Ciderworks Apple Cider

[Portreath]

Just poured myself a glass of lovely cold cider from the barrel, best kit cider I've tasted. I got it from those nice guys at lovebrewing.com. I used 1/2 of the packet of sweetener it came with and the result is a really nice (4.5% ish) medium dry. I'll be putting another on soon as this aint going to last long

 

[Dave 666]

Hiya mate, I just started there "superior" range dry oaked version. How did you get on with this?. My SG is 1044 and unsure on if this is low seeing as I'm used to doing ales?.

 

[Portreath]

Hi
I fancy having a go at the oaked version, looking forward to hearing and seeing your review on it. I've done a couple of these kits now, and still have one in the box ready to go. Although, like you I'm too busy brewing ales.
I've made the apple and pear for my kids last July and it's sitting in a 19 liter Corny keg for Xmas. Your OG of 1044 sounds about right, as the instructions point to getting the FG down to 1.003 giving you something around 5.2%, which all of mine have been around this ABV too.
Good luck with the cider.

 

[simon12]

Do you know how it compares to supermarket juice cider?

 

[Dave 666]

I know tasting the concentrate is in no way scientific or anything, but tasted a bit of it on my finger and thought a very rich apple taste. I assume they use a mix of apples as the concentrate reminds me very much of the many multiple apple ciders I drink at beer festivals. Not adding any sweetener, love my cider dry just have to remember to add the little "flavouring" bit at the end of fermentation. The oak part in my kit came as small shavings of smoked oak. Quite a bit of their, was just a paint to get an accurate reading as they float.

But good to hear the gravity reading looks about right. Could have underfilled a few litres to get a higher ABV I guess, but don't want to mess with it this time and if 5.2% sounds a good result anyway.

 

[Portreath]

@simon12 I've done a few turbos with juices from the major supermarkets and I feel the Ciderworks is better, having said this my turbos (Asda & Tesco) have come out really well. Price wise, the Ciderworks kit is around £22 so just under £1 a liter, and Tesco juice is about 80 pence a liter.
I wonder how a turbo would turn out with the inclusion smoked out chips!!

 

[Dave 666]

The smoked chips are very light and dry. I get the impression they will take a few days just to soak up any of the liquid in the FV. As try as I did, was Impossible to mix them into the mix to the point they would go under the surface. Hence why the instructions say to add before adding the yeast and putting the lid on.

 

[simon12]

@simon12 I've done a few turbos with juices from the major supermarkets and I feel the Ciderworks is better, having said this my turbos (Asda & Tesco) have come out really well. Price wise, the Ciderworks kit is around £22 so just under £1 a liter, and Tesco juice is about 80 pence a liter.
I wonder how a turbo would turn out with the inclusion smoked out chips!!

Cheers may give one a go