My turbo odyssey

[Broken Toe]

I've always been beer forward, never taken much interest in cider. Wouldn't know vinegar from vintage. But I have fallen in love with what I think is turbo ciders (please correct me if they are not).

For me this is not about being accurate or methodical. But just an indulgence I allow myself. I tell myself I am researching how different additives taste once fermented out to use in my beers, but let face it, it's about cheap booze.

Anyway, here, I intend to post the recipes that I attempt and my musings on it.

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #1 - raspberry and lime
I didn't come up with this, but I don't know where to give credit. Please take it if it is yours.

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 400ml lowicz raspberry
• 200ml lime juice (boiled)
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

This was straight up a rekorderlig© it was strong, I guess, but gone on seconds. Slightly sour and dry, but really fruity.

Will make again.

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #2 - pineapple and mango
Thought I would see how some of the notes that are priced in beer lend themselves to a cider

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 1l pineapple juice from concentrate
• 1l mango juice from concentrate
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

This was kinda naff. Smelt of my grandads office and didn't hold onto a lot of its flavour. I've had bad experiences with fermenting out mango in the past, and it seems to continue.

Will not make again.

 

[danmac]

Turbo #2 - pineapple and mango
Thought I would see how some of the notes that are priced in beer lend themselves to a cider

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 1l pineapple juice from concentrate
• 1l mango juice from concentrate
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

This was kinda naff. Smelt of my grandads office and didn't hold onto a lot of its flavour. I've had bad experiences with fermenting out mango in the past, and it seems to continue.

Will not make again.

I used
2 litres of apple juice
2 litres of summer fruit juice
1 cup of strong tea
1tsp yeast
1tsp yeast nutrient
1tsp pectolase

 

[Broken Toe]

I used
2 litres of apple juice
2 litres of summer fruit juice
1 cup of strong tea
1tsp yeast
1tsp yeast nutrient
1tsp pectolase

How did it turn out?

 

[danmac]

How did it turn out?

Only had a taste as I've bottled it but it's bloody strong and quite dry defo quaffable

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #3 - strawberry and lime
Near enough the same as Turbo #1 but with the raspberry swapped out for the strawberry

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 400ml lowicz strawberry
• 200ml lime juice (boiled)
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

Considering where it finished up there was a lot of sweetness left behind in this one. Very strong strawberry taste (like a coulis) little from the lime, would increase to 300-400ml in future.

Will make again

 

[lupinehorror]

used to do 4L every two weeks with various concentrates but have got slightly distracted by mead.
will be doing another TC soon. lime will feature. thanks for sharing.

 

[Scottyburto]

Do you need to boil the lime? Only reason I ask is would you loose the"freshness " by boiling?

 

[lupinehorror]

Do you need to boil the lime? Only reason I ask is would you loose the"freshness " by boiling?

the lime juice linked to here contains two preservatives. that may be it.

 

[Broken Toe]

used to do 4L every two weeks with various concentrates but have got slightly distracted by mead.
will be doing another TC soon. lime will feature. thanks for sharing.

I must admit the low cost, easy process and the combinations that are easily available with the Sunday shop has really played into my hand.

Do you need to boil the lime? Only reason I ask is would you loose the"freshness " by boiling?

Yes. I simmer it for about 15 mins to knock them out. It hasn't hindered the yeast activity so I think that has done the job

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #4 - cherry
Last of the unique bottles of lowicz bottles I could find. Didn't add the lime this time as I'm not entirely sure cherry and lime is a thing...

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 400ml lowicz cherry
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

I think this is nice? Has elements of cherry drop sweets to it. But with all the sugar fermented out there is no residual sweetness to balance it.


Will use the lowicz cherry again, but with something else, cranberry maybe?

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #5 - tropical

Took some inspiration from @danmac for this one, couldn't find the summer fruits so went with this. Sugar content of the tropical juice is very low so I'm expecting it to come out a lower abv than the others

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 2l tropical juice
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

Smells legit. But there is something lacking. Can't figure it out. The tropical flavours are definitely muted. I think this would have been better with a grape of cranberry base to it.


Will try again but not with apple juice.

 

[danmac]

Turbo #5 - tropical

Took some inspiration from @danmac for this one, couldn't find the summer fruits so went with this. Sugar content of the tropical juice is very low so I'm expecting it to come out a lower abv than the others

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 2l tropical juice
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

Smells legit. But there is something lacking. Can't figure it out. The tropical flavours are definitely muted. I think this would have been better with a grape of cranberry base to it.


Will try again but not with apple juice.

I have an apple and cherry one waiting to rack

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #6 - raspberry and cranberry

Now I don't think this is actually a turbo cider but I have included it in this series because I don't care too much about the semantics of it.

• 3l cranberry juice
• 400ml lowicz raspberry
• Cup of strong tea
• Bit of water
• CML cider yeast

Really quite dry. Not desert dry, but dry. Like not drinking something, even though you are drinking it. Some excellent raspberry and a bit of cranberry coming though.

Will try again.

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #7 - summer fruits

Managed to find some of that refrigerated summer fruits. So I thought I'd give that a shot with some AJ.

• 3l apple juice from concentrate
• 2l summer fruits
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

Very light, flavour is more subdued than I was expecting. But it has a real sweetener taste to it.


Will try to only find juices that are sweetener free for a while. See if I was right.

 

[Broken Toe]

Turbo #8 - lemon and lime and red grape

I think I may have lost it with this one. No idea what what I was thinking tbh.

• 2l apple juice from concentrate
• 2l red grape from concentrate
• 200ml lemon juice (boiled)
• 200ml lime juice (boiled)
• Cup of strong tea
• 5g CML cider yeast
• Sugar primed in bottles to 3 vols

Well it doesn't have that sweetener taste to it, so that's good I guess. Not sure what else to take away from it. It is a muddle of all the flavours you might expect.


Probably won't try this particular combination again...