StrongBow Clone

They only drink it because the know no better and they are told by the marketing people to drink it. :lol: :lol:

Greys, I suppose your going to tell us how to make some real cider?
:whistle:

GZCider said:

No doubt,
100% juice is better than concentrate. And other 'corner cutting' is going to get a better result.
In fact, I can taste the watery accent of Strongbow's diluted 'apple wine'.

The fact that most of the people responding are confident that I can make a better than Stongbow cider off that bat is a confidence booster. After all, if it really tasted that bad, well then no one would be drinking it!

Click to expand...

Go for it GZ!! Do the shopping trolley full of apple juice thing!

I think, the most positive outcome from the lively debate you started is around knowing what it is that you want to produce in the end.

If you like a full on farmyard scrumpy then graysalchemy's recipe and techniques are spot on (I know, I've tasted his cider!!!).

If you want a crisp, clear, less pungent, more mainstream style then use the same recipe, omit the malic acid, use a champagne yeast or cider yeast (but beware of pre-sweetened ones - youngs is fine) and back-sweeten at bottling time with splenda.

Just age it well (even if you are making a non-scrumpy style) in bulk before bottling and you will absolutely knock Strongbow out of the park. :thumb:

Thanks!

However, Age it well? What do you mean.... How long?
I'm counting on a 4-6 weeks turn around from Apple Juice concentrate to surpassing the flavor of Strongbow clone cider..

Anyway, Gray, You mentioned that SBow is not 'sweet' How is it classified then.
I don't think that it is dry....

For some reason "Strongbow" in bottles or cans is 5.3% ABV.
Strongbow on draught is only 4.4% ABV and is grossly over priced.

GZCider said:

Thanks!

However, Age it well? What do you mean.... How long?
I'm counting on a 4-6 weeks turn around from Apple Juice concentrate to surpassing the flavor of Strongbow clone cider..

Anyway, Gray, You mentioned that SBow is not 'sweet' How is it classified then.
I don't think that it is dry....

Click to expand...

You clearly like them dry. :thumb:

4-6 weeks will be OK but...

...mine (and I was going for a full scrumpy thing but never got the Malolactic fermentation happening) was a good three months to bottling and it's still getting better now - eight or nine months since I started it going...

I still reckon you'll produce something from juice in two months that's better than anything on the list on that "real cider" site that someone posted.

So for a batch of non-scrumpy cider (you don't have time for a proper farm-style)...

23l cheap supermarket juice. 100% juice from concentrate.
5 tsp pectolase
5 tsp wine tannin (I don't subscribe to the strong tea thing, tea is tea, cider is cider)

You might want a bit of yeast nutrient in there too.

Cider or champers yeast, ferment as cool as you can get away with, 18 or 19C.

If 6 weeks is your limit, then you are going to have to hope like hell it finishes in three weeks then two weeks in the bottle in the warm to fizzy up, a week in the cold to help settle the yeast out.

I doubt you'll even get it finished and drinkable inside 4 weeks.

naaaaaaaaa more fun doing it with real apples :thumb: :drunk:

tazuk said:

naaaaaaaaa more fun doing it with real apples :thumb: :drunk:

Click to expand...

Fine if you can get enough real apples but most of us can't.

GZCider said:

Anyway, Gray, You mentioned that SBow is not 'sweet' How is it classified then.
I don't think that it is dry....

Click to expand...

It is dry but not pucker your tongue dry but certainly not woodpecker sweet.

GZCider said:

Greys, I suppose your going to tell us how to make some real cider?
:whistle:

Click to expand...

Seems someone has done it for me. :lol: :lol:

For what it is worth my gripe with most people making cider is that they add sugar which as i have said dilutes the flavour. Fermented apple juice is already lacking in flavour without making it any worse, hence my avocation of adding tannin and malic acid as that will make a very tasty cider.

But most importantly time cider needs time, if you are doing MLF thing then it needs at least 2-3 months maturing in bulk, but if not it still needs 2-3 months in the bottle. It will taste even better if you leave it 6 months in bulk and 6 months in the bottle. Cider is made from a fruit like wine and it does take time for the flavours to develop and mellow, much more so than beer (though most my beers are 2-3 months before start I to drink them).

:thumb:

A

graysalchemy said:

Seems someone has done it for me. :lol: :lol:

Click to expand...

:hat: 'pleasure...

it's always good butting into a which is the best lager arguement at the pub with "it's all just seven different shades of **** though really isn't it." :

RobWalker said:

it's always good butting into a which is the best lager arguement at the pub with "it's all just seven different shades of **** though really isn't it." :

Click to expand...

Ouch! That's a bit harsh, there are some really nice lagers out there!!!
































Just never in a British pub... :lol:

Here is a commercially tasting turbo Cider.

Aldi Rio D'Oro White Grape and Peach juice 1 Ltr
Aldi rio D'Oro Apple Juice (clear) 3.6 Ltr
sugar 1000 g
Young's cider yeast

Expected ABV 12%

Ferments out in 5 weeks, well that when I added the Sorbate and suphite.
Slightly dry a bit link Strongbow or Blackthorn