Options after tasting slightly of Vinegar?

[thepgr...@gmail.com]

Hi Folks, 

I have a 5 gallon batch of cider that tastes quite nice, but just slightly...and I mean slightly is starting to taste of vinegar. It is light, as in some spanish styles that I have tried. And I don't mind it. I know some folks don't like it, and I know many folks will tell me it is a flaw...BUT... I'm wondering what can be done other than toss it down the drain, and what the pros and cons might be. 

1. Can I keg it now and put it on tap? Will refrigeration affect it in any way? Will it slow the decline? Is there a way to get it to stay just as it is?

2. Can I blend it with a cider that needs more acid? 

3. I believe I read somewhere that vinegar (if that is what it is) will ruin everything it touches. Is that true, and does it mean I need to get the carboy away from the others? Does it mean I should not put it in a keg, and not run it from the keg through my serving taps? 

[Andrew Lea]

"Tasting of vinegar" could mean ethyl acetate or acetic acid from any combination of sources.  It could come from wild yeasts, bacteria of various kinds or simple chemical oxidation.

So we need more information really.  What sort of juice did you use (is there any pear in it?) did you add SO2 (Campden) at any time, did you use wild or cultured yeast, are you being careful to keep air out post fermentation, what sort of containers are you using, do you see any film yeast on the cider, etc etc?

There are possible suggestions to your issue but we need to know more first.

Andrew Lea

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Wittenham Hill Cider Page

www.cider.org.uk

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[Patrick McCauley]

I've had certain batches get a slight vinegar taste, and as long as you're sanitizing everything, you shouldn't get cross contamination. As for the cider itself, it sounds like you like it, and as you mentioned, that acetic quality is a characteristic of Spanish cider, as well as certain farm ciders. I would just bottle and drink it as-is, and maybe don't share it with Aunt Dorothy, who only likes mass-market, sweet cider. That's what I do. I save my funkier batches for myself, and those who appreciate that type of cider. Seems like if you keep it in an oxygen-free environment like bottles or a keg, it shouldn't get any worse. Also, I'm not saying this is the case with your cider or palette, but on many of the online forums, people often complain about the high acid taste of young and dry cider, and say it tastes like vinegar. All of this should mellow with time. Bottle it and give it 6 months or a year. See how it's tasting then. Good luck!

Pat McCauley

[thepgr...@gmail.com]

Thanks for the responses, Andrew and Patrick. 

Additional info: It is a blend of Bosc (pear) Bramley, Spartan and Honeycrisp - equal parts of each.  Pressed on Oct 8, 2023. Sulphited and pectic enzyme on Oct 9. Premier Rouge yeast. on 10th. initial ph was 3.5. In my notes, I have written "tropical fruit, slight eggy, a bit accidic" which was 17 days after pitching the yeast and teh SG had already dropped to 1.000. Stored in carboy, off lees. 6 months later,  my tasting notes say "apple/pear fruit, slight sulpher egg, nice acidity. 6 months later, notes say "band aid, acid - good acid."  6 months later, and Yes, there was a film yeast that I tried to deal with last week when I was tasting and noticed the acidity seemed to have increased. 

I will definitely not share it with Aunt Dorothy. And like the idea of bottling it (I always keg), but wonder about if it it will continue to progress to vinegar. 

[Andrew Lea]

Thanks for the extra info. You seem to have followed the book of rules fairly closely in terms of excluding oxygen, using sulphite, and  controlling wild yeast, and doubtless you are aware of the need to keep headspace to the minimum. However it seems that some contamination has still crept in. I don’t know the yeast you cite so can’t comment on its propensity for off flavours. 

My suspicion lies with the fruit since pears may contain large amounts of citric acid which may be metabolised to acetic acid by wild lactic acid bacteria which are anaerobic so this can occur even in the strict absence of air. This is a frequent issue with perries and happens often in perry making especially at the craft scale. I’m not sure if Spartan and Honey crisp contain appreciable citric acid - apples usually don’t. 

For the moment I would get the cider bottled up and possibly pasteurised which should certainly stop any more microbial action. I would also check the current pH and free SO2 if you can. I would not try to blend it off for fear of spreading contamination further. Your mention of band aid could well be consistent with lactic acid bacteria but something more problematic such as  Brettanomyces which you certainly don’t want to spread. 

Good luck

Andrew

——————————

Wittenham Hill Cider Page

www.cider.org.uk

On 2 May 2025, at 23:55, thepgr...@gmail.com <thepgr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for the responses, Andrew and Patrick. 

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cider-workshop/fbb95eb4-be67-4aeb-9518-d2edb272d52fn%40googlegroups.com.