Mousy cider

Well I tried my kegged cider this past W/E and it tasted great! One hell of a time gittin’ past the mousy smell… Geez… :disappointed:Sneezles61

Off gas your keg will clear some of that. I bottled mine yeasterday I’ll let it age out, I hope

Did you make a tincture from the mice or add them directly to the fermenter? I’ve started making a tincture, as it doesn’t extract as many of the harsh mousy aromas.

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In all seriousness, though, what was your fermentation process? Did you pasteurize the juice? What kind of yeast? Mousy can be many different things and require different treatment.

I used 001 ale yeast, I juiced apples from our tree, I did use campden tablets, one per gallon, 4 gallons total, I set it on the basement floor, say 65 degrees. I did forget about it a little too long. I wonder ifn the wild yeast may have survived the campden tablets… From now on, I’ll shoo the mouses’ away first! Sneezles61

No, I don’t think the wild yeast would have survived that. Do you think you’re smelling sulfur? It’s the most common off-flavor I’ve noticed with cider, and the Campden really amplifies it.

If you think it’s sulfur, try stirring it gently with a bit of copper pipe next time you pull a pint. It works amazingly quickly. If that eliminates the sulfur, and it very well might, then it could be as easy as pushing it to a new keg with a bit of copper tube in the line.

I will give it a go! I wouldn’t want to waste this… Sneezles61

I assumed you were talking about sulfur. I had that it in a graff and like I mentioned just blew off the gas and it mostly cleared. I bottled some off the keg and had one the other day and it’s completely gone. So don’t toss it put it in bottles it will probably age out.

I’ve been too busy lately, I hope to try this W/E to remedy my apple ale! Sneezles61

Well I released the gas last night,… IN THE KEG! :joy:, my that stunk up the room… I will fill tonight and try again, and I have a piece of copper pipe at the ready too! Sneezles61

How long was the cider aged before it was kegged and how many times did you rack it?

Cheers,

Justin

www.ciderfromscratch.com

I believe I juiced in October, didn’t rack it til I kegged. Yes I de-gassed it and now much better! I do like cider sparkling better than still. Even had some good friends over and declared they aren’t much fer apple cider, yet, thought sparkling was making them take a second look! ciderfromscratch, you have a good site! I will be looking more at it! Sneezles61

If your timing between campden tablets and yeast pitch are too close, you will produce off flavors and smells (mousy) as the yeast is being inhibited by the sulfites. (yeast need oxygen to grow and the sulfites prevent oxygen). Next time I would recommend letting the cider rest for 48 hours after campden tablet pitch, and use ppm of SO2 instead of campden tablets for a more accurate measure of SO2 preferment.

Much appreciated! Great to hear about the sparkling cider!

Thank you, yes I didn’t wait much when I pitched my yeast. A note now documented in my habits now… Again thank you Sneezles61