Wobbly Gob Traditional Cider. Great Barr Gold Apple Cider

[HoppySpadge]

Went a tad short to 21 litres since cider kits tend to be weak IME, and am now drinking the second bottle 6 weeks since bottling. And….it’s ****! Really poor.

It’s clear, has a nice dry sharp initial taste followed by a bit of sweetness later, BUT there’s hardly any apple flavour at all. It’s barely recognisable as Cider. Slight hint of apples on the nose but none in the drink itself. It tastes a bit like sodastream carbonated water with a dash of apple juice thrown in - like maybe a tablespoon or two per sodastream bottle.

I’ve now been thru the cider shelf of my brewshop and done abt 5 or 6 apple ones and most of them were lacking in flavour but passable. Have I just got a bad one that missed QA or something? Because this is a complete waste of time and money. Do seasoned cider brewers add tonnes of UHT Apple Juice to theirs? Is there some enhancer available? What’s the secret? Surely this can’t be the way it’s supposed to be!!??

H

 

[Dave 666]

Went a tad short to 21 litres since cider kits tend to be weak IME, and am now drinking the second bottle 6 weeks since bottling. And….it’s ****! Really poor.

It’s clear, has a nice dry sharp initial taste followed by a bit of sweetness later, BUT there’s hardly any apple flavour at all. It’s barely recognisable as Cider. Slight hint of apples on the nose but none in the drink itself. It tastes a bit like sodastream carbonated water with a dash of apple juice thrown in - like maybe a tablespoon or two per sodastream bottle.

I’ve now been thru the cider shelf of my brewshop and done abt 5 or 6 apple ones and most of them were lacking in flavour but passable. Have I just got a bad one that missed QA or something? Because this is a complete waste of time and money. Do seasoned cider brewers add tonnes of UHT Apple Juice to theirs? Is there some enhancer available? What’s the secret? Surely this can’t be the way it’s supposed to be!!??

H

Interesting, as my apple cider kit (Ciderworks) is not far off ready to bottle and I noted (as I drank the sample drawn for the hydrometer reading) that whilst "acceptable" at this early stage it to lacks a decent level of "apple" flavour. Of cause, that could be down to such a young age I'm thinking. But, the kit does come with a small clear pouch marked "apple cider flavouring" to add once fermentation has finished. No indication on exactly what this "apple cider flavouring" is as surely the main concentrate should contain everything, yet I have an extra flavouring pouch of clear thickish liquid to add.

Never done cider before so unsure myself, maybe many kits require some kind of flavour "enchancer" and maybe that's what I have and many cider kits require?.

 

[HoppySpadge]

Haven't done a Ciderworks, but sounds like you're on track for one of my 'passable' ones! Please post final results :) My Wobblyknob only came with something called Yeast Boost.

I guess that the best way forward is to substitute water for loads (and I mean loads...) of supermarket UHT Apple Juice - like 5 litres but then I'm sure that they contain craptonnes of sugar and therefore we'll be in wine territory for alc content. But then, we might as well just make what seems to known as a Turbo Cider and save almost 20 quid on the pointless (apple?) juice that these kits come with.

Are there any avid cider kit brewers here? Can anyone answer our "maybe many kits require some kind of flavour "enhancer"" question? I've done abt 50 Beer brews and with a 10-12 quid kit, a KG of beer enhancer and maybe a few hops you can easily make a really really good beer. All Cider kits get a clear thumbs down in my book...

H

 

[Dave 666]

Actually, 2 days later and after adding the extra flavour sachet I noted a fast improvement in both taste and flavour. So much so I'm likely to get a second kit to do in a week or so. Much more flavour coming through now too, and intend to keep some bottles as still cider as they look to make a decent still cider which has surprised me quite a bit. I've now very high hopes for my cider kit and how it might improve over the next few weeks.

 

[Portreath]

Ciderworks kits improve immensely with age. I have a Ciderworks strawberry and pear in the kegerator, 10c plenty of carbonation and tastes like a nice cider, not too fruity which is nice, but a clear apple taste comes through. I made this back in June for the kids, so it's been in the keg since mid June. I have a CW apple cider kit in the man cave which I plan on doing this month, and I think I'll set it aside until sometime in the new year.

 

[HoppySpadge]

Tks to both of you for your replies. I am now encouraged to try again. I'll lay down the Wobbly for another month at least. I've only now read the reviews on my shop's website for this kit and many say it's excellent. And, I recall the extremely reliable guy in the shop recommending it. So, my opinion is clearly outvoted.
https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=cider&PN=WobblyGob%2dGreat%2dBarr%2dGold%2dCider%2dKit%2ehtml#SID=110\

But I just can't agree:
One reviewer says: "I buy this all the time it’s probably the nearest you can get to commercial cider" to which I am thinking 'Blimey m8, what kind of commercial cider do you buy?!'
The sales pitch for it says 'clean and crisp...' which it is for sure, but so is Sodastream water.

