Is it worth saving my brew?

Question

I have started off a Cider kit. It was close to the BBD. It only actively foamed for a day or so and looked finished or dead (but in those two days has dropped from 1040 to 1018 however I didnt know this until the end of the story). I did put the original yeast in when it was a bit hot and assumed that I had killed the yeast.

I then found a leak from my new fermentation bucket, the supplier has sent me a new one but I would like to nurse this through and get it in the pressure barrel in four days time.

I added some more yeast and there was a massive foam-up. Its still hissing. Is it worth saving, in your considered opinions?

Answer 1

This question is missing a lot of details which might make it definitely answerable. Some of the required details will need more time to find out. Here is some info to help with your decision.

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Infections

A beer or cider can be ruined if fermentation stalls and bacterial growth takes over. If this happens the brew will taste bad. This article provides a detailed overview about infections and what they mean. Infections are not the end of the world. People brewed cider for thousands of years without doing anything to specifically prevent infections. If you suspect it is infected, AND it tastes bad AFTER fermentation finishes, throw it away.

I then found a leak from my new fermentation bucket, the supplier has sent me a new one but I would like to nurse this through and get it in the pressure barrel in four days time.

This could be a route for infections to get into your cider, but maybe you lucked out. Time will tell.

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Is it worth saving? I have four fermentors, and fermentor space is not a limiting factor for me. I also brew more than I can drink, so I value variety over quantity. My personal setup means that any suspect brew is always worth saving unless I am certain it has gone bad.

If you only have a single fermentor, your situation is a little different. It is definitely worth giving this beer a little more time, until you know for sure it is bad. Don't rush into a decision.

Answer 2

This brew is probably still viable. I would advise not dumping it yet.

Cider is often fermented with the wild yeast found on the apple skins - that enters the brew when pressed, so adding "extra" yeast to your brew will probably do little other than increase the yeast population. I would not be overly worried about infection. If you leave the brew for (say) 14 days and then transfer to bottles or your preferred container, the cider should be ready in (say) six months. It can often be drunk before that time but from 6 moths to about a year it usually improves greatly in taste.