I sent a PM to MBM asking how it went, gave a link to this thread.
I'm currently doing this experiment myself with two .5 gallon batches.
Each one contains:
2.72L (Minus a cup and a half) of Simply Apple. Absolutely nothing added, pasteurized though.
1/2 cup of brown sugar.
One packet of dry, rapid rise bread yest (Fleishman's, 8g per pack).
I poured about a cup and a half out of each jug after letting them warm up to room temp. Poured the brown sugar in, then shook them up nice and hard, let it settle for a minute, then pitched the yeast in. Screwed the top back on, and let them sit.
Within an hour I had MASSIVE action, it looked like a backyard 4th of July party in the middle of DC. Yeast was flying everywhere due to the CO2 being released so fast. I quickly realized that I was going to need an airlock or blowoff faster than I had thought, so I fashioned a quick fix out of latex surgical gloves, scotch tape, and rubber bands. Poked pinholes in the thumbs, then squeezed out the air inside. With the gloves having a vacuum, I then unscrewed the tops, which let the CO2 fill it up.
This was all started on Friday night, and over the weekend it kept up this insane level of fermentation. It calmed down on Monday afternoon, and as of now it seems to be finished with the CO2 release, the yeast cake is about triple the size it started out as. The juice itself is clearing as well, though the lees moves around a lot if you even gently move the bottles. Should be fun trying to get it out!
Total cost for a little over a gallon: $11. Made using only grocery store ingredients, without any extra brewers equipment. Obviously it could taste like crap, but this is all part of the fun, no? I've paid more money for less exciting entertainment
.