Please Tell Me What Is Wrong With My Cider

I have four ciders going. The latest was an experiment. I took a gallon of fresh juice from a local orchard, did all the usual things, suphite, pectic enzyme, champagne yeast etc. I even added a bunch of brown sugar to drive up the octane. I started with 1.062 SG and today racked off of the lees at .096 SG. I gave it a little taste.

Like a sour pumpkin. Nasty. Wouldn't want to drink it. No carbonation at all, no sweetness, hardly any idea that there was alcohol in it, and it was like septic water.

It's a nice yellow color and I'm sure it will clear more, but nothing like what any of the ciders I"ve tasted.

What is wrong with my cider?

I'll try to address the issues one at a time.

No carbonation. This is normal. You need to bottle condition or keg to get carbonation. Either way, the container needs to be sealed to allow the pressure of the CO2 to build up.

No sweetness. Typical of a dry cider since the yeast have consumed all the sugar. You can always backsweeten, but be aware that this sugar will also be eaten unless you pasteurize or stabilize with sulfite & sorbate. Some people backsweeten with unfermentable sugars like splenda.

Alcohol. Since it's a low ABV beverage this is typical.

Septic water issue, possibly a lack of acid in the cider which results in a flabby off balance cider. Add malic acid.

Thanks. But shouldn't the fermentation process created carbonation?

It does create CO2, but it goes right out the airlock.