Is this pellicle on my cider? (first time making cider)

[Ott Pärak]

Hi!

I decided to try out making cider from the apples in my garden. I put it in two 30l fermentation buckets. I bottled one of them 1.5 months after and now 2.5 months later want to bottle the other one. My concern is that it has gotten a white cover with bubbles on top of it... I read from and article that is may be pellicle ( What Is a Pellicle?)


Does anyone know about it and is that okay? From the article it reads it should be fine. Can I remove it somehow before bottling? The smell is okay. Are there any health hazards when I bottle it? I bottle it with sugar and add no extra CO2.

Picture: White-on-top-of-cider

BTW... The first batch that got into bottles turned out great

PS! I know there are some posts about this stuff around the forums and got a bit mixed answers from those.

Thank you for good answers!

 

[The Baron]

looks like it to me

 

[chthon]

Yes, definitely. I also got it this year, on a batch that was not pasteurised. The first racking did not ferment enoug anymore and had a headspace of 5l, so the oxygen made it possible for a pellicle to form. I don't think it has ill effect on the taste or quality, I racked it yesterday together with my second batch, and tasted it. It did not taste off.

It did taste a bit bland, but that was from the apples.

 

[YeastFace]

Apples are full of microbes, so traditionallly-made ciders will contain yeasts (including brettanomyces), malolactic bacteria, and lactic acid bacteria and a host of other critters.

Usually the saccharomyces will outcompete the others but once they've tired, any Brett and LAB might produce a pellice to protect themselves from oxygen ingress.

Enjoy!