Need help with brewing cider!!

[Peter]

Okay so basically I have brewed alot of beer but never a cider and I want to try one. I have a few questions, firstly when I brew beer I add sugar to the FV will I need to do this with a cider or does the sugar come naturally from the fruit. Also I've never used an airlock with my beer and it's turned out great but people are telling me I should use one for cider, do I need to or should I just make it like beer? Thanks :) Pete

 

[LewisA]

Well to answer your question regarding adding sugar it all depends on your apple juice. If for example you brew using an apple juice from a supermarket then chances are you wont need to add sugar because there is already enough in there to get you to 5-6% (Tesco Value Apple juice). However when I juiced apples I found there to only be enough sugar for 2-3%. That was from my apples yours may be different. Either way a hydrometer is indispensable for using pressed apple juice so adjustments can be made.

Personally I use a airlock for all my brews, helps keep the goodness in and the nasties out. Plus it stops me producing Cider vinegar

Hope this helps :)

 

[Springer]

Welcome to the forum.
Just finished a pint of turbo cider, :thumb: , do a search loads of info. If you are using apple concentrate the juice will be about 1047 ish, if you add sugar you will get more alcohol at the expense of flavour. Remember cider will finish at 0.996 ish much lower than beer. if you use the forum calculator, top left, you can work out starting and final gravity and have a fair idea what you might end up with . When I did my first turbo, I ended up with 9.2% :hmm: :lol:
Use of an air lock is something I have just started to do, lost 15 gallons of beer to the fruit fly, so it might be good practise, never had a problem in over a hundred brews :) but...........
Happy brewing
S
P.S. just spotted the post from Lewis, about what I was saying

 

[Peter]

Hey thanks guys :) thanks for the help really appreciate it, big help, another question I had but forgot about was with my beer I use a little element that keeps the beer at optimum temperature, would I use that for cider or does it need to be different? And bottling it off, would I add that little bit of extra sugar to the bottle or not? Thanks :) Pete

 

[Marrsy86]

If you want carbonated cider then add a little sugar to the bottles.

I leave me Ciders around 20-22 degree mark and they are always fine. :thumb:

 

[LewisA]

Hey thanks guys :) thanks for the help really appreciate it, big help, another question I had but forgot about was with my beer I use a little element that keeps the beer at optimum temperature, would I use that for cider or does it need to be different? And bottling it off, would I add that little bit of extra sugar to the bottle or not? Thanks :) Pete

I'm not sure about the element temprature question, maybe one of the more knowledgable brewers can answer that one all i can say is that I havent used one and my turns out alright thats not to say it would not turn out better with an element with regards to adding sugar at bottling if you want a fizzy cider then that extra sugar is a must. One teaspoon of sugar per 500ml bottle is the norm, left for a week in warm conditions then another week in cool conditions. (Ciders taste improves with age if you can resist that long

Hope this helps :)

 

[Peter]

Thanks for all the answers :) really cleared alot up, I'm going upto the fields to pick some apples tomorrow and then hopefully get the brew on in the afternoon, wish me luck