first try at turbo cider

[Wysh]

Ok, need some advice. I'd like to try making a supermarket juice turbo cider thingy.
Largely want to do it for the missus. Her favourite commercial cider is Rekorderlig berry so she likes a sweetish brew.
Any tips? Kill the fermentation early to retain some sweetness? Let it brew out and add some sweetener? Add crushed fruit to get the fruit flavour? Add fruit syrup?

 

[terrym]

If its any help I added juice of two cooking apples to encourage the malo lactic fermentation which gives cider its taste. You can also add malic acid to do this without the apples.
I also let mine ferment out to completion.
Then I added Cologran sweetener tabs (from Lidl) at the rate of 4 tabs/litre. This just takes the edge off the dryness. If you want sweet cider you could add more.
For some of the batch I also carbed at the rate of 40ml AJ/litre but it could probably have taken some more, in that mine was only slightly sparkling.
My experience of TC is that it takes months to acquire a taste that is anything like 'real' cider but is OK in the end, if a little uninspiring.

 

[chewie]

A few TC makers use this stuff http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/cider-yeast-with-sweetener-p-883.html it can also be found on fleabay afaik, no need to add sorbate with it.

 

[Grafter67]

Stopping it early is not good unless you're going to artificially carbonate. My boring unscientific preference is to make it a tiny bit stronger than desired and add a dash of Mrs Grafter's favourite fruit juice when serving. She likes blueberry, so for a demijohn it'll be 1 litre blueberry juice (summer berries or whatever in your case), 3 litres apple juice, 1 spoon yeast, 1 spoon nutrient and top up with either water or water with 100-200g sugar dissolved once fermentation calms. Once fermentation really slows, rack it, add finings if required (we don't), backsweeten if required (we don't) and bottle with a very little sugar per bottle.(1/2 teaspoon perhaps). The major thing I leave out is the strong tea for tannin as Mrs isn't keen on that on top of it maybe being a bit on the dry side.

 

[cheapbrew]

I've now got my missus saying "**** on ya krappabog" when she cracks a bottle of my raspberry, strawberry n kiwi TC, she loves em.:thumb:

I make two separate DJ's and combine them at bottling......recipes here after beer recipe.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63007

If ya need any more info just shout.