Thick brown crust.

[Olden]

Hey all. Sorry first time cider maker here.
I have 15 litres of juice in the fermation vessel. Added recommended yeast volume and waiting for process to start. Just checked on it after 2 days and I have quite a thick light brown biscuit looking top on the juice. Is this normal? I’m worried.
Used apples from my own trees.

 

[Jakeyboi]

It’s called the Krausen, it’s normal and it’s the yeast fermenting in the top. Happy brewing

 

[Olden]

Cheers. Thought it was.
Another worry I have is there are no bubbles appearing through the valve thingy.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Cheers. Thought it was.
Another worry I have is there are no bubbles appearing through the valve thingy.

its probably not airtight. If you a krausen it will have started fermenting

 

[Olden]

oh dear. Is this a disaster?

 

[Gerryjo]

No it's a learning game where you have to have a lot of patience. Don't worry it will be OK.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

oh dear. Is this a disaster?

No as the Co2 is still escaping just not through the airlock some members don't use an airlock they use clingfilm to stop nasties getting in but allowing Co2 out.

 

[An Ankoù]

It’s called the Krausen, it’s normal and it’s the yeast fermenting in the top. Happy brewing

Jakeyboi's right and therein lies the problem: why do we love to use these daft German words for brewing terms, particularly as they haven't come to us directly from Germany but via the USA. The Germans didn't invent beer or brewing techniques, that world-changing event occurred where, much later, the old Barnsley Brewery was erected as a memorial to proper beer. So let's have done with krausen and talk about a rocky head, and with vorlauf and use recirculate and do away with all namby-pamby notions of degrees Plato and Lovibond and brewing 19 or 20 litre batches while we're at it.