Brown debris from the top of the demijohn

[Philchris]

Hi all,

As a complete novice I'm just after a bit of reassurance I think. I'm fermenting two gallons of apple juice in gallon demijohns and the fermentation has really taken off which is good but quite large quantities if brown debris is being generated and pushing out of the neck. I'm using the Pooley & Lomax book, 'Real Cider making' as my guide and have plugged the demijohns with cotton wool until the fermentation slows. They suggest brown foam will be generated but mine is stickier than foam and I wondered whether to try to clear it out, possibly with a sterilised spoon, when I put the airlocks in?

A bit rambling I appreciate but any advice gratefully received!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I don't make cider so to help you get an answer quicker i have posted some images, does your look like any of these berlow.

 

[Philchris]

Yes, that's pretty much it. I've filled the demijohns up much fuller than that so the debris is all in the neck. I hope they're all pictures of really healthy cider that will become the envy of all my friends!:-D

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I've filled the demijohns up much fuller than that so the debris is all in the neck

Next time you make some only fill to the level in the pictures this will save you having to clean up.

A belated welcome to the forum. :

 

[Philchris]

Thanks! I was under the impression I had to fill the vessels quite full to avoid big air gaps? Anyway it looks like it's healthy so it's just a bit of cleaning!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The CO2 produced by fermentation protects the cider, you can top up later when it has slowed down.

 

[GB2014]

Wipe off the stuff on the outside but what is inside is ok. I take off the airlock and clean and replace it but you don't have to.

 

[Bramble]

Its my first year of making Apple Cider, I got the Apples from local tree's by the roadside.
I didn't even bother washing them I just cut them up into quarters and the food processer did the rest.
I made a press after watching a uTube video out of clean un-finished timber my lad gets me for my log burner and for the press I used a car scissor jack. The juice went straight into 2 litre washed plastic milk bottles with air lock attached until I bought myself a larger fermentation vessel with tap and airlock.
I had no frothing but a vagarious ferment which lasted several weeks, there was no yeast added, nature took it's course. I have now 5 gallon of Curbside Scrumpy sitting in a brown keg maturing.

 

[Philchris]

Thanks all. Sometimes it's just reassurance I've not done anything catastrophic I need! All seems good now and the brews are fermenting steadily.

 

[Molineux]

It sounds ok. However, I would be careful of pushing cotton wool into the neck as you could inadvertently introduce some nastys that could ruin your batch