Rubber stopper embarrassement

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Had some family over yesterday and after dessert did a little tasting of some ciders I'm bulk aging (I sampled and did gravity checks on the about a week ago. The first was really tart, as it was a week ago, and the second, an apple pear cider had the rubber stopper flavor really strong, the third we sampled was a Cyser, ah sweet redemption.

The jug that was aweful gave a considerable pop when the solid stopper was removed when I sampled a week ago and popped again yesterday, though not as loudly. I know the taste is a sign that the yeast are stressed, and I used the solid bung because all signs pointed to fermentation being done.

I'm planning to put an airlock on it and see what happens. Does rubber stopper age out? There's a small amount of lees and the cider is very clear.

 

[stella_tigre]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=265331
Sounds like it wil...

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

There's a small amount of lees and the cider is very clear. Perhaps I should rack it too?
__________________

 

[stella_tigre]

How long has it been in that jug?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

How long has it been in that jug?

Thanks, I appreciate the question!
I racked it on 1/4/16 hardly any lees right now.

 

[stella_tigre]

I would get that racked asap - not because of the lees but because that is way too much headspace.
When was the cider started?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Extra headspace, following the tasting, err, I mean throwing out of samples. Started 1/4/16 wholefoods Apple juice with a quart of pear juice and cider house yeast from Brewers best. All was good ambient temps mid to low 60s. Like I said, it tasted pretty good about a week ago. Then pow rubber stopper.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Yeah, so after about a year with an airlock the bad taste is still there, I'm going to dump it.

 

[Kyle05STi]

I accidentally pushed a rubber bung into my 5 gallon carboy (it kept popping out). Its now floating in my cider..hoping for the best, I've read that what I've done is a pretty common beginner's mistake and isn't really an issue.

 

[Scrumpy!]

I prefer these Dew Caps that I got on Amazon to rubber stoppers. They fit 3 and 5 gal glass or plastic carboys. Since they are made for water bottles, they leave no taste.

You can drill or melt a hole in the middle, trim the edge of the hole with a sharp blade, insert a grommet, work a little silicone seal under the edges of the grommet on both sides, then let the silicone cure overnight. Next, put a little cooking oil on a fermentation lock and push it through the grommet. You now have a cap that cannot be pushed into a carboy, will not change the flavor of your cider, and makes a tight seal.

I use the caps without a fermentation lock to cap my carboys after I have cleaned them and they are ready to store till next season.