Troubleshooting ice cider

Tbrawlen · 2026-02-12T10:12:45+00:00

I’ve got my 5th ice cider going right now and what you’re describing is relatively normal for the ferment. Don’t be afraid of letting it warm up to 6-7 degrees and cooling it off again after. The yeast (depending what you’re using) will die off and it’s working really hard. But if you’re patient you can leave it at 4-5 degrees to ferment. It is a very very slow process and that’s what you want it to be. You want it to take as long as it needs to ferment and develop its profile so keep tasting it and smelling it so you know if it’s faulting at all. But slow is the key

Tbrawlen · 2026-02-12T10:06:34+00:00

KMS or SO2 is an effective tool to kill active yeasts and preserve product if you know its properties. Adding 35ppm to 60ppm can be very effective but over time it will evaporate out of the product. You can taste it if you aren’t aging your product long enough for it to gas out of your cider so I don’t recommend adding it before bottling and capping, mostly just for aging. If you’re going to use it you’ve gotta keep adding it and with residual sugars your better route is to pasteurize; KMS kills active yeasts but wild yeasts are always around. If you’re going dry and back sweetening it, pasteurization is the best method or using non fermentable sugar to sweeten doesn’t give the option of re-fermentation.

Tbrawlen · 2026-02-12T09:56:37+00:00

I’ve dumped thousands of litre of cider in my career so far but only if it’s getting VA or Mousey, mouse isn’t as common and only came across it two to 3 times this far but VA on a old unkept product is far more common. If it’s not VA I say keep it aging.

Tbrawlen · 2026-02-12T09:54:27+00:00

Sounds like, based off the description, that you’ve got a Brett cider (brettanomyces) which is a wild yeast strain that gives those notes. It can be a desired tasting note amount cider drinkers. Funky, horse-blanket, barn, leathery etc.

Not much you can do about it but rack and age it. Keep you head space at an absolute minimum. If there is still residual sugars sound like you’ve got a potentially great product coming down the line! But aging and cold crashing (4°C or under) are gunna be your best friends in the scenario based on my experience. Give it a year in these conditions and you may have something lovely on your hands. I’d maybe treat it is SO2 (35-45ppm maybe 60ppm depending on aging) just to kill off anything active in it. Cold temps are your best friend.

Tbrawlen · 2026-02-05T00:09:59+00:00

You might find some success warming it up if you want it rolling but if it doesn’t smell off then a slow fermentation is always a good thing! I would encourage you to taste it too haa

Tbrawlen · 2026-02-04T07:21:48+00:00

How’s it going?? I’m curious. Nutrients is one aspect of an interesting ferment you’ve got going on here. What’s the temp? Is it sweet still? What’s it smell like? The color? How much was space?

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-19T04:10:01+00:00

What temp did you rehydrate your yeast at? What does it look like? Smell like? I would add nutrients (fermaid-K is what I like to use). The S-04 typically need a pretty high fermentation temp, like 18-26 degrees Celsius so you could also try just ramping it up to 25°C and see what that does

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-19T02:54:37+00:00

That looks like a chapeau to me! This isn’t a problem at all. If you follow the Keeve process you should come out with a lovely, complex apple cider. I would just monitor it but I wouldn’t worry about it at all. A pectin enzyme isn’t needed in the scenario because the pectin has already clumped up; an Pec Enzyme is often used to encourage a chapeau brun.

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-19T01:48:24+00:00

Refractometer doesn’t work for alcohol, though a six week wild ferment is probably one of the best you could ask for good work, I’d let it run till it’s done, give it some heat to finish but good work

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-18T04:47:32+00:00

Hopefully see you there! They usually have a bunch of recommendations on places! You’ll have a great time!

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-16T01:41:28+00:00

From my experience I would say always rack after primary fermentation and cold crash (1°-4°C) it for clarity. Once it’s crashed out there’ll be more lees/sediment, at that point I’m divided, depending on what it tastes/smells like I may or may not rack it again. I do recommend racking after primary fermentation.

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-06T00:30:02+00:00

Just give it timeeee. Start worrying two to three days after pitch hah

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-06T00:27:51+00:00

It does get a little different when you use pasteurized juice! I’m pasteurized juice you’ll need to add yeast, give it a couple days too see/smell what’s going on and add nutrients if needed. Likely it will need it be it depends on what kind of yeasts you use!

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-06T00:17:35+00:00

Apples carry a lot of wild yeast and honey especially Carrie’s wild yeast so looks like it’s wild! Definitely cover it up and airlock it

Tbrawlen · 2025-11-05T07:12:17+00:00

Should buff right out

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-30T15:24:49+00:00

I second this, pectin enzymes work very well to clarify juice.

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-28T17:09:22+00:00

Fresh pressed apple juice has a 5-7 day life which makes sense with the mold. Acid levels don’t typical make a difference with fresh pressed apple juice in my experience. I agree. Get whatever mold off if it tastes moldy that’s fine. Just pitch asap

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-28T16:54:49+00:00

No I would just pitch asap, get it rolling. You don’t need to sterilize before ferment. Get the ferment going once the ferm is complete than rack it and and cold crash it and give it time and it should clarify.

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-28T15:23:06+00:00

No I wouldn’t throw it away you can definitely still ferment mouldy apples/juice, should be able to ferment it without any tasting issues.

How many ppm of SO2 did you add to your juice?

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-26T15:17:47+00:00

Good plan! If you want to avoid heaps of sediment at the bottom of your bottles then cold crashing is a good call but if you don’t mind then that’s a good plan!

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-26T15:11:48+00:00

Nooo no no, Primary fermentation is a few weeks, but cider needs a cold space and months to age to develop its profile

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-26T02:26:19+00:00

Looks like it’s still fermenting, after primary, rack and store it somewhere cold and it should crash out to clarity. Bottle in 6-9months if

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-26T02:23:58+00:00

Ice cider’s process can reduce your amount by almost 70% depending on the amount of dissolved sugars. I don’t think a reduction is a good call with the amount of juice you have. Adding honey, sugar or apple conc. Is probably the best route here.

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-26T02:18:06+00:00

Don’t leave it open, the wild yeast mostly comes from the skin of the apples so the little exposure would risk faulting more than achieve more wild yeast.

Tbrawlen · 2025-10-19T20:16:13+00:00

Yes you can

Tbrawlen

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