Sherry flavour in cider

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jceg316

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Hello, I made some cider last autumn out of a dessert variety and crab apples. It's been going through a long malo-lactic fermentation for a few months (still a lot of bubbles being produced). I tried some a couple of days ago and it has a sweet wine flavour. I don't think I've had sherry before, but to me this cider tastes like a very sweet wine or dessert wine, which I think sherry is? The finish was very sharp which I think is common for dessert apple ciders. It's not vinegary/acetic, just very sharp.

I looked it up and I think it's to do with chemical oxidation, and the fix is to add a campden tablet. Does this sound right? Does anyone know of other ways to get rid of this flavour?

Weirdly, I made 2x 23L batches of cider. The other one had a greater mix of apples and came out more rounded. Whilst they were treated the same - both had the same amount of SO2 added at the same time, both transferred at the same time in the same way - one has seemingly been oxidised.

Thanks.
 
You wont get rid of the flavour with anything including campden,Its too late for that.
Yes it is caused by oxidization the chemical that is formed and causes this flavour is called acetaldhyde.
It is prevalent in sherry.
 
Ah that's a shame, I wonder if I can blend it with other cider to minimise the flavour at least. I've added a campden tablet anyway to see if it does make a difference.
 
As John says you will only dilute the flavour by blending. I would bin it unless you can drink it and keep the good stuff to drink rather than blending
 
Interestingly enough, I tried some more yesterday and the bad flavours have almost disappeared. I did add a campden tablet just to see what would happen but have a feeling it was something else.

I transferred from primary into a 23L glass demijohn probably around November/December and topped up with sugar water to the very brim. I used a white stopper which I don't think had an airtight seal. When I tried some it was from the very top in the neck bit of the glass demi and maybe that was a heavily oxidised part of the cider?

The aroma is still there, although much weaker but the flavour is almost gone. It's gone from a really questionable cider to one which is drinkable. It tastes far more like the cider I put into the demijohn.
 
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