Sanitation

[Bacteriaman]

So I kicked off my first batch of hard cider last night. Im concerned I've already screwed up because I did not sanitize sufficiently. Upon purchasing my carboy I gave it a rinse out with some water and then added my cider and yeast.

What are the chances something undesirable occurs? Should I start over? Or just go with it?

 

[hunter_le five]

I say let it ride and see what happens. It may turn out ok, or it may get massively infected. It's kind of a crap shoot at this point.

Next time remember to sanitize first.

 

[NTXBrauer]

If your carboy was new and not exposed to the elements, chances are you will be okay. I would not dump it. If you are concerned, then get a second batch going in parallel. This way you can ensure you will have one good batch, and most likely two.

 

[Bacteriaman]

I say let it ride and see what happens. It may turn out ok, or it may get massively infected. It's kind of a crap shoot at this point.

Next time remember to sanitize first.

What are some signs that the batch has been MASSIVELY INFECTED? will it be poisonous to drink?

 

[hunter_le five]

What are some signs that the batch has been MASSIVELY INFECTED? will it be poisonous to drink?

You'll know by the smell and taste. I'm not talking about sulfur or rhino-farts (that's fairly normal), but rather a serious overpowering funk smell/taste. Often you'll see a layer of growth on top of the cider as well (not krausen).

No, it probably won't be poisonous, it'll just taste awful.

Then again, it may turn out just fine. My first batch of cider, I didn't know better, and I didn't sanitize anything either. My cider came out bad, but that was due to other factors, not infection.