Still smells and tastes of rotten eggs
open all 38 bottles after 12 months and pour down the drain as they still taste of rotten eggs.
 
Duncs said:
My experience with Magnum Cider Kit was


Stink the house out with the smell of rotten eggs for a couple of weeks while it was fermenting
sample a bottle after a month - Still smells and tastes of rotten eggs
sample a bottle after 6 months - Still smells and tastes of rotten eggs
open all 38 bottles after 12 months and pour down the drain as they still taste of rotten eggs.


ha ha ha as i was opening one last night i was thinking "bloody hell the smells still there jesus" think i was to impatient and didnt let it ferment long enough (only 6 days) probably explain why theres no change on the hydrometer down the drain it goes i think then learn the art of patients next time round
 

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