Film yeast on top of cider vinegar

[flyingcowman]

Hi,

For the last two years I've successfully made very nice cider vinegar in a couple of demijohns. This year I decided to make a bigger batch in a couple of carboys instead. However, although the mother seems to have started to form, there is a scummy white film yeast on the surface which is something I didn't have in previous years. If you move the vessel the yeast (or mold?) breaks up and sinks. So where I used to give the demijohns a shake every now and then to aerate them, I haven't with the carboys for fear of mixing this film yeast or whatever it is, into the vinegar. Previous vinegar was made with the resettled dregs from batches of cider when racked off. So I'd basically add a pint or two to each vinegar demijohn as each batch of cider was fermented out and racked. This time the carboys were 3/4 filled in one hit and inoculated with previous years cider.

Pictures aren't great I'm afraid as my workshop is a little dark so a light was used. So should I be worried about the film yeast? If so, what can I do about it?

Thanks in advance

[flyingcowman]

Nobody? .... The workshop is around 7-10 degrees C atm. Too cold?

[Andrew Lea]

Far far too cold. Acetobacter need 20C minimum. And you should add a starter of mother from a previous batch to get things going.  There have been plenty of vinegar threads here recently. 

My guess is that you haven't got any acetobacter there, just film yeast. The film yeast will develop in the cold but the acetobacter won't. 

Dare I ask whether you have actually been successful before? Did you get a nice thick leathery mother and did you get up to 5% acetic acid by titration?  Or did you just have some vaguely acetic cider that wasn't anywhere near being vinegar? Sorry to be so blunt ;-)

Andrew

Sent from my iPhone

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[flyingcowman]

No I got some really nice cider vinegar for both of the last two years. I'm still eating onions pickled in the batch from two years ago. I haven't measured how acetic but I'm very familiar with cider vinegar having used it in cooking ect most of my adult life. The stuff made in the last two years has been second to none! Really! It was gorgeous, proper vinegar but smooth and not too harsh. The bottles sent to friends and family have been well received and I've had many requests for more, hence wanting to make a lot more. However, as said this years just isn't going the same way? Yes I did inoculate it with a good rubbery mother from last years batch .... so I'm guessing it's the temperature from what you've said?

What do you think is my best course of action now though? If I move it to somewhere warmer is it too late? Will the film yeast disappear? Will it taint whatever I end up with? Should I scrap it and start again?

Thanks

On Friday, 2 May 2014 10:54:52 UTC+1, flyingcowman wrote:

[Andrew Lea]

Oh well it's good you had such success before. I really do think temperature is the key thing. Move it somewhere warm to give the acetobacter a chance. I've never seen a problem with film yeast competition when vinegar making and I suspect it will just disappear once the acetobacter get going. I don't think taints are an issue since both organisms are producing much the same range of chemicals anyway. I suppose you could try to remove the film yeast with a slotted spoon and inoculate with more mother or some of last year's vinegar if you can easily do so. 

That's my feeling. 

Andrew. 

Sent from my iPhone

[flyingcowman]

Thanks ... I'll give that a go and let you know how I get on.

Cheers, Ivan

On Friday, 2 May 2014 10:54:52 UTC+1, flyingcowman wrote: