What is a turbo cider(sorry im a newb)

[TheApprentice2011]

Hiya I'm new here and getting some money together for homebrewing equipment, but i keep seeing people signitures and topics about turbo ciders but i have no idea what they are and how there different from a normal cider. Thanks in advance.

 

[oldbloke]

The essential points is it's made from cheapo supermarket apple juice - no messing with fruit presses etc
Supposedly simple and fast, too, but everybody soon starts adding all kinds of extras and then saying it's much better aged for 57 years blah blah
General agreement a proper cider yeast is best
Most chuck a strong cup of tea in.

Plenty of info in the various threads.

 

[Hollow Legs]

Hi Apprentice 2011,

As Old Bloke states TURBO CIDER is made from Apple Juice Concentrate(100% apple juice) bought cheaply from your local supermarket, put into a Demijohn, add cider yeast, a strong cup of tea(no milk or sugar) adds tannin for a bite) then leave to go fermental for a week until it stops blibbing, leave a couple of days to clear and then bottle, if you want it still just bottle or add sugar to the bottles if you want to have it fizzy(a spoon full per pint), add splenda to sweeten before bottling if you don't want it really dry, leave for 57 years.............no really leave for 3 -12 weeks depending on your tolerance and enjoy.

 

[oldbloke]

Re aging - I've only done 1, and after 1 week in bottle it was drinkable but rough, like Proper Farmhouse Somerset Scrumpy back in the 60s.
After just 2 weeks in bottle it's still got a slightly scrumpyish character but is /very/ drinkable.
Expecting it to improve further. Very pleased for something so simple.
And I just did basic juice+yeast(+nutrient), no extras at all.
However it's flat - dunno why.
Next time, will add the tea and use cider yeast instead of champagne yeast.

 

[evanvine]

OB
Did you prime your bottles with sugar?
It matters not what type of yeast you used!

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

OB
Did you prime your bottles with sugar?
It matters not what type of yeast you used!

I once used S-04 and it left a very slight underlying ale taste.
I now use Young's cider yeast.

BB

 

[evanvine]

Now there's something I've never considered, using an Ale or Bakers yeast for a Cider, how strange!
White wine, Champagne or Cider yeast; it matters not apart from subtlety of flavour!

 

[oldbloke]

Yeh, I primed. I funnelled a teaspoon of normal granulated into each bottle, then syphoned the cider onto it. I figured the incoming cider would stir the sugar up enough to dissolve it and get it into solution but maybe it doesn't, maybe I should syphon then prime. Or batch prime. Or maybe those plastic caps let the gas out: next purchase will be a crown capper, I think, the plassies are a b*gg*r to get off anyway. A couple of bottles have a hint of carboanation, but very slight, and they're the only ones with a noticable yeast layer at the bottom of the bottle - mayeb I left it to long before bottling and there just wasn't any(or enough) yeast in the bottles to do anything.
I'm going to use a cider yeast next time just to see if I can detect any taste difference (although, if I use different juice and add tea as well it'll be hard to know what change is down to the yeast). Also it might stop before the stuff becomes a no-more-than-2-pints-a-night job - this batch is a little stronger than I expected or want. Or feels like it - didn't bother taking a final gravity.