First time I've tried cider usually just stuck with beer. This was a pleasant surprise and loved by friends. Definitely will do another cider. The first was Apple but ready to branch out and try other flavors.

I made a cider using this bad boy and although i prefer my cider from local orchards and sweetened with apple concentrate this kit was still very good. The first month after fermentation this kit smelled like straight farts and i was very disappointed. However I let the keg sit for another month and the smell has completely vanished. Very good!

I made a cider using this bad boy, and although i prefer my cider from local orchards and sweetened with apple concentrate, this kit was still very good. The first month after fermentation, this kit smelled like straight farts and i was very disappointed. However, I let the keg sit for another month and the smell has completely vanished. Very good!

First time I've tried cider usually just stuck with beer. This was a pleasant surprise and loved by friends. Definitely will do another cider. The first was Apple but ready to branch out and try other flavors.

First time I've tried cider, usually just stuck with beer. This was a pleasant surprise and loved by friends. Definitely will do another cider. The first was Apple but ready to branch out and try other flavors.

Great cider made it up about six weeks ago taste great we will buy another one

Great cider made it up about six weeks ago taste great we will buy another one

My wife made this kit for her first venture into fermented beverages. We were pleased by the simplicity of the process and the quick turn around time. Fermentation required about 2 days more indicated in the instructions but still pretty fast. The yeast tends to give a slight sulfur aroma but not too bad. My wife was happy with the results and ordered another pouch.

My wife made this kit for her first venture into fermented beverages. We were pleased by the simplicity of the process and the quick turn around time. Fermentation required about 2 days more indicated in the instructions, but still pretty fast. The yeast tends to give a slight sulfur aroma, but not too bad. My wife was happy with the results and ordered another pouch.

Easy to use. Ferments into a decent cider. Maybe a little too much apple essence.

Easy to use. Ferments into a decent cider. Maybe a little too much apple essence.

I have used this once before and made a Cherry Cyser turned out beautiful. Easy to make your cider good instructions.

I have used this once before and made a Cherry Cyser turned out beautiful. Easy to make your cider, good instructions.

The work to make it is super easy and simple. It's cider concentrate and you just add water and yeast. The outcome is a decent cider. The only downside is that drinking it gives us heartburn.

The work to make it is super easy and simple. It's cider concentrate, and you just add water and yeast. The outcome is a decent cider.The only downside is that drinking it gives us heartburn.

This kit was very simple to make. The whole process took about 10 minutes, including sanitizing my fermentation bucket. I made a 250ml starter using a stir plate 2 days prior (DME & Fermaid K). I used cold, filtered water to hit the target volume and followed all directions (except for any heating that may have been specified).. basically followed a no boil mead or wine protocol. There's an artificial apple flavor packet that's part of this kit that seems a bit dodgy, but I used it as indicated despite my reservations.The cider fermented on the low-mid range specified for the included yeast strain for a month, then another month in secondary better bottle.The finished product was good, but not great: it tastes good, but it seems painfully under carbonated compared to Samuel Smith's Cider or Indigeny (local to CA). The instructions call for something like 5 oz priming sugar, probably because most people don't regularly use heavy belgian or champaigne bottles, so that's about 2.5 volumes CO2. I will certainly make this kit again, but I will use something on the order of 9oz sugar to hit 4.5-5 volumes CO2 and use heavy bottles.I might experiment with different yeasts in the future, or perhaps various pureed fruits, and expect this kit will provide a good foundation for many future batches.

This kit was very simple to make. The whole process took about 10 minutes including sanitizing my fermentation bucket. I made a 250ml starter using a stir plate 2 days prior (DME & Fermaid K). I used cold filtered water to hit the target volume and followed all directions (except for any heating that may have been specified).. basically followed a no boil mead or wine protocol. There's an artificial apple flavor packet that's part of this kit that seems a bit dodgy but I used it as indicated despite my reservations. The cider fermented on the low-mid range specified for the included yeast strain for a month then another month in secondary better bottle. The finished product was good but not great: it tastes good but it seems painfully under carbonated compared to Samuel Smith's Cider or Indigeny (local to CA). The instructions call for something like 5 oz priming sugar probably because most people don't regularly use heavy belgian or champaigne bottles so that's about 2.5 volumes CO2. I will certainly make this kit again but I will use something on the order of 9oz sugar to hit 4.5-5 volumes CO2 and use heavy bottles. I might experiment with different yeasts in the future or perhaps various pureed fruits and expect this kit will provide a good foundation for many future batches.

