Finished Cider smells sour

[Toy4Rick]

Hey gang,

I have been brewing beer for nearly 5 years now with nearly 150 batches to date. My first cider turned out amazing so i went after batch #2 the same way.

Fermentation took about 3 weeks total and ended up at 1.000. It's been in the keg 8 weeks today and my concern is, it smells and tastes like its sour like it has/is going bad.

Here is the batch/process
5 gals of pasteurized unfiltered no preservatives apple cider from the local health food store (same as the first batch)
Added 4 campden tablets for 24 hours
Added Nottingham - Danstar yeast and about 5 tsp of yeast nutrients
Checked gravity several times along the way as I wanted to stop fermentation at about 1.010 but got busy near the end and missed it, it finished up at 1.000
Kegged it and 2 weeks later, bamm, the sour smell is so bad it's not drinkable. It might be a bit less now at 8 weeks but not sure if it can be saved

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance
Rick

 

[MarkKF]

Did u use Notty the first time. I used Notty one year and S-04 the next. while I only notice a subtle difference some knowledgable people have said the Notty leaves an objectionable flavor/odor. Could that be it?

 

[Terek]

it has a lambic infection. I have found that ciders get infected super easy, especially when fermented in plastic. Now personally, i like the taste, and purposefully will let it go with an infection for a bit, then hit it with a camdon tab. The best way to get away from it, is to #1 ferment in glass, and #2 use fresh yeast. Im enjoying a sour cider right now thats about 11 months old. I like to put a bit of vanilla and concentrated apple juice in it to taste. It deff. gets better with age

 

[Toy4Rick]

The first batch i used SafAle English Ale yeast.

I do use plastic for all my fermentation and I don't think it's infected, just not sure what to think

Should I try and purge the keg every couple of days and see if it starts getting any better?

Any other tips I might consider?

Rick

 

[Maylar]

Cider at 1.000 IS sour (well, tart anyway). All the sugars have been fermented out.

Pour a glass and add a bit of sugar to it. If that fixes the taste, then we can advise you further.

 

[Toy4Rick]

OK, back again,

I bled the co2 from the keg tonight and it smells like rotten eggs, and I must admit, not as bad as it did last week

The aroma of the cider in a glass still smells a bit like rotten eggs as well

I added 1 tsp to 8oz in a glass and it tastes pretty good actually, besides the smell

So, do I have a lambic infection or is this a byproduct of the yeast?
Will it age out?

Thanks again
Rick

 

[Yooper]

It doesnt' sound good.

"Rotten eggs" is H2S.

"sour" is either acetobacter or lactobacillus infection.

Something happened during fermentation or aging- too much headspace? Stressed yeast from lack of nutrients or not racking?

I have no idea, but if you can stomach it, drink it. It wont' get better with aging if either is the case.

 

[MindenMan]

Classic Notty H2S "rhino farts", it will fade with time. Charge your keg, shake the crap out it, vent the CO2, and repeat until the H2S is no longer offensive...

 

[Toy4Rick]

Well, I will keep at it and report back in a couple of weeks

Rick

 

[Caliper]

I've only been brewing about a year, but based off my experience I'd have let it set much longer. I rack it once after the initial fermentation has died down, then again after it really has stopped and most of the lees settled. After the second racking, I let it sit until fully clear before bottling. I usually start drinking it at around 3 months.