ON THE ROCKS (Rasberry and lime cider) reviews please

hy ive just got this kit and would like reveiews on it please also has anyone ever made cider in a barrel if so what do you think as ive only tryed in bottles regards ste

Not really too helpful but I just bottled the Pear version - I doubt this'll be too different...

What I'll say for it is that it fermented out really nicely, very calm, no real fuss, no volcanos... just sort of got on with it.

Seems quite tasty, but for me very sweet. There's some aritificial sweetner that comes in with the yeast - when I tasted it @ 0.997 I was expecting mega-dry but no, still sweet. Then there is a flavour bomb that goes in on top at bottling time too, that really bumps up the fruitiness.

I was looking for something to replace Koparberg which SWMBO is very partial to, and I can't stand...

...I think it might be this!

So basically if you are looking for a decent drop which will mimic the sort of alcopoppy fruity ciders in the shops and pubs, you'll be about right with this.

Not done this particular one but I've got another On The Rocks Pear Cider on at the moment.

Very good kits IMHO, they ferment like mad, my last one finished at an FG of 1.000. Cleared very quickly, had a slightly chemically taste initially but that soon went, and turned out lovely and drinkable very quickly. I'm not normally a cider drinker but it was very palatable, and dangerous - doesn't taste strong yet comes out at nearly 6%.

Gonna bottle all this one as I think we preferred the more carbonated version, rather than still straight out the barrel.

Here's what it looked like:

That's cleared really nicely, hope mine looks as good!

just reading back of pack and i dont really understand instructions , its says for bottling-add 5oz of sugar and stir well to dissolve siphon into bottles then seal the bottles before leaving to stand .
so by the sounds of this once its fermented i need to transfer to another container leaving the sediment behind then add 5oz sugar stir until dissolved then just siphon into each bottle put lid on and leave am i right

Glad to see this thread here, as I am still waiting for my request to start a On the Rocks cider review.

I made a batch of this stuff up after my sister saying she really wanted to try the home brew, but didnt really like beer, saying she is onto the flavoured ciders from the likes of Kopperberg. So I bought this kit and made it as per the instructions. The result really is the dogs nadgers. It tastes alsolutely lush at bottling, when it is still flat and has its priming sugar and colouring/flavouring mixed in. A bit like an alcopop! For some reason, I needed about 5 bottles less to bottle it in, compared to a usual 5 gallon batch.... :whistle:

Once its conditioned in the bottle, its an excellent drink. Have given away a lot of this to family and friends to try and they cant seem to get enough of it. In fact, when I went back to the local brew shop for another kit, they had run out of it, such had been the demand.

Have since made a Spiced Apple kit and a Blueberry kit, both from the same range. The spiced apple is a bit of an acquired taste, and akin to a bramley apple pie, and not so popular. The blueberry is possibly even better than the raspberry and lime and is again going down a treat with all who try it! Its especially popular with the ladies.

To clarify for the making of it, you siphon it out of the kirn into another clean (sterilised) container and stir in the priming sugar and the little sachet of colouring / flavouring that comes with the kit. Then bottle it from that container, seal and condition in the usual way. Clears lovely - The Raspberry and Lime to a subtle pink blush, the Blueberry to a more vivid pinky purple.

It is a bit powerful, but then I was maybe a bit cack handed with the sugar..... :whistle: Have known some alleged hardened drinkers to be wasted after 3 bottles of it! :rofl:

I've chucked them away now, but seem to remember the instructions being pretty poor / confusing.

I just did what I normally do with beer: 1/2 teaspoon of sugar into each bottle, then syphon the cider in, cap it, give it a good shake, and leave in a warm place for a week to carbonate, then a cool place to clear. It cleared rapidly after I moved it into the cool, 3 or 4 days.

The only question was the small pack of pear flavouring: after fermentation was done, it recommended transferring the cider to a second FV then adding the extract, and then kegging/bottling (an extra stage to what I normally do). I didn't have another FV / couldn't be bothered, so carefully stirred it into the main brew (trying not to disturb the sediment) left it 24hrs to settle a bit more, then syphoned into bottles. Worked out fine. In fact, so good that I've done another kit, which will be bottled tomorrow as it looks like it's finished :

hey WINDYMILLER when mixing the sugar does it dissolve fairly quick

The easiest way to get your batch priming right is to take out a half pint or so, and bring that to the boil with your priming sugar, chuck that into the second FV then syphon your cider on top - that way it'll be fully disolved and will mix as the cider is transferred across.

i good idea so if i take half pint out mix sugar when boiling then can i add back to rest of batch mix in then syphon into bottles

dye29 said:

hey WINDYMILLER when mixing the sugar does it dissolve fairly quick

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Not overly, as the cider is only at room temperature. It does get there eventually with a lot of stirring.

calumscott said:

The easiest way to get your batch priming right is to take out a half pint or so, and bring that to the boil with your priming sugar, chuck that into the second FV then syphon your cider on top - that way it'll be fully disolved and will mix as the cider is transferred across.

Click to expand...

If you were doing that, would it not be better to boil up a half pint of water and make a syrup that way? Boiling the cider itself would surely drive off precious alcohol?

You're really not going to lose a lot, if you add water you're diluting it so it's six and half a wooly rhino really...

...maybe saying boil was wrong mind, so long as it gets hot hot your sugar will dissolve easily and any bugs in your pan or on your spoon will be killed, that's all you need.

how do i no how much sugar to put in each bottle im using 1l bottles

for a good fizz 2 tsp.