Spicy strawberry TC

[Shug]

Trying something perhaps a bit adventurous for my first ever non-beer kit brew but wanted to run this idea past the experts before I begin!
Just making a 5l demijohn and have 4l of apple juice from concentrate (no preservative) a pile of strawberries I intend to make up the demijohn to 5l, and some chilli. Planning to use some of my dried ancho chillis, rehydrated, as they aren't too spicy (3/10 rating) and add a rich red colour to anything its added to.
Should I bother with any tea for the tannins in this?
I had thought to ferment with the natural sugars, and then sweeten to taste after fermentation. Do I need extra sugar at the start?
(sorry for all the noob questions!)
:

 

[LewisA]

I had thought to ferment with the natural sugars, and then sweeten to taste after fermentation. Do I need extra sugar at the start?

I'm no expert but as no one has answered your question yet ill give it a go

The sugar you add at the start will all be converted to alcohol by the yeast; so adding the extra sugar at the start will result in higher alcohol content. If you plan on adding extra sugar for a higher alcohol content then it is Recommended its not excessive. To sweeten after fermentation (providing you want the fizz like a normal cider) you have to use artificially sweeteners otherwise the yeast will just break the sugar down into more alcohol. To prime the cider (give it its fizz) A tea spoon (roughly 3-4g) of sugar is added per 500ml of cider; the bottle is the caped ASAP. This will give the cider its fizz.

Hope this helped

 

[Grumpy Jack]

I don't bother with tea for the tannins, just straight juice fermented, sometimes with a few additional flavours like ginger... I've triedchilli but it didn't really work for me...

I only use a max of 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar per 1/2 litre bottle to prime / fizz it - anything more and I have found that they can get lively. that still gives me plenty of fizz and only the need for one glass, rather than a second nearby to catch the overflow...

 

[Shug]

:thumb:
I chucked in 100g of brewing sugar. Started out at 1052 and was 1004 last night. (calculator says 6.4% abv ) Still seemed to be fermenting a little so I left it but thought I should bottle it up tonight?

 

[Grumpy Jack]

I leave it til it's really stopped bubbling, 15 days or more sometimes...

 

[Shug]

I left it another day and it dropped to 996. That would make it 7.4%? :shock:
Bottled it up with a 1/3 spoon of brewing sugar each.
Tasted pretty reasonable, so now I just have to find some shreds of patience til its ready to drink!