Film yeast or acetobactor?

[Sballe]

So - I have run into an issue, and not really sure if I have to ditch about 10 gallons of cider

In 3 buckets each with about 3-4 gallons I am now seing a weird gelatinous layer on the surface … looks like a scoby similar to when making kombucha. It is milky in color - very thin but firm, doesn’t break up.

When I started the primary on these 3 batches (2 wild ferments and 1 71B) there was a sudden temperature drop. I keep them all outside in a shed. This has usually been fine previously, but the difference this time was that the temp drop happen on the very night of the start of primary. So I am afraid the fermentation didn’t reallly take off. It didn’t really worry me — it will start fermentation when the temperature rises again I figured … but now this?

Would this be something innocent like film yeast? Or perhaps acetobactor? How should I proceed from here … hoping to keep the cider obviously

 

[Rish]

Could just be yeast. How does it smell and taste? If it's acetobacter, it'll smell and taste like vinegar (ask me how I know!). If it doesn't, let it ride and check it periodically. I wouldn't dump it until I know so sure and that may just take waiting. In the meantime, be thinking about what you could do with all that vinegar! Good luck!

 

[Sballe]

Could just be yeast. How does it smell and taste? If it's acetobacter, it'll smell and taste like vinegar (ask me how I know!). If it doesn't, let it ride and check it periodically. I wouldn't dump it until I know so sure and that may just take waiting. In the meantime, be thinking about what you could do with all that vinegar! Good luck!

I tasted it about 2-3 weeks after pitch … tasted just like apple juice; and the SG hadn’t moved a single point !