Home brew cider from a box, is there a way I can carbonate it? It's a bit bland

[Guidedheart]

I bought this kit of home brew cider, I know it's not a real home brew like you guys make but I could do with some help.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6515331?cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59156%7Ccid:189934525%7Cagid:18091995445%7Ctidla-274027122934%7Ccrid:77627771845%7Cnw:g%7Crnd:5126818959023274212%7Cdvc:t%7Cadp:1o1&gclid=CKjXwofa29MCFQgq0wod87IEOg

It takes 48 hours to brew and stores 10 pints of cider, it's good to drink now but must be drunk within 20 days. I made it 12 days ago. I want to carbonate it but have absolutely no idea how to.

Someone on here mentioned you could carbonate it with cane sugar but no idea the measurements. Can someone help me?

My plan is to put it in 2 litre bottles, plastic, old coke bottles to be precise. How do I do this with sugar? How much sugar? I need to measurements to either be in teaspoons/tablespoons or weight so I can measure it on my scales, no cups or anything like that as I have no clue about them.

Some people where stating that it would take 3 weeks or more to make it carbonated, but if mine is only good to drink for 20 days how do I work around this? Or is it because my kit pack comes with a small hole in the bottle lid to let gas escape? Is this why it will go funky after 20 days.

I really don't want to throw this out but I brewed two boxes of the stuff as I was having people over and the others who drink cider didn't come over and I won't be able to drink it all myself that soon especially if it's not fizzy.

Any ideas? Or should I just fork out the money for a soda stream and use that? I'd rather not as there expensive.

 

[Anon111]

I bought this kit of home brew cider, I know it's not a real home brew like you guys make but I could do with some help.
## ## ##
It takes 48 hours to brew and stores 10 pints of cider, it's good to drink now but must be drunk within 20 days. I made it 12 days ago. I want to carbonate it but have absolutely no idea how to.

Someone on here mentioned you could carbonate it with cane sugar but no idea the measurements. Can someone help me?

My plan is to put it in 2 litre bottles, plastic, old coke bottles to be precise. How do I do this with sugar? How much sugar? I need to measurements to either be in teaspoons/tablespoons or weight so I can measure it on my scales, no cups or anything like that as I have no clue about them.

Some people where stating that it would take 3 weeks or more to make it carbonated, but if mine is only good to drink for 20 days how do I work around this? Or is it because my kit pack comes with a small hole in the bottle lid to let gas escape? Is this why it will go funky after 20 days.

I really don't want to throw this out but I brewed two boxes of the stuff as I was having people over and the others who drink cider didn't come over and I won't be able to drink it all myself that soon especially if it's not fizzy.

Any ideas? Or should I just fork out the money for a soda stream and use that? I'd rather not as there expensive.

Bulldog Premium Cider Kit• says: 1 level teaspoon per 500 ml, OR 1 rounded teaspoon per 750 ml. Should be carbonated in a week-ish. Sanitise the coke bottles, don't worry about explosions: the bottles can take it. They might foam a bit when opened, so try opening it in the kitchen
Also: they ought to last a bit longer than just 3 weeks, I think. I'm just a beginner but come on... my totally unprofessional based-on-nothing advise is: it'll last prolly a week longer, at least, once bottled (YMMV).

•https://www.tesco.com/direct/bulldo...and-lime-cider-kit/694-3584.prd?source=others

 

[z-bob]

I'm not familiar with those kits. You mixed it up and added the yeast and then what? If you bottled just 48 hours later, they probably intended for you to put in it pressure bottles.

Knowing nothing else about it, I'd probably ferment it for at least 2 weeks, then transfer to your 2 liter bottles and add 4 teaspoons of sugar to each one -- then screw the lids down tight.

I make cider all the time using store-bought apple juice from Aldi, yeast, and a little sugar. A lot cheaper than 1.49 pounds per liter. It's not berry flavored, but I guess it could be

 

[Maylar]

I can only guess at why they say to drink it with 20 days, but once you get it out of the box into bottles it'll last a lot longer than that.

 

[Guidedheart]

It comes with a small tap at the front of the box, once it's brewed you then serve over ice. I'd just prefer it to be carbonated, thanks

How long after putting the sugar into the bottles can I then drink it? And do I store it in the fridge once bottled. Don't want to gulp it down before it's ready.

 

[Chalkyt]

Here's me, a relative beginner with a couple of posts asking questions already, giving advice. But here goes... forums are all about swapping information.

I did a couple of tests using sugar and water with a sprinkle of yeast and nutrient, just to get an idea of carbonation.

It might be a bit different when juice is involved but you can take whatever information you like from the following...

1 cup water (250ml) + 1/4 cup sugar (60g) gave 300ml overall with SG1.075 (which relates to about 10% alcohol when fermented).

similarly, 1/2 cup of sugar (120g) gave 30ml with SG1.130 (17% alcohol when fermented)

In another test, I found that a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml bottle of water resulted in a SG of 1.005 and produced a good fizz after 4 weeks. It was a bit like a good bottle of soda water.

Two teaspoons of sugar gave a SG of 1.010 and a very robust fizz (spilling over the top of the bottle)

Both bottles had a SG of 1.000 when opened after four weeks, suggesting that the sugar was fully fermented. On this basis you would expect to get a good result after two weeks. The yeast I used was SAFCIDER which I have used for my current cider batches and which took the SG from 1.070 to 1.000 in about a week and a half.

I have adopted 1 tsp per 500ml (roughly a pint) as my carbonating "standard'. You could probably use 1/2 tsp and still get an O.K. result. This seems to line up with other advice or opinions from Dr Google!

 

[RPh_Guy]

I guess I'd say don't bother trying to fix this. It seems like a cool idea but if you don't like the product the kit makes, then it's a bust.

Cider-making is very fun and rewarding.... I think stressing over trying to carbonate whatever is in that kit might cause you to stray away from trying to make cider the "right" way and you'll miss out on moving forward with the hobby.

 

[Maylar]

It comes with a small tap at the front of the box, once it's brewed you then serve over ice. I'd just prefer it to be carbonated, thanks

How long after putting the sugar into the bottles can I then drink it? And do I store it in the fridge once bottled. Don't want to gulp it down before it's ready.

Carbonation typically takes 1-3 weeks at room temperature. Fortunately, with plastic soda bottles you'll be able to squeeze the bottles and when you feel them get hard you'll know there's CO2 pressure and it's time to refrigerate them.

 

[Guidedheart]

The one in the kit tastes fine but I'd just prefer it to be carbonated, I'm not into this as a hobby, sorry I just like to drink cider. Found this site and figured you guys would know how to make it better.

The mix is already alcoholic as is and will get stronger the longer I wait, I just want it fizzy now. I don't need it to ferment.

I'm gonna bottle it tomorrow morning before work, it's in 2 litre plastic bottles, using 4 teaspoons of sugar in the bottle. Seal it up tight and leave it at room temperature until the bottle gets hard then refrigerate it.

Am I right in this? Can I then drink it once it's cold? I don't have to worry about it exploding right?

Thanks for all your help guys, one day I may try a real home brew but I'm living at home so don't have the space.

 

[z-bob]

You don't have to worry about it exploding in plastic bottles if you watch them. They can take a lot of pressure.

4 teaspoons of sugar is about right if the cider is dry to start with. It's too much to add if it's still a little sweet when you bottle it -- but probably not a problem if you refrigerate the bottles when they get hard.

BTW, we are talking US teaspoons (5 ml). Aren't UK teaspoons about 6 ml? If you're using UK measures, 4 is a little too much; 3 would be about right (make it a generous 3)