Cider Bottling

FXRS

I am looking ahead to bottling time for my Muntons Autumn Blush cider and would like some advice ref priming.

The instructions with this kit says I should use a "heaped" teaspoon for each 500ml. I intend using 1ltr bottles and want to try carbination drops.

How many carbination drops should I use per bottle?

Or as an alternative, could I add some apple juice to each bottle? If so, how much?

If this is an option I would bottle some with apple juice (how much per litre?) and some with carbonation drops (how many per litre?) just to see what the difference is.

Grateful for help on this.

HBO_Staff

If using 1 litre bottles you should aim for 3 carbonation drops per bottle, it's not an exact science but this will work out about right. Adding apple juice is not an option to prime the bottles, it is the sugar that causes the secondary fermentation. By adding apple juice at this stage it would dilute the cider, and the Muntons Autumn Blush is a premium kit so it would be a shame to risk causing a problem at this stage. Apple juice does not have a high sugar content like carbonation drops. If you wanted to add apple juice, and we haven't done this, we are just working on logic, we believe you would be best to replace some of the water at the start of the process and substitute it with apple juice, it can then ferment with the rest of the ingredients, and the overall volume of liquid would be the same. There will be some sugars in the apple juice which will also ferment and this may well increase the alcohol content of the finished cider, depending on how much apple juice you use instead of water