Home Brew Cider Kit: What You Get and How the Process Works in the UK for 2026
What a home brew cider kit contains, how two UK kits tell you to ferment and bottle, and the mistakes that cause flat or unsafe bottles.
Home Brew Cider Kit: What You Get and How the Process Works in the UK for 2026
A home brew cider kit is the simplest way into making your own drink at home: you add water, sugar or sweetener and yeast to a pouch of fruit concentrate, ferment it for about a week and bottle it. This guide explains what is in a typical kit, walks through the process using two UK kitsâ published instructions, and points out the steps where people go wrong. It is a desk-research guide. We have not brewed either kit, and our sources are retailer pages that reproduce the instructions from the kit suppliers. The leaflet in your own box overrides everything below, because kits differ.
Quick picks
| Kit | Makes | Method in brief | Source of the figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youngâs 40-pint cider kit | 40 pints (23 litres) | Concentrate plus 1 kg brewing sugar, ferment about 6 days, then bottle | Brew2Bottleâs copy of Youngâs instructions |
| Brew2Bottle 21-litre cider kit | Up to 40 bottles of 500 ml | Concentrate plus water only, ferment about 7 days, then bottle with sugar | Brew2Bottleâs own instructions |
What is in a cider kit
According to the instructions Brew2Bottle reproduces for Youngâs 40-pint cider kit, the box holds 2.4 kg of fruit concentrate mix, 1 kg of brewing sugar, a cider yeast, a nutrient and sweetener sachet, and a priming sugar sachet weighed for consistent carbonation. Brew2Bottleâs own 21-litre kit is simpler: a pouch of concentrate, a yeast and nutrient sachet, a sweetener sachet and a cider flavouring sachet to add back later. Not every Youngâs cider kit is the same. A Youngâs raspberry and mango cider listed by retailer Charlieâs, for example, is a 40-pint kit with a stated ABV of 4.8%, made from pear juice, raspberry and mango concentrates and other ingredients, and it does not state a brewing time, so read the leaflet that comes with the flavour you buy.
You also need the equipment. The kitsâ instructions assume a fermenter of at least 23 litres with a lid and airlock, a spoon, a thermometer, a siphon, a steriliser, a hydrometer and test jar, and bottles or a barrel. Brew2Bottle suggests up to 40 reusable 500 ml bottles rated for pressure.
The process, step by step
1. Sanitise everything
Both sets of instructions start with cleaning and sterilising all equipment. Anything that touches the cider afterwards, from the fermenter to the siphon and bottles, should be sanitised first.
2. Make up the batch
For the Youngâs kit, stand the pouch upright, cut across the top and pour the concentrate into a sterilised 5-gallon fermenter. Rinse the pouch with warm water, add the 1 kg of sugar and 3 litres of boiling water, stir until dissolved, then top up with cold water to the 23-litre mark. The liquid should be 18 to 28 degrees Celsius before you add the yeast and the nutrient and sweetener sachet. The flavouring is held back until later.
For Brew2Bottleâs kit, add 3 litres of boiling water to the fermenter, add the concentrate and stir, then top up to 21 litres with cold water. Add the yeast and sweetener sachets once the liquid is within the temperature range of 18 to 24 degrees Celsius.
3. Ferment at a steady temperature
The Youngâs instructions say to keep the fermenting cider at 18 to 25 degrees Celsius: below 18 it may stick, so a heat pad or brew belt can help in winter, and above 25 quality may drop significantly. Brew2Bottleâs kit says about 7 days at 18 to 24 degrees. For a UK home, the practical lesson is to choose a room that stays within that band. A room that goes cold in winter risks the sticking problem the instructions describe.
4. Check the gravity before you bottle
Both kits rely on a hydrometer. The Youngâs instructions say to ferment for 6 days or until the airlock stops bubbling, then measure the specific gravity, and that it must be stable for two consecutive days before bottling. Brew2Bottle gives an expected finishing gravity of 1.002, plus or minus 0.002, and also says to wait until the reading is stable for two consecutive days. The Youngâs instructions warn: never bottle until fermentation is complete.
5. Prime and bottle
For the Youngâs kit, siphon the cider into a second sterilised vessel and add the flavouring. Dissolve the priming sugar sachet in 200 ml of boiling water, stir it in, and fill bottles leaving 5 cm (2 inches) of headspace. Brew2Bottleâs kit has no sachet: after adding the flavouring and leaving the cider for 24 hours to settle, you siphon into bottles, leaving about 5 cm of headspace, and add one heaped teaspoon of sugar per 500 ml bottle.
Both sets of instructions are firm on bottles. Use only bottles suited to pressure and reject any that are chipped, cracked or damaged. The Youngâs instructions say PET bottles may also be used.
6. Condition, then drink
The Youngâs instructions say to store bottles at 18 to 25 degrees Celsius for at least 7 days, then move them somewhere cool and dark. The cider is ready after 14 days in the bottle, with 6 to 8 weeks given as the optimum for flavour. Brew2Bottle says to keep bottles at 8 to 24 degrees for 2 weeks, then move them somewhere cooler and darker to clear, leave them at least 2 more weeks for a smoother result, and drink within 6 months of bottling.
Common problems and what the instructions suggest
- Fermentation seems stuck. Check the temperature first. The Youngâs instructions say fermentation below 18 degrees may stick.
- The cider is flat. Brew2Bottle says you may have left it too long before bottling. If the first bottle is flat, it suggests moving the rest to 18 to 24 degrees for a further 2 weeks, turning them every few days.
- Sediment in the glass. Pour slowly and in one go, as Brew2Bottle advises, and chill the cider well before serving.
Which kit style should you choose?
If you want the simplest process, Brew2Bottleâs concentrate-and-water kit has the fewest ingredients to measure. If you prefer a kit that includes a weighed priming sugar sachet, the Youngâs instructions use one, which takes the guesswork out of the bottling dose. Whichever you buy, check the leaflet for the fermentation temperature and timing, and buy a hydrometer if the kit does not include one.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a cider kit take? Fermentation takes about 6 to 7 days according to the two sets of instructions above, then a minimum of about 2 weeks in the bottle. Youngâs gives 6 to 8 weeks as the best conditioning time.
Do I need a hydrometer? Both sets of instructions use one to confirm fermentation has finished before bottling. We would not skip it.
Can I use any bottles? No. Both instructions say to use bottles suitable for pressure and to reject chipped or damaged glass. PET bottles are allowed in the Youngâs instructions.
Is it OK to sell home brewed cider? This guide does not cover selling. If you plan to sell any alcohol, check the current rules on GOV.UK or with HMRC before you do.
The short version
A cider kit gives you 21 to 23 litres of cider for the price of the kit and a one-off equipment purchase. Keep everything sanitised, hold the temperature steady, confirm with a hydrometer that fermentation has finished before you bottle, and use bottles rated for pressure.
