This potassium sorbated cider I fermented tastes terrible

[progmac]

For my first cider I stupidly bought cider with potassium sorbate. I gave it a go anyways...I added 2lbs natural sugar and pitched a pack of dry s-04 yeast that I proofed. It bubbled for a bit then sort of tuckered out around 1.040. I had a beer yeast cake so I dumped the whole batch on top of this. Over the next few weeks it churned down to about 1.004. Fine. I moved it to a secondary last night and added MORE potassium sorbate to stop any lingering fermentation plus sodium metabisulfite and some juice concentrate to back sweeten. It tastes terrible at this point. Sort of like sauerkraut (vinegar?) and just tart and unpleasant.

My plan is to let it chill in a secondary for a couple of months and then bottle.

What I'm actually wondering is if anyone has gotten any cider with potassium sorbate to turn out half-way decent after it fermented or if I should just dump this crap.

BTW - I have 10 gallons of nice, fresh and unpreserved cider fermenting (I started this about a week after the preservative-laden batch). It tastes COMPLETELY different, like a nice dry wine.

 

[Devo9]

If it tastes of vinegar, then it most likely has started to change into vinegar and there is nothing that will bring it back.

Apple cider vinegar is supposed to be very good for you though, so enjoy your vinegar, wash all your equipment out very very thoroughly, and hope it doesn't happen to your next batch.

Sorry to hear about your loss...

My current batch may have suffered the same fate... I have to check my secondary out tonight... 6 gallons of apple cider vinegar isn't what I had planned. I'll have my fingers crossed!

 

[progmac]

that's what i was afraid of. i think i'll let it age for a while anyways; we'll see what comes of it.

 

[LeBreton]

Sounds like it could be a combination of stressed yeast and definitely too much sorbate. Maybe bulk pasteurization would have been a better route than adding more. Good thing you have more good cider on the way, since you can use that to blend out the bad batch if you want.

 

[progmac]

The moral of the story is if you accidentally buy cider with potassium sorbate, just enjoy the cider. Don't try to get alcohol out of it.

 

[ColbyJack]

Up in Alaska we don't have many orchards up here. Every fall, the local markets bring in gallons of Washington Cider. Super spendy, but delicious. This commercial cider has potassium sorbate in it. I have been using that cider for backsweetening. It works great. Brings a better flavor to my hard cider than frozen concentrate, and saves me a trip to the local Homebrew shop for supplies.