I just had some suck-back...with a fruit fly in the airlock.

[C3Candy]

I've had a hard cider going for just about 6 weeks now and just yesterday the airlock essentially stopped bubbling. It's had a fruit fly in the airlock for a while now and i just got some suck back ...Is my batch going to turn to vinegar? is there anything I can do?

FYI my airlock has vodka in it

Thanks for the help

 

[Firstnten]

I've had that happen a bunch of times, I've poured out the airlock and put fresh Vodka in there and I've left it. The Cider turned out fine. AT six weeks you should be done fermenting, you could always pour it off into a new carboy, which you should do anyway. After fermentation stops I always go to the secondary with my ciders. But it's all preference.

 

[C3Candy]

I've been wondering if their were many negatives to bulk aging the cider on the trub...I'f I were to rack it to a secondary it would be in a week or so once my apfelwein finishes.

 

[lumpher]

with vodka in the airlock, it's fine. ciders tend to be smoother after secondarying, too

 

[gratus fermentatio]

If you're really worried about it, sulfite & rack (1 crushed campden tab per gallon); That should knockout any bacteria introduced into the vodka/cider by the fruitfly. Regards, GF.

 

[DrinkaBilly]

shouldn't the vodka kill anything that was on the fly?

 

[C3Candy]

shouldn't the vodka kill anything that was on the fly?

I hope so...anyway I think the campden tablets would have been the safest bet, but i don't have any so I'm just going to take the risk and see what happens.

 

[McKinley]

shouldn't the vodka kill anything that was on the fly?

Ethanol levels below around 70% are not cytotoxic, more cytostatic. Vodka would keep new bacteria from growing but would not kill any existing, necessarily.

You're probably fine, though. Keep tasting and see.