Hi,
Many years ago, my parents kept goats and pigs, so we had a bit of a farmyard. We used to wash down with Jeyes Fluid, and use some stuff called Stockton tar on their hooves. About 20 years ago, I bought a gallon of Scrumpy when we were down in the West Country. It tasted just like a cross between Jeyes fluid, the tarry smell of the Stockton, and the other farmyard smells I had been exposed to as a child. It sounds horrible, but I liked it! It was VERY strong on those smells and tastes. I have noticed those notes in a lot of the foods and drinks I like. This experience was just a particularly strong one . I now realise that these particular smells and tastes are mainly phenols, hence the TCP like take on things by the OP. We do encounter those smells and tastes in brewing, and also in cheeses and the like. They are very strong tasting organic chemicals which intermingle, and if in balance with other organoleptic entities add to our enjoyment. I believe that this is what is being described when the "Farmyard Twang" is being discussed. I think you know it when you've tasted it! It is completely different from a clean alcohol taste or the taste of raw Turbo cider. The MLP process is argued to develop these flavours. My experiments with a pure commercial MLP bacteria have shown me that this does not develop the lovely Farmyard taste (which would be a bit less intense than that described above... It was a bit OTT). The application of some commercial MLP bacteria to my recent Turbos certainly modified the taste, but not along the "Farmyard route". Commercial MLF bacteria are designed to soften harsh wines, turning the malic into lactic.
MLF bacteria are fastidious bacteria, so they need nurturing with the right nutrients and environment.
I think that fermentations from Old Rosie culture, as described on this site, are more likely to do the trick of generating the Farmyard thing, but I have no direct experience. I've not managed to get Old Rosie going.
Regards,
Simon.
. im new to MLF
