Mysterious film on top of cider

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Estebandido

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I've been fermenting three gallons of cider for about five months now. Yesterday, I noticed a thin, white film on top of it. I assumed it was bubbles, but when I jiggled it, some of it settled out. The rest remained on the surface, in clumps of different sizes. Is this just dead yeast cells, or something more problematic?

Thanks!
 
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures. White film... Infected by natural yeast, bacteria. Your about to make cider vinegar. Think of the white film on plums and grapes. Search the forum for "white film"
 
OK, so, the consensus is... no one's really quite sure what it is.

It hasn't gotten any worse since I posted. That's good, right?

Anyway, I'll rack it soon, and taste it. What's the best way to reduce headspace in the carboy? Add more apple juice?
 
If you had the same white film I did then congratulations on making a really really good vinegar. I bottled mine and kept some to cook with. The rest I split among 4 chef friends of mine and quickly received requests for more, although I will not be purposely making any more. I think my issue was that I didn't quite get enough juice to fill the second carboy past 70% and the co2 blanket didn't form quickly enough.
 
if it's going the way of vinegar it will smell like vinegar. some people confuse acetic acid smell with young dry cider smell, so take a good huff of some commercial cider vinegar for comparison! best way to reduce headspace is to rack to smaller vessels, maybe 3 glass gallon jugs which you can then top off with a little juice. a bit of sulfite will help if you are racking multiple times as it takes away some of the free oxygen you invariably introduce
 
I racked my cider + craisins into the secondary a few days ago, removing the fruit. A white film formed at the neck, I thought it was bubbles at first. But shaking it shows its more like dead yeast, floating? Tempted to siphon it off the top. No fermentation happening.
 
sashurlow said:
So I managed to get a Gram's stain of my film. Its yeast. My guess is its dead yeast floating to the top.
Click to expand...

Cool! Wish we could get pics or a better description of the film. This is typically attributed to an infection of the cider. If it is indeed just a yeast film you may have actually turned conventional cider knowledge on its ear.
 
I find it interesting that with as many posts about the "film" that no one has managed to stain it. The film definitely does not seem unique to anyone. I've never had an infection, so I can't comment on what an infection looks like. I assume it would turn colors, fuzzy or start to smell. The film does none of these and people repeatedly have had no issues with it. Yeast only makes sense. Now the question is weather the yeast is dead, in hibernation or alive. My guess is dead.
 
sashurlow said:
I find it interesting that with as many posts about the "film" that no one has managed to stain it. The film definitely does not seem unique to anyone. I've never had an infection, so I can't comment on what an infection looks like. I assume it would turn colors, fuzzy or start to smell. The film does none of these and people repeatedly have had no issues with it. Yeast only makes sense. Now the question is weather the yeast is dead, in hibernation or alive. My guess is dead.
Click to expand...

I would also think that the film itself is made of dead yeast (Andrew Lea suggests probably Candida, Pichia or Hansenula strains), but that there are active yeast still alive and having an adverse effect on your cider. Given enough time these will slowly ruin a batch.
 
I'm 2-3 weeks into my first cider batch, when I discovered this last night.
IMAG1555.jpg

IMAG1556.jpg


My beer has never turned out like this, however I've never brewed cider before so I wasn't sure if this was normal or not. I'm guessing not.

I'll have a taste when I get home tonight to see if it's vinegar. And I understand the concensus being if it still tastes good, then you're ok.
Will keep you informed.
 
Don't worry.
On inspection last night I found that I forgot to put water/vodka in the airlock.
So the bacteria found its way in there pretty easy.

I racked from the bottom, tasted it also. It may end up as vinegar, not sure if there was a hint of vinegar taste... or if it was just sour and young cider. There was still a sweet apple/pear after taste.. it was faint though.

Hopefully I have caught it in time. Will taste again in a couple of weeks.
Will keep you posted.
 
I had that once when I got enough juice to fill one and a half carboys. The half full one developed a white film and made a very excellent vinegar. I transferred into wine bottles and my wife loves to cook with it. My sister and brother-in-law are both chefs and love it as well. It is better than anything I have ever bought from a store, and every time I smell it I am reminded of hunting season.
 
Dlynn said:
For those who are interested in what film yeast looks like.
Click to expand...

Wait, what is this? I've had this pop up on a couple batches of beer recently. I assumed it was a mold infection due to racking in my basement (which is a little humid) and the musty smell it produces. Seems to funk the beer up a bit and thus has caused a couple dumpers, sadly :(
 

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