Cider

First attempt at Cider from apple juice

Having recently ventured into brewing wine, i decided to attempt Cider. I did a bit of researcher and found that is also incredibly simple. my recipe is a follows

January 20, 2016

Ingredients

3 * 1. 5 ltr Lidl apple juice

100 grams brewing sugar (+ more for carbonation)

1 packet of ale yeast (I happened to have one lying around)

Yeast nutrients (1 tsp)

Kit required

2 demijohns (5 ltr water bottles will do)

Funnels

Steriliser

Air locks and bungs in  lids

Empty bottles

Syphon

Hydrometer

Instructions

Measure sugars

Clean and sterilise demijohns Funnels and Air locks

Pour 3 *1. 5  Lidl ltr apple juice  into demijohn and lid (non airlock)

Shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes

Change lid for an air lock lid

Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an hour (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)

Add 100 grams brewing sugar and yeast nutrients

Lid demijohn (non airlock)

Shake to combine

Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an 15 minutes (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)

Once settled take reading with hydrometer

Place where fermentation will take place

Add yeast

Lid demijohn with airlock lid

Check daily until fermentation stops

P.S. Fermentation started very vigorously. you may want to put it on a towel or wrap some kitchen roll around the demijohn neck

Gravity reading taken

Reading taken on 20/01/2016 Gravity reading 1.060

Reading taken on 26/01/2016 Gravity Reading 1.000

due to high % this has been watered down using approx. 2 lts water

My first attempt at making white and red wine

Having done many beer kits I decided to attempt making wine. I have done 1 wine kit before and it was OK. i would describe it as wedding wine (you would drink it if it was on the table but you wouldn't buy it.)

with that I mind I did some research and found it was really easy to do if from store bought juice. below are my instruction, ingredients and so on.  ill post an update as a go

Wine brew started on 14/01/2016

White and red done at the same time.

Ingredients for both

2 ltr Lidl red grape juice

1 lts Waitrose white grape juice

1. 5 Lidl ltr apple juice

2 lts Welch’s white grape, Pear and apple juice

700 grams granulated sugar

650 grams granulated sugar

1 pint strong black tea (4bag brew)

1 lemon

1.5 limes

Wilco express wine yeast compound

Yeast nutrients

(I used bottled water to top up)

===============

Kit required

4 demijohns (5 ltr water bottles will do)

Funnels

Steriliser

Air locks and bungs in 2 lids

Empty wine bottles & corks

Syphon

Plastic tub

Wine heater

Hydrometer

=======================

Brew the tea and stir occasionally once water has cooled pour into 2 250ml containers

Squeeze the juice out of the lemon and limes and divide in to 2

Measure our both sugars

Clean and sterilise 2 demijohns Funnels and Air locks

=============

White

 

  

• Pour 2 lts Welch’s white grape, Pear and apple juice and 1 lts Waitrose white grape juice into 1 demijohn and lid (non airlock)
• Shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes
• Change lid for an air lock lid
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an hour (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Add 250ml tea, 1 of the lemon and lime juice mixes and 650 grams granulated sugar
• Lid demijohn (non airlock)
• Shake to combine
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an 15 minutes (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Top up demijohn with bottled water
• Once settled take reading with hydrometer
• Place plastic tub where fermentation will take place
• Put demijohn in plastic tub
• Fill plastic tub 3/4 with warm water
• Put wine heater in the water
• Leave for around 1/2 hour for temperature to settle down
• Add 1 rounded teaspoon of Wilco express wine yeast compound
• Lid demijohn with airlock lid
• Add nutrients 5-7days later

=================================

Red

  

  

  

• Pour 2 ltr Lidl red grape juice and 1. 5  Lidl ltr apple juice  into 1 demijohn and lid (non airlock)
• Shake vigorously for at least 2 minutes
• Change lid for an air lock lid
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an hour (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Add 250ml tea, 1 of the lemon and lime juice mixes and 700 grams granulated sugar
• Lid demijohn (non airlock)
• Shake to combine
• Leave to settle in tub of warm water (sink)  for around an 15 minutes (you will need to top up the water to warm the mixture)
• Top up demijohn with bottled water
• Once settled take reading with hydrometer
• Place plastic tub where fermentation will take place
• Put demijohn in plastic tub
• Fill plastic tub 3/4 with warm water
• Put wine heater in the water
• Leave for around 1/2 hour for temperature to settle down
• Add 1 rounded teaspoon of Wilco express yeast compound
• Lid demijohn with airlock lid

Add nutrients 5-7days later

============

Gravity reading taken

Reading taken on 14/01/2016 Gravity reading for white 1.070 Gravity reading for red 1.090

Reading taken on 26/01/2016 Gravity reading for white 0.984 Gravity reading for red 0.990
Bottled 22/03/2016