Funked Cider?

[OblivionsGate]

I will have the specific steps and ingredients later on, as well as the timeline I left it in primary, but I couldnt wait to ask since I'm a little upset.

When I moved the cider to secondary it smelled and tasted funky. When it was in the primary and in the secondary it has a thick orangish/yellowish color, but when moving through the racking cane/tubing it was practically clear as water.

It tastes like apple vinegar and smells like a cross between vinegar and cheap champaine (spelling?). I never took a starting gravity because the book I got the recipie from didn't call for one. The gravity I took at transfer was 1.000 as best as I could read it (hydrometer likes to turn away from me).

Will this be fixed with conditioning or have I f-ed up 5 gallons of apple cider?

 

[Yooper]

Well, conditioning does make a big difference. It might improve.

I think, though, if it's vinegar-y then it won't get better. Sounds like an aceterobacter contamination. Still, be patient and wait it out. Maybe it's not really vinegar-y, maybe just sour? Cider goes through alot of funkiness before being good.

 

[OblivionsGate]

Sour could be a good adjective I guess.

What causes aceterobacter contamination? I did leave it in the primary for a while. My book said 7-10 days, here said a little longer than that. I still have to check my records, but I want to say I left it for 2 or 3 weeks at most.

Although I've been on here enough to know there is no set formula, about how much conditioning time should I give it before I call it a loss?

 

[LouT]

I think EdWort does 2-3 months conditioning. My last batch was in secondary/clearing tank for about 2 months at least and it came out nice. Dry, with a crisp refreshing taste, and yes there's an aftertaste that is definitely cider/apple - tart but great! It does have a "smell" not sure if that's just some sulfurs coming off it from the yeast I used. The sourness can be mis-perceived as bitterness, and I had one taster actually suggest "vinegary", but mine was not contaminated. I am doubting yours is, either. RDWHAHB!

 

[Yooper]

Vinegar is caused by those bacteria. I think it comes from fruit flies as well as sometimes being airborne, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm definitely not an expert in this.

It wouldn't be caused by a lengthy primary or secondary- I've had wines in the primary for weeks sometimes. It would be caused by the bacteria. Maybe you didn't use pasteurized cider?

I'd hold on to it at least 4 months before calling it a loss, unless it is obviously vinegar by then.

 

[TheJadedDog]

I had a similar problem with my very first cider, ended up being that the temperature had spiked (while I was out of town) and wrecked the whole thing. FG was .094.

 

[OblivionsGate]

Thank you both very much, you've given me a little hope.

I'll still post the details later today, just in case there is something obviously wrong.

I'm not sure if it was pastureized cider, it was apple cider from a local, although rather large and popular, farm/market

 

[OblivionsGate]

I had a similar problem with my very first cider, ended up being that the temperature had spiked (while I was out of town) and wrecked the whole thing. FG was .094.

So I'm guessing my 1.000 gravity is a very bad thing?

I'm pretty sure its not a temp spike, same basement setting for all my beer, and it never changes (as far as I know)

 

[LouT]

No, 1.000 gravity is about how my ciders have ended. It just means it is dry, not any sugar left.

 

[OblivionsGate]

No, 1.000 gravity is about how my ciders have ended. It just means it is dry, not any sugar left.

Oh, I read somewhere (and then misunderstood) that 1.000 is water.

 

[david_42]

1.000 is water and a dry cider. Since alcohol is lighter than water, it isn't unusual for ciders and wines to finish below 1.000, I've had them go to 0.970

 

[TheJadedDog]

So I'm guessing my 1.000 gravity is a very bad thing?

I'm pretty sure its not a temp spike, same basement setting for all my beer, and it never changes (as far as I know)

Nope, my next batch (which was kept strictly temp controlled) finished at 1.002 and tasted great when I racked it to secondary.

 

[macs]

The Hydrometer's reference point for pure water is 1.000 at a standard temperature, since Must or Wort are composed of other ingredients, mainly sugar dissolved in water, the hydrometer's O.G. will initially read above 1.000 until the sugar is converted to alcohol which is lighter than water so the reading will drop closer to 1.000 or below at F.G., depending on the % alcohol and unfermentables leftover.