Rileysowner
Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2017
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 0
The batch in question is a cider from a kit, but I am assuming the ways to diagnose are similar. In this case it is a Strawberry/Pear Cider where I am wondering if it is just that I don't like it, or if there is an issue.
Good sanitation procedures were followed with everything that came in contact with the cider being cleaned and then sanitized with Star San. All but six of the bottles were new, and the six were cleaned well then rinsed well, then cleaned again, rinsed and sanitized before using. The caps were very old, but had no visible issues and were soaked in Star San for more than 20 minutes before being using, sitting in a bowl of it until capping time. The cider was primed with dextrose that was made into a syrup and boiled, cooled then added.
The smell of the cider is difficult to describe, it does have a pear with slight strawberry, but also has what I can best describe as a sort of mild soapy smell which could just be the pear as it is very similar. What concerned me was with one of the green bottles (where I could see it better) the yeast coat at the bottom of the bottle instead of being a cream or light brown yeast sort of colour, had a noticable dark grey or black component. In the brown bottles that make us the rest of the batch, one cannot see the yeast colour from outside of the bottle, but I poured off a bottle and then put a bit of water in, shook it around, and poured the yeast water slurry out into a clear glass, and it had quite a dark colour. The cider itself is crystal clear with a nice reddish colour and nice carbonation, neither over or under carbonated.
My experience is that when something is infected, it usually shows up in as cloudiness in the beverage. But with the odd colour of the yeast at the bottom of the bottle, I am starting to wonder. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am probably going to try to get a sample and put it on a slide to see what I can see with a microscope, but not being someone who necessarily knows the difference between a yeast cell and a possible infection cell, I don't know how helpful that would be.
My other thought is that the difference in yeast colour might have to do with the fact this is cider not beer since most of my experience is with beer.
Good sanitation procedures were followed with everything that came in contact with the cider being cleaned and then sanitized with Star San. All but six of the bottles were new, and the six were cleaned well then rinsed well, then cleaned again, rinsed and sanitized before using. The caps were very old, but had no visible issues and were soaked in Star San for more than 20 minutes before being using, sitting in a bowl of it until capping time. The cider was primed with dextrose that was made into a syrup and boiled, cooled then added.
The smell of the cider is difficult to describe, it does have a pear with slight strawberry, but also has what I can best describe as a sort of mild soapy smell which could just be the pear as it is very similar. What concerned me was with one of the green bottles (where I could see it better) the yeast coat at the bottom of the bottle instead of being a cream or light brown yeast sort of colour, had a noticable dark grey or black component. In the brown bottles that make us the rest of the batch, one cannot see the yeast colour from outside of the bottle, but I poured off a bottle and then put a bit of water in, shook it around, and poured the yeast water slurry out into a clear glass, and it had quite a dark colour. The cider itself is crystal clear with a nice reddish colour and nice carbonation, neither over or under carbonated.
My experience is that when something is infected, it usually shows up in as cloudiness in the beverage. But with the odd colour of the yeast at the bottom of the bottle, I am starting to wonder. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am probably going to try to get a sample and put it on a slide to see what I can see with a microscope, but not being someone who necessarily knows the difference between a yeast cell and a possible infection cell, I don't know how helpful that would be.
My other thought is that the difference in yeast colour might have to do with the fact this is cider not beer since most of my experience is with beer.
