Possible Maltolactic Fermentation of keeved cider

[BeeCurious]

Most of my keeved cider has been bottled at 1.010 or 1.008sg but I have two gallons that are stuck at 1.020sg. There hasn't been any significant drop in gravity for over two months but co2 gas continues to rise... I believe this is a maltolactic fermentation that's underway.

Does anyone have experience with mlf?

[Ben Brewcat]

MLF is desirable in may ciders. All it's doing is converting malic to lactic acids, which have a less harsh flavor. I've not had experience with keeving, but depending on how "traditionally" the keeving was done (on how many wild organisms are present), there are many processes that could be going on. Not all of them improve cider.

At any rate, nothing for it now unless you want to sulfite it to kill off what's working. If the rest of the batch finished OK, and you can spare two gallons as a test batch, let is finish what it's working on. It might be the best part! Or taste it and see what it's trying to do .

[BeeCurious]

I'm going to bring the jugs inside to see if an increase in temperature makes a difference. If it remains "stuck" then I will be comfortable with bottling it even when the ideal gravity would have been 1.010

The keeving removes nutrients...

[Vance G]

Is it possible what you see is on the way to vinegar?

[BeeCurious]

I was wrong, the sg has continued to drop. Currently at about 1.0159 so it will be bottled at 1.010sg

Doesn't cider ferment completely before going to vinegar (if infected )?

Had a taste of another batch of cyser last night. It wasn't as flavorful as the winter batch, but that's not surprising. The first was just about perfect in color, clarity, sweetness, with honey and apple flavors.