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My cider smells strange...

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  • 11-09-2010 11:49am
    #1
    irokie
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭


    Made up a John Bull Premium Cider Kit this last week. Brewed per instructions, adding 1KG of DME to the goo from the tin (instructions said 1kg of brewing sugar or 1kg of DME for extra body). Boiled for 60 minutes, put in sanitised fermenter, topped up to 18L (as per instructions for "strong cider"). When it had cooled to ~22C, I pitched the yeast that was included along with the nutrient sachet. Then I affixed a lid with an airlock to the fermenter.

    Everything was going fine, it was bubbling nicely, but it didn't rise the same way that beers would normally do. I put this down to the Cider using a different yeast, and not being the same as beer as it's different sugars.

    It's 5 days since we brewed, and it's still bubbling nearly as much as it did when it started fermenting. Today, I took the lid off the fermenter to take a gravity reading, and it smelled weird. Oaky and smoky at the same time, and there was nary a trace of apple in there. And there's a weird scum on the top.

    Have I got an infection? Or is this a phase that all ciders go through? Should I dump it and start again, or is there any way to save it. We're relatively new to the whole brewing thing, and I'm not sure that I haven't just made some silly n00bish mistake. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    oblivious
    Registered Users Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭oblivious


    irokie wrote: »
    I put this down to the Cider using a different yeast, and not being the same as beer as it's different sugars.

    There is far less protein in the cider must the Wort
    irokie wrote: »
    Oaky and smoky at the same time, and there was nary a trace of apple in there. And there's a weird scum on the top.

    Have I got an infection? .

    Smoke is a phenol and can indicate a wild infection or Chlorophenols form the water used, but some ciders do have a slight oak aroma and you may have fermented a little too high giving some of flavours. What was the gravity you got?

    Also did you just boil the kit and DME in a few litres of water? As a concentrated boil like that can develop some flavours that can be described as smoky

    Give it a a week to 10 days to see if the yeast cleans up the flavours as you maybe be just getting some aromas of yeast metabolism

    By the way you can get good apple juice in the supermarket that will work out the same as the kit and DME with out the need to boil and it much nicer too!


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    #3
    irokie
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭irokie


    Thanks!

    I posted on another forum, and various people mentioned that fermenting apple juice can create strong smells. The phrase "Rhino Farts" was thrown around a bit, and that is exactly what I smell. Apparently this will pass.

    I am going to relax, not worry and have a home brew. And next time I feel a need for cider, I'll just buy a load of apple juice and some yeast.


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    #4
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    irokie wrote: »
    Thanks!

    I posted on another forum, and various people mentioned that fermenting apple juice can create strong smells. The phrase "Rhino Farts" was thrown around a bit, and that is exactly what I smell. Apparently this will pass.

    I am going to relax, not worry and have a home brew. And next time I feel a need for cider, I'll just buy a load of apple juice and some yeast.

    Any updates on your brew?


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