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Vtdrinker

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Hey everyone, this is my first post but have followed the forum for a while. I had made a few batches of cider before and everything went well. Except for this time. I started with 5 gallons fresh cider, uv treated, and unfiltered. Added three pounds honey 3 pounds corn sugar and white labs champagne yeast. Things started out normal with bubbling in the airlock, about three weeks in it stopped. I picked up a hydrometer because I didn't think it had finished yet. I was right it had stalled at 1.02. This is where things started to go wrong. Went back to my local brew store to get more yeast and they were out an not getting more. So I picked up some white labs high graviety yeast and nutrients. I repinched the yeast added cider and the one nutrient pill. The next day it was bubbling and looked like it started up again. Fastforward two weeks and I am about ready to ditch the whole batch. I can home from being away and it looks like so crazy fugus thing floating on top. I have never used high graviety yeast but doubt this is normal. Going to guess some that somehow I introduced bacteria at some point and it took off like crazy. Has any one been down this road or have suggestion for the next batch. Thanks
 
Post some pics and we can help answer your questions.

If it is an infection, don't panic! Rack out from underneath the growth to a new carboy and leave no headspace, add sulfites, bottle soon and pasteurize. Assuming the fermentation is done of course. What yeast did you originally use to ferment? That much honey and sugar may have boosted the ABV above normal cider levels.
 
Here you go

2012-09-13_20-27-40_46.jpg
 
Do you mean Trappist high gravity? If so, that's pretty normal. Not infected.
 
Nothing to worry about, this is not an infection. Cider infections most often appear as a film on the surface. What you are seeing is coagulated pectin from the fresh juice. For similar images google 'keeving' for similar examples. Not sure why they would suddenly appear now and not earlier.

If they bug you just rack out to a new fermenter.
 
bottlebomber said:
That's going to be some brutal cider, at around 13% ABV..

DAMN! And I wanted to call my cider "suicider", that batch you have is much more deserving.
 
This is all great news but now I have more questions. How do I know when to stop it and how to get the cider out of the carboy with out sucking up the other stuff?
 
Just a quick update. The brain has started to break up and sink to the bottom. I am going to rack it today and take a hygrometer reading. It's still bubbling about once a minute, but is still very cloudy.
 
Nothing to worry about, this is not an infection. Cider infections most often appear as a film on the surface. What you are seeing is coagulated pectin from the fresh juice. For similar images google 'keeving' for similar examples. Not sure why they would suddenly appear now and not earlier.

If they bug you just rack out to a new fermenter.

It showed up because he added more cider when he re-pitched the new yeast and cider. he would of had to add pectin enzyme to the new cider before adding to not have the pectins solidify
 
re-pitched the new year???

um...

do you mean that since he added some more juice he got clumps of pectin? that just doesn't happen. i always top up my carboys with more juice after racking, never had giant clumps of pectin. not even a pectin haze
 
Hahaha sorry the iPad likes to autocorrect. Yeah I've topped up a mead with Pom juice and it hazed up really bad, I assumed that could happen with more cider. I should proof read my posts before I hit send.
 
The hydrometer reading was a little below 1.00 so I am guessing its just about finished. It wasn't as cloudy as it looked and tasted good. I am going to let it clear some more then bottle it.
 
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