I am growing my own apple cider vinegar- I used about a cup of unpasturized, unfiltered ACV from the co-op and added unfiltered (but pasturized- all I could find) apple cider. It has been sitting almost 2 months, and I tasted it this morning, it is still a bit sweet, but getting vinegar-y! 
My question is I have what I assume is the mother growing in it- large slimey looking icky island. How do you filter that out when you want to use the vinegar and still keep the mother to start the next batch? I thought a paper coffee filter? but then I'd have to scrape the slime off the filter and put it back in the jar. Is there anything in the paper that I would have to worry about? More work, but I thought I could boil some cheesecloth and filter it out, then just dunk the cheesecloth in the apple cider to re-infect it. Would that work?
How do you do finish it?
My question is I have what I assume is the mother growing in it- large slimey looking icky island. How do you filter that out when you want to use the vinegar and still keep the mother to start the next batch? I thought a paper coffee filter? but then I'd have to scrape the slime off the filter and put it back in the jar. Is there anything in the paper that I would have to worry about? More work, but I thought I could boil some cheesecloth and filter it out, then just dunk the cheesecloth in the apple cider to re-infect it. Would that work?How do you do finish it?
