Apfelwein problem

just bottled my first batch of Edworts Apfelwein last weekend
tasted great
went to grab a bottle or two for this weekend
and there is a white film floating on the top of all the bottles
I bleached them all and rinsed in boiling water before filling (corks and tubing too)
I drank some out of one of the bottles and it tastes ok and i still seem to be alive a couple of hours later
any thoughts on what it is? is it safe to drink it?
the only thing i can think of is that i may have bottled too soon as it is still a little cloudy and slightly carbonated without any priming
please send suggestions i have really developed a taste for it and want to get it right next time

If you followed the recipe, I doubt too much could be living in there as its fairly high alcohol. If it tastes good, roll with it. If it is still working, keep the bottles stored somewhere safe so if they explode, it will be contained. Big rubbermaid tub with a lid maybe?

Did you check the gravity before bottling?

I can't vouch for the film, but if it tastes ok then it's ok. However I would recommend from now on giving the bottles a soak in a bath of hot water and oxyclean with a good scrub afterwards and then let them sit in a batch of water and starsan until seconds before you bottle. The corks and tubing should skip the oxyclean and go right into the starsan a few minutes before you are ready to start bottling.

how the hell apfelwein is cloudy is beyond me. I've made a batch a long time ago, and have another about two weeks old going now, but it's sugar and apple juice. It should be sparkling honestly. How long did you let it sit before you bottled it from start to finish?

i forgot to check og so figured gravity at bottling was rather pointless

elmes3 said:

i forgot to check og so figured gravity at bottling was rather pointless

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It's too late now, but it's not pointless. It's the only way to be certain fermentation is finished, and to prevent bottle bombs. If you bottled before fermentation was finished, there is a real danger of bottle bombs. Please put them somewhere safe!

i had some concern about that and made sure they are stored in my unfinished locked basement
given the concern, should they verge on bombs, are there any specific precautions i can take when opening them (ie should i be worried about the the glass exploding and shards getting stuck in my eye)
i don't know if it makes a difference but hey are bottled in wine bottles with corks not capped beer bottles

elmes3 said:

i had some concern about that and made sure they are stored in my unfinished locked basement
given the concern, should they verge on bombs, are there any specific precautions i can take when opening them (ie should i be worried about the the glass exploding and shards getting stuck in my eye)
i don't know if it makes a difference but hey are bottled in wine bottles with corks not capped beer bottles

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Well, the good news then is that the corks will blow before the pressure gets too great, if it's not done fermenting. Still, be careful when opening so that the cork doesn't fly off like a champagne cork if it's under pressure.

i was hoping using the corks would give me that failsafe
so didn't get it quite right on the first go, but hey at least i have protected myself
we'll see how batch 2 goes in a couple of week
practice makes perfect
I guess the best thing to do at this point is just to drink as much of batch one as i can before any corks pop
thanks