Help! Mold??

[danno21]

So here are the pics before we racked into demi johns. Mold not very visible but it was def in there.

 

[danno21]

well i chucked the white wine yeast in and its started bubbling away so fingers crossed!

 

[scott78]

hope it turns out ok for you, those pics dont look good to me im sure if you had of left it you would have had to bin it.

 

[danno21]

It's going mad in the Demi johns but looking good. One of them is foaming up and coming out the airlock. Do I need to do something?

 

[scott78]

best remove the bung, give it and the trap a wash and refit it. it will calm down in a day or 2.

 

[danno21]

Thanks

How will i know if that original mold has ruined it? Will it taste naff?

 

[scott78]

its all down to taste at the end of the day, some wild fermentations add some compounds that taste nice at lower levels. you will have to wait and see, i thought my first cider was fantastic, mainly due to the 'I made that' feeling. if i made the same now i would be dissapointed.
its good to learn lots of lessons in the early small batches we make, if it tastes good enough to give it a go again next year you can make more cider knowing how it should turn out better again.

 

[danno21]

Cheers

I really appreciate all your advice.

I guess its a suck it and see kind of thing! Trial an error.

 

[GZCider]

What temperature are you fermenting at?

 

[danno21]

What temperature are you fermenting at?

No idea. It's sat on the floor in my dining room!

 

[dirty squid]

If its a hard floor you would be best to put something under the bucket.

 

[GZCider]

I am fermenting at 15C . I thought that is what everyone is doing ideally...
Could Room temperature be the reason for the mold?

 

[danno21]

Well one of the demi johns has stopped bubbling today.

Should i take a hydrometer reading now?

 

[scott78]

I would wait until they all have stopped, then its only one session of steralising etc for the whole amount. Cant remember what you plan to do with it once its finished? bottle/keg?

 

[danno21]

I was going to get one of the them kegs with the tap on.

How long after fermenting should I leave it for? When to put in the keg?

How long is best to leave it before drinking it?

 

[scott78]

if you have not got a keg, then i would bottle it in 1L plastic pop bottles. it takes little longer to bottle it all up but less stress in the long run.
Using bottles you can try the cider every so often, knowing the rest will get better with age.you can also chill a bottle easier than a keg. Also if you want it with fizz its the better option. 1 teaspoon sugar per bottle, left in a warmish place for a week then left in a cold place for a week.
have a try of the cider when you come to bottle it to make sure its not gone off, as a rule if you take a cup full and drink it, then in a month or 2 it will be a lot better.

 

[danno21]

Cheers!

 

[danno21]

Ok all the demijohns have stopped fermenting now