Mangrove Jack's Craft Series Apple Cider Starter Home Brewing Kit

Starter Kit: Craft Series Apple Cider Craft brewing starts here

Embark on the journey of homebrewing with the Mangrove Jack’s Apple Cider Starter Kit! This kit contains ingredients, equipment, and step-by-step instructions to guide you in making your very first cider, and a delicious one at that. With the included Craft Series Apple Cider, you’ll make 23 L of refreshingly crisp and thirst quenching cider, brimming with the taste of juicy orchard apples. The perfect gift for yourself or the cider lover in your life!

What’s Inside:

• Step-by-step instructions
• Craft Series Apple Cider Pouch (Inside the pouch you’ll find our M02 Cider Yeast)
• Premium Cider Enhancer
• 30 L Fermenter with Lid, tap, Grommet & Airlock, and Thermometer Strip
  Bottles (45 × 500 ml)
• Hydrometer
• Mixing Spoon
• Brew Bottler
• Cleaner & Sanitiser

Note: Does not include sugar or carbonation drops for bottle carbonation. Additional sugar will need to be purchased for this step.

Inside your kit you’ll find:

Easy-to-follow Instructions 30 L Fermenter Bucket and Lid Airlock and Grommet Tap Thermometer Strip Hydrometer and Trial Tube

Brewing Spoon Bottles Brew Bottler Cleaner & Sanitiser Tub Craft Series Cider Kit Cider Enhancer

1. First, set up your fermenter by screwing the tap into the drilled hole, then stick the thermometer strip on lengthways just above the 5 L mark. Fill the fermenter with water just past the tap line to check for leaks.
2. Next, you ll need to sanitise your equipment by following the mixing and usage instructions on the sanitiser included with your kit. This step is crucial in giving your brew the best chance of success.

1. Remove the sachets from the dry compartment of the pouch and set aside for now. Add 3 L of boiling water to the fermenter followed by the extract from the cider kit and the Cider Enhancer. Stir well.
2. Top up the fermenter with cold drinking water until it reaches 23 L. Check that the liquid temperature is between 18-24 C, if not then stand the fermenter in a bath of icy water to cool it down.

1. Take a sample of the brew, making sure you fill the sample tube enough for the hydrometer to float, and measure the specific gravity. You may want to write down the starting gravity reading in the notes section of your Starter Kit Instructions. See how to measure SG right at bottom.

1. Add the cider yeast and cider sweetener sachets to the brew surface and stir. Note: Consider your sweetness preference before adding the cider sweetener – add the whole sachet for a sweet cider, add half the sachet for an off dry cider, and do not add any sweetener for a dry cider.
2. Secure the fermenter with its lid, then fit the airlock half filled with previously boiled and cooled water or sanitiser solution.
3. Leave to ferment for 6 days between 18-24 C.
4. After 6 days or once the airlock has stopped bubbling, take an SG reading. Make sure the reading is at or below the 1.006 for 2 consecutive days. If not, leave it for a few more days and check again. Once the SG reading is stable, it s time to bottle your brew.

1. First, sanitise your bottles and brew bottler as per the instructions on the sanitiser included with your kit.
2. Next, fit brew bottler to your tap and open the tap, allowing the brew bottler to fill.
3. Stick the brew bottler into the bottle and press it against the base of the bottle to start filling, stopping when you have approximately 3 cm of headspace.
4. Before sealing your bottles, add your priming sugar or carbonation drops. Refer to your starter kit instructions for how much to add.
5. Seal your bottles and store them in a warm place for about 2 weeks before moving them to a cool, dark place to clear for a further 7 days. Your brew is ready once it s clear, but you can leave it for a couple more weeks for a smoother drop.
6. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Measuring Specific GravityThe Specific Gravity, or ‘SG’, is a key measurement in tracking fermentation and assessing when it is complete and your beer or cider is ready for bottling. The ABV of your brew can also be calculated by using SG readings. The most commonly used tool to measure SG is a ‘Hydrometer’. A hydrometer is included in our Starter Kit and is also available for purchase separately.

The standard gravity readings on a hydrometer are denoted by numbers, starting with 1.000, and incrementing by .010, .020, .030, and so on. These numbers represent 1.010, 1.020, 1.030, and so forth.

The point where the liquid level meets the hydrometer scale is your reading. For example, if the brew is at the spot where the arrow is pointing on the hydrometer below, your reading will be 1.040.

To take an SG reading using a hydrometer:

• Pour a sample of your brew into a trial or test tube and float the hydrometer in the tube. Be sure to fill the sample tube with enough liquid to float the hydrometer in the tube.

• Spin the hydrometer between your thumb and finger to remove any bubbles attached to the glass of the hydrometer that could distort the reading.

• Take the reading where the liquid meets on the hydrometer and keep a record of this number.

• After taking your reading, discard the sample and be sure NOT to pour it back in your fermenter.

The alcohol by volume (ABV) of a beer or cider is also determined by taking SG readings. To calculate the ABV, you need to be sure to take two SG readings one at the start of fermentation (original gravity [OG]), and once at the end of fermentation (final gravity [FG]).

Your ABV should be very close to the figure indicated on your kit.