I'm a bit lost - Maybe it's down to good old personal taste. Maybe my taste buds are saturated by drinking loads of full flavoured bitters for so long. I'm going to try a Ciderworks though and I'll store it for springtime. The quest for a decent well flavoured cider that suits me goes on

Rgds/H

 

[Frogbrew]

Try these. Very near to commercial cider IMO.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/281158089380

 

[Dave 666]

Well I've never done a cider kit before so have nothing to compare it to kit wise for the ciderworks kit. But I have drunk countless varieties of cider over the years and feel this does have potential to be a winning brand and unexpected decent still cider by early indications. Of cause, brewing methods and conditions are also a major factor. For me, lower temps look to have helped a lot.

Though the biggest challenge will be extended conditioning periods, not something I'm to good at lol. But getting as much brewing done as I have time to in my spare time at the moment should increase chances of that.

 

[Dave 666]

Try these. Very near to commercial cider IMO.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/281158089380

I might give that brand a go, any excuse to buy a 4th FV!

 

[Mrdead]

Went a tad short to 21 litres since cider kits tend to be weak IME, and am now drinking the second bottle 6 weeks since bottling. And….it’s ****! Really poor.

It’s clear, has a nice dry sharp initial taste followed by a bit of sweetness later, BUT there’s hardly any apple flavour at all. It’s barely recognisable as Cider. Slight hint of apples on the nose but none in the drink itself. It tastes a bit like sodastream carbonated water with a dash of apple juice thrown in - like maybe a tablespoon or two per sodastream bottle.

I’ve now been thru the cider shelf of my brewshop and done abt 5 or 6 apple ones and most of them were lacking in flavour but passable. Have I just got a bad one that missed QA or something? Because this is a complete waste of time and money. Do seasoned cider brewers add tonnes of UHT Apple Juice to theirs? Is there some enhancer available? What’s the secret? Surely this can’t be the way it’s supposed to be!!??

H

I tried two of these kits as I thought I'd botched the first somehow on the advice of Chris from the shop. I had the same results as you with an over carbonated aftertaste with very little apple flavour, ended up pouring down the drain.

 

[Bzee]

I made a wobblygob recently and didn't prime half the bottles, actually left the swing swing tops on but not clipped down for a couple of weeks. All up I preferred the unprimed which surprised me

 

[user 43495]

Went a tad short to 21 litres since cider kits tend to be weak IME, and am now drinking the second bottle 6 weeks since bottling. And….it’s ****! Really poor.

It’s clear, has a nice dry sharp initial taste followed by a bit of sweetness later, BUT there’s hardly any apple flavour at all. It’s barely recognisable as Cider. Slight hint of apples on the nose but none in the drink itself. It tastes a bit like sodastream carbonated water with a dash of apple juice thrown in - like maybe a tablespoon or two per sodastream bottle.

I’ve now been thru the cider shelf of my brewshop and done abt 5 or 6 apple ones and most of them were lacking in flavour but passable. Have I just got a bad one that missed QA or something? Because this is a complete waste of time and money. Do seasoned cider brewers add tonnes of UHT Apple Juice to theirs? Is there some enhancer available? What’s the secret? Surely this can’t be the way it’s supposed to be!!??

H

I have used a few cider kits including the one you refer to from wobblygob; surely Angela Rayner's sister??! Anyway I too found it disappointing and had issues having been included a duff yeast sachet. Nothing at all happened in several days. I rang them up and had a very strange argument with a woman the other end who insisted the fault was entirely mine. Well what can I possibly know having only been brewing for over 45 years? I insisted on a replacement sachet which the bloke at the gobby end finally agreed to but charged me just short of a fiver for. OK I thought but NEVER again. Very penny wise and pound foolish on their part. I don't brew beer from kits because I find them disappointing; some wine kits are very good (Beaverdale and Wine Expert for instance) but cider kits also tend to be rubbish and frankly a waste of money. I bought 2nd hand a Vigo crusher and press and make my own cider the proper way and the difference is amazing. I have quite a bit of land with several fruit trees and have ordered two proper cider apple varieties; dabinette and slack ma girdle. They will be useful additions to the tress I already have including several crabs. If you want to go down this road remember if you can eat the apple without screwing your face up in horror at its acidity it's not very good for cider.

 

[Bzee]

Steady, Ive got the hots for Angela, I also put a wobblygob on over the weekend and its been slow to get going but Im keeping the faith.