First time black rock cider kit

Hey guys,

Gonna make this kit tomorrow, but gonna do a little change based on some of the stuff I've read.

I was gonna change the liquid amount from a total 23 litres down to 19 litres
I was gonna add 3 litres of apple juice (inlcuded in the 19 litres total)


I am also contemplating carbonating using fruit juice aswell, can someone explain this process to me. I figure I just add it before bottling, then bottle and the sugar will carbonate?


Also, what do people reckon about the fermenting time, it says 14-16 days, I was thinking the longer the better, so maybe 21 days? And then I'm gonna bottle for 6 weeks, try one, then let it sit for for a a few more weeks.

If i'm using fruit juice in the mix should I reduce the amount of dextrose in the fermenter?

Brewtobelegend said:

Hey guys,

Gonna make this kit tomorrow, but gonna do a little change based on some of the stuff I've read.

I was gonna change the liquid amount from a total 23 litres down to 19 litres
I was gonna add 3 litres of apple juice (inlcuded in the 19 litres total)

I am also contemplating carbonating using fruit juice aswell, can someone explain this process to me. I figure I just add it before bottling, then bottle and the sugar will carbonate?

Also, what do people reckon about the fermenting time, it says 14-16 days, I was thinking the longer the better, so maybe 21 days? And then I'm gonna bottle for 6 weeks, try one, then let it sit for for a a few more weeks.

If i'm using fruit juice in the mix should I reduce the amount of dextrose in the fermenter?

Click to expand...

Yes, the fruit juice contains sugar, and can be used to carb your cider. For a five gallon batch, remember you will need approximatly 100 to 130 grams of sugar (about 4 to 5 oz), so look at the juice for how much sugar is in each cup of the juice.

Fermenting for 21 days is no problem. It can help the yeast condition the cider.

As far as reducing the ammount of dextrose, that's up to you. You already stated that you are cutting the volume from 23 L to 19L. If you add all the reccomended fermentables, you will be increasing the alcohol by about 15% for that 19L volume. If that doesn't appeal to you, then yes, I would remove some of the dextrose from the equation.

Remember that homebrewing gives you lots of freedom of choice, so its up to you!

Thanks WilliamSlayer.

I only have 1 fermenter, how would this process work?

Would I just ferment it and then after 21 days chuck in the apple juice and stir up and then bottle? Or would I have to use a secondary? Just worried a load of crud will end up being bottled.

15% sounds quite alot, would you have any idea what the final alcohol percentage would be if I did add the juice and the dextrose fully?

Brewtobelegend said:

Thanks WilliamSlayer.

I only have 1 fermenter, how would this process work?

Would I just ferment it and then after 21 days chuck in the apple juice and stir up and then bottle? Or would I have to use a secondary? Just worried a load of crud will end up being bottled.

15% sounds quite alot, would you have any idea what the final alcohol percentage would be if I did add the juice and the dextrose fully?

Click to expand...

You will need to either invest in a 'bottling bucket' or try to siphon the cider from above the lees (that's the crud). I would reccomend investing in a bottling bucket, so that you can transfer the cider to it, leaving the lees behind. Then bottle it from there.

Putting the extra juice into that bottling bucket will allow you to mix it evenly into the cider. AND depending on how much juice you use (say 1/2 gallon or so) , it makes up the volume difference between 23L and 19L (sort of) and lessens the jump in alcohol content. Becareful though! Too much sugar will lead to 'bottle bombs'!

Okay, all been set up.

I filled my fermenter up to 19 litres. Inlcuding the kit, 3 litres apple juice and the rest water.

This time round I use boiled cooled water. I see people do this for purity and Cider quality, will this really affect the outcome?

I also heated the apple juice and dissolved the dextrose in it for even distribution.

Due to the water going in hot I have had to leave it overnight in the fermenter, airlock on and everything, however due to the temperature I will have to pitch my yeast tomorrow, I presume thats not a problem?

Brewtobelegend said:

Okay, all been set up.

I filled my fermenter up to 19 litres. Inlcuding the kit, 3 litres apple juice and the rest water.

This time round I use boiled cooled water. I see people do this for purity and Cider quality, will this really affect the outcome?

I also heated the apple juice and dissolved the dextrose in it for even distribution.

Due to the water going in hot I have had to leave it overnight in the fermenter, airlock on and everything, however due to the temperature I will have to pitch my yeast tomorrow, I presume thats not a problem?

Click to expand...

If your water tastes ok from the faucet, then boiling it won't do much to improve it. Many cities over chlorinate their water, so some folks boil the water to gas of that chlorine.

Ideally, you should pitch your yeast asap, but a sealed up fermentor should be ok over night. Not ideal, but ok.

Awesome Slayer, thanks a lot!

My water doesn't taste bad from the faucet but I really don't like it, I'm English living in New Zealand and it just don't taste right haha

Sweet, i'll cool next time in an ice bath!

I'll update this as to how I'm going, and when I cock up hopefully you can help me!

Happy to help! cheers.

Hey Slayer,

I have some maple syrup in the cupboard and would love to try carbonating my cider using this.

Would this be possible?

I wanna try a range of ways to carbonate, some using maple syrup, some using apple juice, some using cranberry juice, and some using just normal table sugar.

Is all of this possible aslong as I just check the amount of sugar in it and adjust the right amount to carbonate?

Is there anything I need to be wary of or avoid. Just for example, my maple syrup is not real maple syrup, its the cheapest of the cheap with added sweetener and bits bobs?

Brewtobelegend said:

Hey Slayer,

I have some maple syrup in the cupboard and would love to try carbonating my cider using this.

Would this be possible?

I wanna try a range of ways to carbonate, some using maple syrup, some using apple juice, some using cranberry juice, and some using just normal table sugar.

Is all of this possible aslong as I just check the amount of sugar in it and adjust the right amount to carbonate?

Is there anything I need to be wary of or avoid. Just for example, my maple syrup is not real maple syrup, its the cheapest of the cheap with added sweetener and bits bobs?

Click to expand...

Yes, it's possible. Each one of those things will bring a hint of it's flavor to your brew.

You hit the nail on the head with your thinking about both sugar ammounts and possible 'foreign' ingredients. Yes, check the labels for sugar content, and check to make sure they don't have preservatives that would inhibit fermentation.

Also, hey, its up to you if you think the 'artificial syrup' has a good taste or not. When it comes to taste, everyone is different!