Possible infection in cider? Thoughts???

[brysonjk]

I have never seen this before and that makes me think something went wrong. What do you think?

 

[Bostrows128]

I’m thinking yeast rafts.

 

[brysonjk]

Is that bad? The tentacle things worry me. If not an infection how do I get rid of this?

 

[dkeller12]

That is not yeast rafts I would say you have a pellicle infection. In the beer world most would say to ride it out and see if it becomes a nice sour beer, with a cider...I am not sure that still applies.

 

[brysonjk]

Darn. Well, I guess I'm due up for a failure. I have done 4 batches of cider over the last 4 years. This is the only one I rushed, and now see it is infected. Sad day. I'm interested to see what people think about letting it ride or should it just get dumped?

 

[dkeller12]

Yeah, I am curious how people who make more ciders than I do would handle it. I have not heard of a sour cider but I don't drink a lot of cider to begin with so maybe it does exist. Try and think where you may have caused it and try not to repeat it. Make sure to clean your equipment very good before the next batch as a little left over bacteria may lead you down the same path next time.

 

[RPh_Guy]

That is called a pellicle and it indicates the presence of wild yeast and/or bacteria.

The wild microbes may or may not contribute flavor or aroma.

It is not dangerous.

You do not need to treat your cider any differently than normal best practices (e.g. minimize headspace during aging).

Clean everything thoroughly that touches the cider.

Using sulfite inhibits wild microbes and prevents oxidation. In my opinion, it's an essential tool in a cider maker's toolbox.

Hope this helps

 

[S-Met]

Question is, what does it taste like. If you have seen fruit flies, it may be acetobacter. Which if I understand means you have a short timeline until you get vinegar. I dont know the timeline though. Best guess is to taste a sample from below the pellicle and see.

I do not know my infections though so definitely do not believe me that its acetobacter.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Just FYI for myth busting...

Many microbes can form a pellicle, and many of those can grow in cider. Fortunately, only a couple are frequently identified in spoiled wine (and applicable to cider).
Identification of the organism by the pellicle is impossible.
Spoilage organisms don't always form a pellicle.

Adequate molecular sulfite levels and adequate practices to avoid oxygen prevent all problems related to spoilage microbes.

See this link for more detailed info on sulfites and their role in preventing spoilage:
https://beerbrew.com/words/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SO2science.pdf

Calculations and pH are important for using sulfite appropriately.
Here's a good sulfite/molecular SO2 calculator:
http://fermcalc.com/FermCalcJS.html

Some of these microbes can actually have beneficial effects. Lactic acid bacteria are often used in wine/cider making to reduce the acidity of the wine. Brettanomyces can contribute excellent fruity aroma/flavor and add a great depth to the wine/cider.
Acetobacter can create a nice apple cider vinegar, although that might not be what you want

Cheers

 

[brysonjk]

I don’t know. Looks like it is getting worse. I opened it up to see because I planned to rack it into a clean carboy. Worth it? I haven’t tasted it yet.

 

[dkeller12]

Taste it. It is the only way to know if you want to keep it or not. Get a sample from well below the top and see what it tastes like.

 

[S-Met]

I don't know the cause of the infection. Your risks are off-flavors. Nothing toxic.

 

[day_trippr]

Whatever space aliens are growing in that beer, they're going to keep growing as there's plenty of food for them in that bucket...