Cider Problems

[Piste]

Swmbo likes a cider so we have one going most of the time, the Brigalow kit with 1kg of dextrose.
Comes up a bit bubbly and acidic but if what she likes, so be it, it is actually very similar to Strongbow Dry.
I tried a variation based on advice from our HBS, the 17 litre Brigalow kit + 500g Dextrose and 250g of dry LME.
Went through all the motions, OG and FG were good (can't remember the figures), bottled with sugar for secondary and put away for a month.
Beautiful and clear, bit of sediment but it's almost dead flat and tasteless.
What went wrong, there is a bit of a hiss when the top comes off, a little spritzig in the bottle but not much, but it tastes like watered down cat piss (not that I have tried it).
These ones may be relegated to clearing drains but I am wondering what went wrong.
The use by dates on the kit, yeast and nutrient were well within spec.
I don't have too many disasters but this one is a shocker, do I point my digit squarely at the HBS or is it something else???

 

[BS Brewing]

How long are you leaving them in the bottles before opening...I believe it takes longer for cider to mature & carbonate than beer...maybe leaving them longer will solve the problem.
I'm about to try and make a batch of cider on the weekend...check the link it's what I am going to try the Pear Cider (Strongbow) if I can get some pear juice or it will just be the dry...I've be told the Black Rock kits are the best and Brigalow are not very good..this will be my first go of making cider...the last time I drank a cider was in the 70s when I use to deliver them to off licence in London.

http://www.thbs.intas.net/kit_recipes.htm

BS Brewing

 

[Piste]

Thanks, I'll leave them for another month or so.
Nice site you have there but isn't pear cider called a Perry?, or is that something again?
(back to the UK Babycham days, and pinching the bottles from the back of the pub and cashing in at the front )
I will try some of your recipes next time and have bookmarked the site.
Iain

 

[Screwtop]

Did you use a carbonation calculator to determine how much carbonation sugar was required? If fermentation went well then all should have been fine and there should have been dormant yeast available for the carbonating sugar. You would think that a secondary fermentation of 4 weeks at current temps would be plenty.

 

[BS Brewing]

Piste it's not my site I have nothing to do with it, it's just a site that I found very interesting with a few recipes that look good for those who are only into playing around with the kits.
I've never tried lactose so I'm thinnking I might add 250 grams to the dry if I decied to make that with a 4L of the Just Apples juice you can get from the non fridge (no presevitives) department of the supermarket.

BSB

 

[Piste]

Screwtop, I did a calculation, afterwards, based on what I think were the OG and FG.
Opened another one yesterday for a look and a quick tatse and it has suddenly taken a leap forward.
Has cleared dramatically, even though it was what I though clear before, it is now clear and bright, developed a pleasant taste and has a bit more body.
Only a week and it has taken off.
Wonder if it has anything to do with our sudden blast of cold air from the Antarctic, which we get the full force of being right on the bay.