Hard cider apple juice problem

NYHC718 said:

Did you see any activity when you added the yeast? Day 3 and still nothing for me

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You might not see much ... a gallon batch may get a rung of bubbles in the neck and that's about it. Smell the airlock, you should be able to detect something.

I'm not seeing activity in the airlock but I have a ring of bubbles so I know the yeast I happily working away.

LBussy said:

You might not see much ... a gallon batch may get a rung of bubbles in the neck and that's about it. Smell the airlock, you should be able to detect something.

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Just got home and checked it out and it looks like on almost about day 6 it's starting to ferment. I have bubbles all around the top and the airlock is starting to go off. Cool I can't wait to see how this taste. Thanks everyone for the help. Now I still wonder why it took almost 6 days to ferment others usually say about 2 days they see activity. Yesterday it still looked like nothing was happening. Well at least it's starting to ferment now

truck1985 said:

What do you mean by pasteurize before fermentation? You have to be careful about heating your must before fermentation as this could cause pectins in the juice to "open" and congeal. I've used campden successfully, and never noticed any foul odor or taste from it.

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That's what pectic enzyme is for!! You're not supposed to boil but just keep it around 170 for like 45 minutes. Works great!

I didnt heat my juice before fermentation, will that cause an issue?

truck1985 said:

If you have pitched your yeast, yes, Campden is Sodiummetabisulfite in solid form, it will kill your yeast.

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Huge misnomer....campden does not, will not kill yeast. Neither does sorbate. I have added SO2 hundreds of times while ferment in progress and my yeast were fine. (As evidenced by successful Skeeter Pee from said lees, even dry SG lees). When I have a product which already has SO2 on board I usually do not add SO2 until my gravity has dropped by 2/3. Just something I tend to do.
Yeast are aerobic/anaerobic which is why SO2 does not kill yeast, they survive without oxygen. If it were simply a matter of adding SO2 to kill yeast there would be no need for sorbate, benzoate, pasteurization, or sterile filtration by commercial shops.

LeBreton, +1 to you!

Britinusa said:

I didnt heat my juice before fermentation, will that cause an issue?

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brit...if you heat too high, too long you COULD set the pectins and have trouble clearing the cider, but if a clear product is of no concern then it is a mute point. Many of us steam juice our fruit, and it mimics pasteurization.

Britinusa said:

I didnt heat my juice before fermentation, will that cause an issue?

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No. This just to minimize the chances of wild yeast and bacteria competing with the yeast you pitch.