FESTIVAL CIDER KIT INSTRUCTIONS

Read these instructions carefully and in full before you start. The preparation process is essentially the same for all beer types, but the amounts of sugar and water are different for the various types. Festival Cider kits are very easy to use. The most important thing is to ensure that everything you use is absolutely clean.

PROCEDURE

1. Read the instructions thoroughly before starting the Cider kit.

2. Clean & sterilise your fermentation bucket, lid & mixing paddle with proprietary brand of cleaner steriliser ensuring you rinse thoroughly with clean water.

3. Add the contents of the Dried Fruit Pack & Dextrose Pack to the fermentation bucket. Add the Oak Chips & extra Dextrose Pack at this stage if you are making the Oaked Apple variety.

4. Add 4L of boiling water & stir well to fully dissolve all sugars and malt.

5. Stir in the contents of the Liquid Fruit Concentrate Pouch sachet.

6. Check the temperature of the solution and once below 55c add the contents of enzyme sachet & stir well, then leave to stand for two hours.

7. After 2 hours, top up to 23L using cold water & stir well.

8. Stir in the contents of the yeast & nutrient and sweetener sachets.

9. Fit an Airlock to the lid of the fermentation bin then secure lid to the bin, making sure the seal is air-tight. Half fill the airlock with water to protect the brew during fermentation.

FERMENTATION

10. Leave to ferment at an air temperature of 20-30c for 5-7 days. Please ensure fermentation is fully complete & final gravity remains stable over two consecutive days. Oaked Apple is 0.998, Peach & Forest Fruits are 1.001 finishing gravity.

11. Once fermentation is complete, add Flavour Sachet, stir & leave for 24 hours.

12. After 24 hours, remove the fruit by pouring through a sieve or straining bag into another clean & sanitised 30L bucket. Try to leave behind the heavy sediment at the bottom of the bucket, but don't worry if some or all is transferred.

BOTTLING

13. Cleane & sterilise 40x 500ml Amber PET bottles then add 1 rounded teaspoon of Priming Sugar per bottle (alternatively add 1 carbonation drop per bottle). Fill each bottle to within 50mm of the top then cap & invert the bottles four times to dissolve sugar.

14. Store the cider for 7 days at between 20 & 30c to condition, then move to a cool place. Ready to drink once clear, Chill before serving.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Observe the following rules to avoid the risk of exploding bottles or kegs:

  • Use only pressure-resistant and reusable beer bottles free from scratches and cracks.
  • Do not rely solely on a fixed fermentation time or the bubbling of the airlock. Always measure the initial and final density of the beer.
  • Never add too much sugar when bottling.
  • During the second fermentation, store bottles and kegs in a separate, closed room, with a stable temperature and preferably not in busy areas.
  • Never store filled beer bottles or kegs where they are exposed to direct sunlight.