Think I got an infection last racking...

[barnaclebob]

Checked on my cider before kegging today and saw what was in the picture. Cider had no signs of this last time I racked a month ago. It still tastes ok but not great and it tastes more sour than before. Due to having only one fermenter that holds 13 gal I transferred to my boil kettle sprayed with starsan, cleaned out the fermenter then sanitized and gravity drained back in.

 

[LeBreton]

Yup, looks like a classic surface pellicle. Is the cider still fermenting? You'd be well served to rack this into a smaller carboy for aging to limit headspace and minimize air-cider contact since pellicles are aerobic bacterial infections. A sulfite addition at this point will also help protect against further infections.

 

[barnaclebob]

Hmm. I had purged the sabco fermenter with co2, maybe not enough though. I'll purge more and see how it goes but I'm thinking this year's batch will end up down the drain.

 

[barnaclebob]

Ok I tasted the cider again and it seemed a little better for whatever reason. Still sour but it could age out. I transferred it into some carboys with 1 campden tablet per gallon. We'll see what happens, Godspeed cider. Time to boil some water in the fermenter...

 

[Yooper]

Ok I tasted the cider again and it seemed a little better for whatever reason. Still sour but it could age out. I transferred it into some carboys with 1 campden tablet per gallon. We'll see what happens,Godspeed cider.

Make sure it's topped up!

 

[barnaclebob]

Make sure it's topped up!

They are all filled into the neck.

 

[barnaclebob]

Just tasted the cider after it has been sitting for a little over 3 months now. Its much better tasting, and no longer at dump status. I'm pretty sure the infection is still there because there are white chunks on the top and a layer of debris on the bottom. But, I'm going to let it ride another few months then may bottle it.

 

[Frognostic]

Good luck with that.

I had a similar experience when in I got an infection after racking (made the cider on 13 December) which manifested as a white fuzz or fur on the top. Later, the airlock dried up and the microbial layer grew. I should pour it down the drain but haven't got around to it yet.

 

[barnaclebob]

My airlocks havn't gone dry but did have some algae growing in it. Rinsed and filled back up with starsan.

There is no white mold on the pellicle, just a white film.

 

[barnaclebob]

Update: This cider is currently on tap and tastes pretty good. I won't have people begging me for it but its definitely drinkable, dry and about as sour as the average sour beer. I've paid for worse.

The sourness definitely mellowed with age even though I don't think the infection ever went away completely.

This year I'll have a spunding valve on my fermenter so the cider will be carbonated after primary fermentation. This should keep help with keeping the O2 out of the fermenter while its clearing up. I'll use the CO2 thats in dissolved in the cider to aid with purging.