What’s this on top of my cider?

[SV-Ale]

I racked off cider into this Demi John and have now noticed this form on the surface!

Has oxygen got in?

Anyone had similar?

Kind regards

Dave

 

[RichardM]

Looks like an infection, some nasties may have got in. There will be oxygen in there, the demijohn is only half full.
You could rack it off, from below the surface, leaving the last bit behind, in to a clean, sanitised demijohn.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Definitely an infection of some kind. You could take some photos of it and send it to Hollywood for a feature film

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Sorry for your loss but what a brilliant picture.

 

[Ade McDade]

Personally I'd leave it to see what happens next but I definitely wouldn't drink it.

 

[klaus]

Penicillin??

I remember when as kids we complained about the mold on top of the homemade jam. Mother would just scoop it out and we carried on eating the jam

 

[RichardM]

Penicillin??

I remember when as kids we complained about the mold on top of the homemade jam. Mother would just scoop it out and we carried on eating the jam

We still do it..although we keep it in the fridge once opened, so mould isn't a problem so much these days.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

It's probably fine, especially if you went for a wild ferment on your apples. My brett fermenting saison has a much chunkier pellicle on it than that and I'm bottling it this weekend. But less airspace when racked is probably better unless there is a bit of active ferment going on when you rack, if so then the oxygen will get used up. Let us know when you taste it.

 

[Sadfield]

May not be a loss, a bad thing or even an infection. Give it a taste.

This is an interesting read if you want to know more about that lovely pellicle.

https://phdinbeer.com/2015/01/30/beer-microbiology-what-is-a-pellicle/

 

[Robin54]

Send it to Porton Down

 

[Polcho]

This brings up a point I was thinking about. I’m Getting to the point of needing to rack two five gallon containers of cider.
Does everybody add Campden tablets on each racking?

 

[RichardM]

This brings up a point I was thinking about. I’m Getting to the point of needing to rack two five gallon containers of cider.
Does everybody add Campden tablets on each racking?

I would only add Campden tablet s once when it has fermented out as far as I want

 

[Empty bottle]

That looks similar to my DNA sample when put under a microscope.
Ugly,lumpy and very exciting haha

 

[An Ankoù]

If you can put the cider into a smaller vessel, so that there is no headspace, you can probably save it. The bacteria forming that pellicle is almost certainly dependant on oxygen. Exclude the air and it'll go dormant. What does it smell like, by the way.

 

[Polcho]

I would only add Campden tablet s once when it has fermented out as far as I want

Then the full dose?

 

[Supersocks]

That looks like a nasty dose, after getting food poisoning on my holidays a few weeks ago I wouldn't recommend the experience!
As others have said looks like too much air in there.

 

[Wynott]

You might want to bear in mind that the globes on the top are the fruiting body of the mycelium underneath i.e. in the liquid.

I wouldn't be tempted to drink it myself. Start again?

 

[RichardM]

It would be nice to know what @SV-Ale did about this

 

[Sadfield]

https://pricklycider.com/2021/07/21/film-yeast-flor-pellicle/