Pedio "Sickness"

[Andrew Hodgson]

So I posted this in the Tepache thread but I figured this would be a good place to discuss it as well.

I made a batch of Tepache which uses the yeast on the skin of the pineapple to ferment a slightly alocohlic refreshing beverage. I have done a number of batches without issue.

My lastest just got bottle carbed and fridged and I haven't tasted it yet but it looks like it may have symptoms of pedio sickness or ropiness. Is it possible to have this sickness take hold in 3 days? It seems like that would be very fast to me. I have never experienced it first hand in beer so I am looking for someone with experience with the pedio ropiness.

I will taste it but just in the bottle when you move it around it is viscous and mucus-like in consistency.

Most if the things I have read say to let the sickness age out, should I pull the bottles out of the fridge to speed up the aging? If it takes a month or two to fix itself I might just dump them as this is a small project and the appeal of it is the 3-5 day turn-around time.

 

[RPh_Guy]

It's entirely plausible for Pedio to produce viscosity (EPS) that quickly. I don't have personal experience with it, but also I don't check my mixed fermentations with Pedio very often.
Bacteria reproduce very fast, often faster than yeast. It's during the growth phase that Pedio produce EPS IIRC. Without hops there's nothing to slow them down.

Brett breaks down the EPS. So IF Brett is in your bottles and it's at a reasonable fermentation temp (not refrigerated), the viscosity will go away in a few weeks-months from what I've read.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

From everything I have looked at it must be something along these lines. Sampled one bottled and dumped. Good learning experience for sure.

 

[JayDubWill]

I've recently experienced the exact same thing. My Tepache literally turned to a ropy gel in three days. I did let it go, outside on the counter, and it cleared up in about a month. It was perfectly fine to drink after that. However, since I already started another batch, I continued to let it go since I read that it will eventually turn to vinegar and that pineapple vinegar is delicious. It's sitting at about 3 months right now. Still has the pineapple in it and tastes very close to a vinegar with a tropical twist. I take shots of it every now and then as a probiotic. I'll eventually bottle it as a vinegar. I could see it being fantastic in a no-mayo coleslaw with pineapple chunks, a touch of sugar and sesame seeds.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

I admire your patience, I didn't even think of just letting it turn to vinegar.