Cider has odor and slight aftertaste of bread

My last few batches of cider have had a slight odor and aftertaste of bread.

I've had trouble with getting them to clear also.

I'm using store bought apple juice (pasteurized without preservatives), English cider yeast with corn sugar added. I always use pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient. I usually age for a minimum of 4 months and a maximum of 8. Lately though I've been aging less because I'm throwing out the ones that I don't like and have to move others up in the rotation.

Could this be because of the store bought apple juice? I use different brands all the time and don't have one that I stick with. Maybe it's time to pick a favorite and stop being a cheapskate.

Any ideas on how I can rescue my batches? I have 10 gallons kegged and chilled that have this problem. I really don't want to toss them!

What kind of "odor" are you getting? Vinegar, Sulfur, Banana, Armpit, McDonald's Bathroom? Is it a bad odor or just out of place?

Pickled_Pepper said:

What kind of "odor" are you getting? Vinegar, Sulfur, Banana, Armpit, McDonald's Bathroom? Is it a bad odor or just out of place?

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From the title, I was guessing that it tasted and smelled like bread. But I could be wrong.

Yes, bread. Don't know how else to describe it.

I just has a slight bread taste and smell. It doesn't have the usual crisp apple taste that I am used to.

haha...I guess I just read that title wrong. I thought the odor was 'unidentified' and the taste was slightly bread-ish.

What temp did you ferment at? After a quick search I found someone who brewed a wheat beer that had the same issue. Apparently it was fermented too hot.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/fermented-too-hot-smells-like-bread-yeast-169380/

I ferment in my furnace room which stays pretty consistent 72-74. Is that too warm for cider?

I assume not. White Labs says 68-75ºF and Wyeast says 60-75ºF for their English Cider Yeasts. You are on the higher end of the scale so it's possible it's the cause of the off flavors. I typically ferment at around 60-62ºF because when active fermentation is taking place...it usually jumps up to around 70ºF. If your ambient temp was 74º, it's possible you could have pushed 80ºF for a couple of days.

my experience with bread smell and aftertaste and cloudiness was i needed to let it sit longer, it didn't want to clear completely either. i didn't check on a regular basis but after 6 months it was very minor and at 9 months the bread smell and taste had gone away but it was still cloudy.