Cider Digest #0503

Published in

· 7 months ago

Subject: Re: Cider Digest #501 Thu Nov 17 19:00:06 EDT 1994 
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 22:51:22 -0500 (EST) 
From: "Steven C. Boxer" <scb15@columbia.edu> 

 
        I made  a batch of cider last year that smelled like rotten eggs during  
the ferment but turned out just fine.  I'm sorry that I cant provide many  
details.  I bought a cider  
kit at Boots in the UK during a year abroad.  Since it was only a silly  
kit, I refused to take notes.  Well, it turned out great and no egg  
smeel.   Good Luck. 
STEVE BOXER 
Columbia University 

 
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Date: Sat, 19 Nov 94 17:10:00 UTC 
From: t.duchesneau@genie.geis.com 
Subject: Contaminated batch follow-up 

  A while back I asked for help with a contaminated batch.  I finally got a 
reply from Ron in Saginaw MI (rsielonski@aol.com) who says: 
  
 >  I saw your note about the scum on your cider in the Cider Forum. I'm not 
 >a member (I get the files from CompuServe), so I thought I'd write you 
 >directly. I suspect what you have is *flower*. According to *Sweet and 
 >Hard Cider: Making It, Using It, & Enjoying It (by Annie Proulx and Lew 
 >Nichols): 
  
 >>This is a greasy, ash-like surface film which forms on the cider, and 
 >>is caused by mycoderma film yeasts. These yeasts need air for their 
 >>growth. They break up easily and make the cider cloudy, or insipid, or 
 >>give it an upleasant moldy flavor. Prevention is the best cure. Keep air 
 >>out. 
  
 >One of my batches became contaminated after it developed a sulfer smell. 
 >The cure for the smell, I was told, was frequent rackings. I was told not 
 >to worry about air because the sulfer would kill any contaminates. Not 
 >realizing that I had flower, I infected two more batches with my siphon. 
 >Now I have 15 gallons at stake. Tell me, did the campden tablets work for 
 >you? 
  
  I'm still fighting this problem, the campden tablets at least slowed it 
down, but the stuff is still floating on top and an inch or so down.  I'll 
post again later. 
  
  On another note, I've got a batch that I made a month ago with 5 gallons 
of good fall cider, mostly Macs (SG 1.050).  I added 4# honey and 3# dark 
brown sugar for an OG of 1.096.  I used Red Star Champagne yeast.  It 
fermented for 3 weeks, then stopped.  I thought it was stuck, so last week I 
stirred it to rouse the yeast.  While it was open, I decided to check the SG 
 - It was at .993.  This is going to be sipping cider.  The taste was pretty 
harsh, but 6 months should mellow that, then I'll consider bottling it. 
  
                                ...Tom 
  
  
  
=END= 
  

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