White Wine Vinegar Flavor

[In_Vino_Veritas]

I made my first cider mid September. Recipe was 5 gallons (1.052 OG) untreated cider, added 2# dark brown sugar for an OG of 1.072 and S-04 for yeast. I had huge lag, 72 hours. What finally got fermentation going was re-pitching and bumping temp up from 64 to 68 deg F. Current gravity is 1.008. Over the past few weeks tasting, I've gotten a white wine slight vinegar flavor. Taste has been improving and I do plan to backsweeten. It's still in the carboy. Does it just need more time?

 

[domingo]

I made my first cider mid September. Recipe was 5 gallons (1.052 OG) untreated cider, added 2# dark brown sugar for an OG of 1.072 and S-04 for yeast. I had huge lag, 72 hours. What finally got fermentation going was re-pitching and bumping temp up from 64 to 68 deg F. Current gravity is 1.008. Over the past few weeks tasting, I've gotten a white wine slight vinegar flavor. Taste has been improving and I do plan to backsweeten. It's still in the carboy. Does it just need more time?

Honestly, a lot of hard ciders have a natural vinegary taste (it's actually traditional in some areas to have that flavor). Ranges from mild to extreme. I haven't gotten it from s-04 before, especially with a dark brown sugar added, but it could be something you're tasting because the molasses flavors offset the apple flavors in a way that seems vinegary.

In any case, if it is infected with acetobacter, there's pretty much nothing you can do and you won't know how strong it will turn out until you let it age. On the other hand, if it isn't, there's a good chance it'll mellow out (so let it age).

Most importantly, don't open it a bunch. Cider is very prone to oxygenation and you will ruin it by excessive exposure to air post-ferment, regardless of whether it has an acetobacter infection.