First 2 batches done. Did not add the sweetener and the result was a dry, crisp cider. Everyone who has tried it likes it better than the sweet store bought stuff. Used one carb tab for 1/2 liter bottle (about 16 oz) and got mild to low fizz. Sediment in bottle was easy to rinse out but firm enough that you don't have to be hyper careful doing a "one pour". 4 stars because my two batches came out at different ABVs - don't know why. More consistency (or a cute barmaid included) would get it a five. Will buy again.

First 2 batches done. Did not add the sweetener and the result was a dry crisp cider. Everyone who has tried it likes it better than the sweet store bought stuff. Used one carb tab for 1/2 liter bottle (about 16 oz) and got mild to low fizz. Sediment in bottle was easy to rinse out but firm enough that you don't have to be hyper careful doing a "one pour". 4 stars because my two batches came out at different ABVs - don't know why. More consistency (or a cute barmaid included) would get it a five. Will buy again.

I mixed this kit up about six weeks ago. I'm waiting for the bottles to condition, I primed them to make a sparkling cider.Just because I was not familiar with Mangrove Jack at the time, I used White Labs WLP775.There is a little sachet of a white powder that the instructions say to add if you want your cider to finish sweeter, or to leave out if you want it to be dry. I put a little less than half of the pouch.There is another little pouch that is marked as apple flavoring. I don't know why you have to add that separately, shouldn't that be in the nature of the concentrated juice?Tasting a sample at bottling, the flavor was rather good. Finished crystal clear. Not giving this a full 5 stars just because of the mystery pouches, as well as there being no mention of what variety of apples this comes from. It would just be nice to know.Overall, very easy to make, taste pretty good, and I will make this one again.

I have been brewing beer for years and have wanted to get into cider but just never got to the point of finding 5 gallons of unpasteurized apple juice to work with. I saw this kit and it intrigued me but I wondered how good it could be. So I ordered it. First off let me say that the yeast, flavoring packet and sweetener are inside the wall of the pouch. I could find nowhere that said this so at first I thought the stuff was missing. Nope, it is there. I followed the instructions as far as the fermentation and adding the flavoring. The fermentation smelled something awful! Lots of sulfur smells - that made me wonder but I think it is normal for fermentation with fruit. After fermentation was done I read up on the sweetener packet and found it contained aspartame. I didn't want to add aspartame to my cider because to me it gives a distinct off flavor. At that point instead I took part of the cider (3.5 gallons) added 2 campden tablets, let it sit a couple of days and then added a 12 oz can of frozen concentrated apple juice and then kegged and force carbonated it. The other 2.5 gallons I bottled with carb tablets. Both turned out really good. The kegged cider is pretty sweet - definitely tastes like a lot of the bottled hard cider people like. The bottled cider is a little drier but still has some sweetness. So I sort of made 2 ciders from 1. I would definitely make this again with the tweaks I made.

I mixed this kit up about six weeks ago. I'm waiting for the bottles to condition I primed them to make a sparkling cider. Just because I was not familiar with Mangrove Jack at the time I used White Labs WLP775. There is a little sachet of a white powder that the instructions say to add if you want your cider to finish sweeter or to leave out if you want it to be dry. I put a little less than half of the pouch. There is another little pouch that is marked as apple flavoring. I don't know why you have to add that separately shouldn't that be in the nature of the concentrated juice? Tasting a sample at bottling the flavor was rather good. Finished crystal clear. Not giving this a full 5 stars just because of the mystery pouches as well as there being no mention of what variety of apples this comes from. It would just be nice to know. Overall very easy to make taste pretty good and I will make this one again.

I have been brewing beer for years and have wanted to get into cider but just never got to the point of finding 5 gallons of unpasteurized apple juice to work with. I saw this kit and it intrigued me but I wondered how good it could be. So I ordered it. First off let me say that the yeast flavoring packet and sweetener are inside the wall of the pouch. I could find nowhere that said this so at first I thought the stuff was missing. Nope it is there. I followed the instructions as far as the fermentation and adding the flavoring. The fermentation smelled something awful! Lots of sulfur smells - that made me wonder but I think it is normal for fermentation with fruit. After fermentation was done I read up on the sweetener packet and found it contained aspartame. I didn't want to add aspartame to my cider because to me it gives a distinct off flavor. At that point instead I took part of the cider (3.5 gallons) added 2 campden tablets let it sit a couple of days and then added a 12 oz can of frozen concentrated apple juice and then kegged and force carbonated it. The other 2.5 gallons I bottled with carb tablets. Both turned out really good. The kegged cider is pretty sweet - definitely tastes like a lot of the bottled hard cider people like. The bottled cider is a little drier but still has some sweetness. So I sort of made 2 ciders from 1. I would definitely make this again with the tweaks I made.