I hope this is the right place for this question . . . .
Can someone point me to a good source for Acetobacter? I am interested in fermenting alcohol to vinegar. For the alcohol source, I’ll probably start with some existing homemade mead and cider, but I grow a lot of fruit and I can easily see trying various raspberries, mulberries, blackberries, peaches, etc. Of course, that would imply fermenting sugar to alcohol (yeast) then alcohol to vinegar (bacteria). I find mead and cider fermentations that rely on wild yeast to range from just OK to disgusting, so rather than rely on wild bacteria, I’d like to buy starters that are proven to be well suited to the substrates.
FWIW, I’ve got good experience making dry mead. I’ve also done some cider. I’m confident that I can handle the fermentation of fruit sugars to alcohol. I’m thinking that the fermentation of alcohol to vinegar should then be straightforward, given some attention to temperature and aeration. I would strongly prefer to use Acetobacter varieties that are well suited to the sources of the sugars.
I’ve done the trying to turn apple skins/scraps into vinegar thing, but the resulting liquid I end up with has a musty smell/taste. I am getting a sour, vinegar, flavor and smell along with the mustyness, but I’ve been disappointed with the results.
I’ve had the same issue with purchased (unpasturized) cider.
It’s a two-step process with overlap. First, yeast turn sugar to alcohol. Second, bacteria turn alcohol to vinegar. I think your problem is in the 1st step. Yeast fermentation can easily produce sulphuric compounds that smell variously like farts, cabbage, onions, etc. This can happen if there is anything that stresses the yeast, such as low nitrogen, high temps. Wild yeast are very prone. Commercial yeast have been selected to perform better.
Understand that this is a guess based on my experience: At minimum, you should try to keep the apple scraps at 60-68 F for a week or two. This will slow down the fermentation but reduce the risk of stress. You could also try introducing a commercial yeast. At any rate, I would ferment at this temperature watching the activity (bubbling) increase then slow over many days. After a good fermentation, there should be 4-6% alcohol. At that point I’d raise the temperature above 80 F and do something to ensure good oxygenation (e.g. stir frequently). This will encourage the bacteria.