Two weeks ago I juiced apples from my tree and collected 1.8 gallons in a 5 gallon brewing bucket.
I sterilised the juice with sodium metapbisulphate (2 crushed campden tablets), put the lid on and left it for 48 hours. The SG was 1.050 at that point.
I then added a yeast starter made with a packet of Youngs cider yeast. I fitted an airlock & bung to the bucket lid. Two days later patches of foam formed on the surface of the juice, it smelled brewy but I saw no bubbles through the airlock.
Six days later there was still no bubbling. SG was 1.026, which I took to mean that sugar had reduced. I added another yeast starter (in water 40C/104F).
Five days after that I still have no bubbles through the airlock and the SG has now fallen to 1.003. Temperature has been fairly constant at 17C/62F 19C/65F.
Can anyone tell me what might have gone wrong here? Can my brew be saved? Could it be due to pressure not building up in the large amount of headspace in the bucket? Or have I killed the yeast with the Campden tablets? Thanks for any wise words.
I sterilised the juice with sodium metapbisulphate (2 crushed campden tablets), put the lid on and left it for 48 hours. The SG was 1.050 at that point.
I then added a yeast starter made with a packet of Youngs cider yeast. I fitted an airlock & bung to the bucket lid. Two days later patches of foam formed on the surface of the juice, it smelled brewy but I saw no bubbles through the airlock.
Six days later there was still no bubbling. SG was 1.026, which I took to mean that sugar had reduced. I added another yeast starter (in water 40C/104F).
Five days after that I still have no bubbles through the airlock and the SG has now fallen to 1.003. Temperature has been fairly constant at 17C/62F 19C/65F.
Can anyone tell me what might have gone wrong here? Can my brew be saved? Could it be due to pressure not building up in the large amount of headspace in the bucket? Or have I killed the yeast with the Campden tablets? Thanks for any wise words.
