Perplexed by Perry

[WillieBananas]

Back in September I made my first Perry . Crushed and pressed myself and used a very simple recipe.
4.5 gal of fresh pear juice
2# corn sugar
2t yeast nutrient
1 pk 1118

It fermented rather quickly and over the months it became perfectly clear . I was planning on bottling Apr 1. Last week on a whim I took a sample. It was very good. Now a week later something has happened , it turned black! It's no longer clear and looks like a stout. So what happened?


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[phug]

Did your crushing /pressing equipment have any exposed steel or iron that was not either stainless steel or epoxy coated?

You have have gotten some iron transferred into the must that has now oxidized.

Or it could be something else.

 

[WillieBananas]

Ok strange things indeed. This perry has changed again . It is no longer black. It started to clear again. However now there is a strange white film on top.


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[WVMJ]

Maybe it oxidized and now you got something growing on top. At any point did you add sulfites to protect it? Was it under an airlock? in a carboy or bucket? Does it smell funny also? WVMJ

 

[WillieBananas]

No sulfates,doesn't smell bad. Under air lock the whole time . I'm at a loss . Kind of scared to taste it though ! Looks like whatever was black has settled on top of the trub. Think it's safe to drink?


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[WVMJ]

take a freakin picture! Dump in some sulfites tonight if you even think its contaminated. WVMJ

 

[WillieBananas]

This is the strangest batch I've ever made. It has went through so many changes over the past year . Here are some pictures of whatever is on top.


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[Yooper]

That 'layer' is called a pellicle- bacterial infection, due to the huge headspace. Once fermentation slows down, the perry is vulnerable to mold and bacteria in the air and headspace. It should have been either topped up, or racked to a smaller carboy.

Infection won't go away, but if it's palatable, it can be consumed before it gets worse.

 

[WillieBananas]

After doing some research I believe that you are 100% correct Yooper , thank you. Still unclear about the color change that occurred , but it's crystal clear now and smells rather pleasant . It seems to me , after reading about the pellicle infection , that it sometimes is a desired occurrence . So I guess I'll bottle it up. Was thinking about bottling when it hits 1 year . Or do you think I should bottle ASAP ?


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[Yooper]

After doing some research I believe that you are 100% correct Yooper , thank you. Still unclear about the color change that occurred , but it's crystal clear now and smells rather pleasant . It seems to me , after reading about the pellicle infection , that it sometimes is a desired occurrence . So I guess I'll bottle it up. Was thinking about bottling when it hits 1 year . Or do you think I should bottle ASAP ?


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It may be something like acetobacter, acetic acid bacteria, that will 'eat' alcohol and keep fermenting. If that is the case, bottle bombs could occur so keep an eye on it. If any bottle seems to get fizzy, open them all. It might be ok to drink if you drink it up fast, but it will get sour or funky with a bit of time.