John Bull Country Cider Instructions

We couldn't source John Bull's own printed pack instructions specifically, so this page follows the standard process for this family of 23L fruit-concentrate cider kits. If your pack differs, always follow what's printed on it.

What's Included

  • Fruit concentrate pouch
  • Brewing sugar sachet
  • Cider yeast and priming sugar sachets

Equipment Needed (not included)

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Clean and sterilise all your equipment thoroughly.
  2. Stand the concentrate pouch on a flat surface and cut across the top. Pour the concentrate into your sterilised fermenter, rinse the pouch out with warm water and add that too.
  3. Add the brewing sugar along with roughly 3 litres of boiling water and stir vigorously until fully dissolved.
  4. Top up to 23 litres with cold tap water and stir well.
  5. Add the cider yeast sachet and mix well.
  6. Fit a water-filled airlock and leave to ferment at a constant 20–28°C. This typically takes 7–8 days (longer at lower temperatures).
  7. Check with a hydrometer once activity slows — fermentation is complete once the gravity is low and stable across two consecutive readings.

Bottling

Siphon into sterilised bottles that can hold pressure, leaving about 5cm headspace. Add one heaped teaspoon of priming sugar per 500ml bottle before sealing. Store at 8–24°C for around 2 weeks to condition, then move somewhere cooler and darker to clear.

Troubleshooting

  • Cider tastes very dry/watery: this is common with 23L cider kits made up to full volume — some brewers get better body by stopping the top-up a couple of litres short (around 21L) for a stronger, less diluted result. Check this doesn't conflict with your specific pack's instructions first.
  • Flat after bottling: make sure priming sugar was fully dissolved and bottles were left warm enough (18–24°C) for the full conditioning period before moving to a cooler spot.
  • Cloudy after weeks of conditioning: give it longer — ciders often need several extra weeks beyond the minimum to drop fully clear.

Cider will keep improving with extra conditioning time — 6–8 weeks total gives the best result.