StrongBow Clone

GZCider · Oct 29, 2012

I want to Clone a batch of Strongbow (ie a commercially made sparkling sweet cider)
Its my understanding that all commercial ciders are made from concentrate apple juice and are artificially carbonated after fermentation.
I am going to have it ferment in the fridge, what temperature and yeast type should I use? Will I have to knave it, or add any special nutrients?
Any Ideas?
: cheers:

scott78 · Oct 29, 2012

if you want to make it like strongbow then you need to get some apple concentrate, add enough sugar to take it to about 12-14%ABV. a white wine/champagne yeast should be ok and ferment it around 16Â°C.some yeast nutrient will help it along.
once its done dilute it down to the ABV you want, add splenda to taste then force carb.

graysalchemy · Oct 29, 2012

Welcome to the forum GZ. Never seen strongbow at 12-14% and strongbow is dry not sweet.

Just ferment up some apple juice with a champagne yeast 16-20c when it has finished leave it somewhere cool to clear add some splenda to it to sweeten it up and then bottle carbonating using half a tsp per pint bottle leave somewhere warm for a few weeks then cool for a couple of weeks and voila you have flavourless 'cider'. Add sugar to it at the start and you will get tramp juice :drunk: :drunk:

However by the time you have bought apple juice sugar splenda yeast etc it may be just as cheap to go to asda, they have 2L for Â£3.15 and will taste a dam sight better. :thumb:

GrumpyBunny · Oct 29, 2012

You are right in that most of the commercial ciders tend to use apple concentrate as a lot of them import it.

Welcome aboard : cheers:

GZCider · Oct 29, 2012

Thanks, :party:
But what about the yeast..
white wine/champagne yeast? Anything specific?
I don't have access to anything that is labeled champagne yeast.

How long should I let it ferment?

31bb3 · Oct 29, 2012

Where are you in the world ? Champagne yeast will ferment dry your better to get cider yeast you will get yeast off eBay

calumscott · Oct 29, 2012

Youngs do cider yeast, champagne yeast and just about every other type of yeast and they're cheap.

Check out the forum sponsors a few of them carry it.

If you are just looking for a commercial style quick fermented unaged cider then just let it go, as grays says, right to dry, somewhere around 0.995-0.990 I think.

Crastney · Oct 29, 2012

please excuse me for being rude - but why would anyone want to clone Strongbow?!
is it not cheap enough to buy already?
have you had all your tastebuds removed?
Have you ever tried any other cider at all?

possibly you've tried other ciders and you still love the taste of Strongbow, and you'd like to make it yourself, but cheaper. in which case please feel free to follow the advice of others on here.

if not, then my advice would be to spend a bit more money each time you go out, and sample any other cider that is available. If there is no other cider available, change pubs (or off licence) till you find some - you might be incredibly surprised.

ScottM · Oct 29, 2012

I quite enjoy a pint of strongbow in the sun but I doubt it would be much cheaper to make it, given all the hassle etc, than it is to buy it.

I would also tend to set my sights a little higher when making a cider.

A very easy way to make a strongbow type clone would be to ferment out concentrate as described above (10-15%). Once finished, backsweeten with a little splenda, to taste, and then bottle. When you want a glass just fill 1/3-1/2 of a glass with your new brew and top up with sparkling water. Job done :)

calumscott · Oct 29, 2012

So my batch of cider cost me Â£1.08/l to make - juice, nutrient and other chemicals, placky bottles, yeast, steriliser...

Strongbow from Tesco = Â£1.58/l.

My cider (although nowhere near as good as grays') is easily 50p/l better than Strongbow.

It did, however get started in February, bottled at the end of May and really, is still improving now.

But if I wanted to clone Strongbow, that would be a two or three week ferment, bottle and a couple of weeks carbonating. A good amount of effort that just wouldn't be worth it IMO.

GeorgeSalt · Oct 29, 2012

Are there two different Strongbows?

One at silly-12% and another at a more sensible 4.5% draught and 5% or 5.3% in a bottle or a can? 12% is beyond falling-down-water levels for a cider, into drinking to get hammered territory (unless you like one small glass).

ScottM · Oct 30, 2012

GeorgeSalt said:
Are there two different Strongbows?

One at silly-12% and another at a more sensible 4.5% draught and 5% or 5.3% in a bottle or a can? 12% is beyond falling-down-water levels for a cider, into drinking to get hammered territory (unless you like one small glass).

50% of 12% cider + 50% of water = 6% alcohol

GeorgeSalt · Oct 30, 2012

ScottM said:
GeorgeSalt said:

Are there two different Strongbows?

One at silly-12% and another at a more sensible 4.5% draught and 5% or 5.3% in a bottle or a can? 12% is beyond falling-down-water levels for a cider, into drinking to get hammered territory (unless you like one small glass).

Click to expand...

50% of 12% cider + 50% of water = 6% alcohol

And 50% flavour :thumb:

graysalchemy · Oct 30, 2012

A 12 % 'cider' would have little to no flavour anyway.

ScottM · Oct 30, 2012

graysalchemy said:
A 12 % 'cider' would have little to no flavour anyway.

Would the fact that it's made from concentrate not help combat that though?

alanywiseman. · Oct 30, 2012

scott78 said to make a 12% cider and then water it down as this is how it is done comercially I believe.

graysalchemy · Oct 30, 2012

It would if it was, but the likely hood is that it is probably made from about 30-40 apple juice and sugar and water.

Using a concentrated apple juice is really the only way to increase the abv and maintain the flavour, but I doubt strongbow does that they are not really in the market to make flavoursome cider.

ScottM · Oct 30, 2012

graysalchemy said:
It would if it was, but the likely hood is that it is probably made from about 30-40 apple juice and sugar and water.

Using a concentrated apple juice is really the only way to increase the abv and maintain the flavour, but I doubt strongbow does that they are not really in the market to make flavoursome cider.

Oh no, I agree. I was talking about for making this particular clone. It could be made fairly simply and, even though it wouldn't be to the level of a proper cider, it would be fairly comparible to the quality of strongbow or possibly better.

goan · Oct 30, 2012

alanywiseman said:
scott78 said to make a 12% cider and then water it down as this is how it is done comercially I believe.

I believe they make it to 15-16% then water it down, was on the program 'how stuff is made' I think its called. Ive made a 10-11% tc before and it was the least enjoyable cider ive tried, tasted of apple then got a hit of alcohol after.

graysalchemy · Oct 30, 2012

Whats the point of all this :wha: :wha:

If you want to get p*ssed then brew something that you actually enjoy not something that tastes *****.

Most my beers at the moment are on the rather large size at 7.5%-9.5% but they are packed with flavour because thought was put into the recipe.

Brewing sugar with a little bit of apple juice isn't going to win you many awards in the flavour department, the only reason why 'cider' manufacturers do it is because sugar is cheap, they then spend there money on Advertising and PR departments convincing you that it is the best drink in the world, when it clearly isn't.

StrongBow Clone

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