cider problem

[danb]

I made a turbo cider with blueberries and once fermented out racked and put in the shed to try bulk maturing for a while. I put it out in the shed on the 1st of april and the temp has been 14/15'c pretty constantly in there. went in today and over the last week or so a white film has formed on top and I have no idea what it is or if it needs throwing out.
the recipe was -
blueberry turbo cider - 15/03/13
brewed to 5l
4l aldi apple juice - plus top up after initial ferment
250g fresh blueberries
1 cup of tea - 3 bags
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp super wine yeast
brought blueberries with a litre of apple juice to boil then left to cool before adding to dj

sg - 1.044

topped up with aldi apple juice - 22/03/13

racked into dj with half campden tablet - 01/04/13
put into shed - 01/04/13

any help would be great thanks

 

[oldbloke]

Probably the desirable malolactic process.
Sneak a taste of it!

 

[calumscott]

:hmm:

There are a few different types of lactic acid bacteria.

That doesn't look like the one you get from Old Rosie or indeed the spontaneous one I got in a ginger beer last year. Old Rosie's MO is that it starts out really thin and wispy, cobwebby almost, then thickens up over many many months. The other one just went sort of lumpy over 3 days! That looks like a proper "skin" doesn't it?

That's not to say that it isn't one of them though...

A sneaky sample is probably the right idea. :thumb:

 

[danb]

will give it a taste and see what its like then, I didn't think it could be malolactic fermentation because of not adding malic acid and using wine yeast. its like a thick white layer not like the pictures of mlf which like you say looks cob webby. it was there a week ago so has developed since then and without being touched or opened up etc.

 

[evanvine]

I believe graysalchemy says, if it smells like a farmyard, you have no problems!
I wouldn't worry a jot, it is very clear.

 

[graysalchemy]

Have a taste if it tastes of farmyards then :party: :party: congratulations if it tastes of vinegar then it is vinegar. which isn't all bad it is excellent for pickled onions and salad dressings etc.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[danb]

thanks for the advice :thumb: although I may struggle as don't really know what farmyard smells or tastes of and never tried proper cider so that was the next on the list following the old rosie culture thread.

 

[evanvine]

Still have my doubts of cider tasting of cow pats! :sick:

 

[danb]

if it does taste good would I be better bottling or leave to mature for longer? thanks

 

[Brewtrog]

I'll give you the worst case scenario, if it smells like nail polish then you have a bacteria that drinks booze and turn it back into water. But according to my books this is more likely if you've gone for the using wild yeast version of cider making

 

[Gayle]

That looks like it should be good... I've never had that on any of my ciders but as long as it doesn't smell vinegary it's probably only an improvement. If you are tasting, remember that it will probably still improve in taste while aging. You can probably leave it for a few weeks/months yet if you like to let the bacteria do whatever it's doing.

I'll give you the worst case scenario, if it smells like nail polish then you have a bacteria that drinks booze and turn it back into water.

I can do that trick seriously though, that's quite fascinating, a bacteria that gets hammered :lol:

 

[Intelekt]

How would you sample taste that without getting any "skin" in your mouth :sick: :sick:

 

[danb]

I will draw a sample off with the turkey baster

 

[oldbloke]

I will draw a sample off with the turkey baster

Possibly worth getting some boiled water in it before you put it in, so you can squirt that out once under the surface and thus lose anything that sticks to it as it passes through that pellicle

 

[danb]

that's sounds a good idea should it be boil and cooled or just off boil? thanks

 

[oldbloke]

If the ferments finished it doesn't really matter.
Come to that, it'll be such a small amount it doesn't really matter anyway

 

[Jinx]

Did you find out what happened here?

Thanks
Jon