Please help first timer question

Hello folks I just signed up to the forum and am making my Very first batch of hard cider. I started attemting this about three months ago just kind of winging it off some online recipes. It has been brought to my attention after watching some youtube videios on it that i have missed some stepsike adding suger and not filling it up to the top of the bottle.
So i s hopping to get some opinios. I used a packet of yeast in each cotainerone is 3qt of santa cruze organic apple juice I had water in the airator but now its gone it was bubbeling for a while but now everything is sitting on the bottom. The other one is a 2qt of normal apple juice that was non consitrated and still has water in the airator but has white stuff floating all over and on the side of the glass. And i dont know if its extra yeast or horiable case of mold.... Putting my nose next to it though it smells exactly like cider i by at the store.The yeast i used is EC-1118 and my main qestion is what is the next step or should i through it out and start over. Thank you for the help.

Well I wouldn't just throw it out at this point.

The one with the white floaties, could, I said "could" be infected.

Good cider is a result of proper cleaning and sanitation, staggered yeast nutrient additions, quality apple juice and time.

By the way, welcome to the forum, I'm sure some others will chime in here and help you more, I've only made cider a few times myself.

Is the white stuff little white balls or does it look fibrous?

So i took the risk and tried it yesterday. I strained it through paper towels first to get rid of all the floaties. Unfortunately it tasted horrible..... it tasted like watterd down bad apple juice. I'm going to start over today. How should i clean the container properly and what are some good sweet but strong recipes.

Proper sanitation is paramount for beer or ciders. The easiest way I have found for new cider makers, is to buy a gallon jug of cider, pour off 4 oz or so, add 1/4 or so of the pkg of yeast, replace the cap, shake well, very slightly loosen the cap, and put in fermentation area. BUT, before you start anything, mix 1 tbl of bleach into 1 gallon of water, and rinse everything off before you touch anything. Do not rinse off the bleach/water combo.

There's a difference between "clean" and "sterile". The preferred chemicals for those tasks is OneStep which is an oxidizing cleaner, and StarSan which is a sterilizer solution. Much better than iodine or bleach.

Everything that touches your cider must be sterile. Bottles, funnels, measuring spoons and cups, stirrers, siphons and tubing, hydrometers, beakers, your hands... everything. There's a saying in cider making, "Mistakes taste like vinegar".

Even paper towels and tap water can carry micro organisms. If you need to rinse anything, it should be with boiled water from a sterile pot.