Newbie with stuck fermentation?

[cojmh]

Hi all,

New to the forum and been searching for a while to see if I can find a solution to the problem I am having, but there seem to be a few variables so I thought I would simply say what I have done and see if there is any advice.

Most of the information I have used is based on the book River Cottage: Booze ....

I have juiced (with a juicer) tree picked apples from my allotment and ended up with around 25 litres of apple juice (a mixture of cookers and eaters). I sterilized everything (including the juicer) with a campden tablet mixture (5 tablets in warm water) and because my juicer is quite small, I did this over 3 days in batches to not burn out the juicer! I sterilised everything for each batch and after each session of juicing (which was done separately from the main batch I was accumulating) I strained the juice to remove any small debris and the scum that accumulated on the top of the juice and added the recommended number of crushed campden tablets - which was 3 tablets per gallon based on a pH of 3.6.

The juice was then added to the main batch and stored in a sealed fermenting bucket with airlock until I had finished juicing all of the apples.

Once all of the apples were done, all had the crushed campden tablets added and all put into one large fermenting bucket I waited for 24 hours (fermenting bucket was sealed with airlock) to allow the campden tablets to dissipate.

I measured the SG at 1.042 and according to the book this was low - I read a little online and people were recommending at least 1.045 and better to be 1.050 plus. As I am a bee keeper too, I decided to add some of my own honey to the mix and brought it up to 1.050

From the information I read online an original SG of less than 1.045 could result in low alcohol cider - low enough that it will not prevent the eventual cider from going off.

I then rehydrated the yeast (Lalvin EC-1118) in 50ml of warm water (37 degrees C - measured) and waited the 20 mins recommended before putting into the apple juice (which was at room temperature - 20 degrees C). Sealed everything and waited (I did not stir the juice to aerate it - potentially a mistake).

I waited about 5 days and nothing happened. SG has stayed the same. I quickly tasted the juice and it still tasted fine.

So I rehydrate another pack exactly the same as above but at 36 degrees C instead and I add a little castor sugar and observed closely and yeast definitely started and created the foam of bubbles that expanded at the top of the container holding the mixture.

So I added this to the juice again and left it.

About 2 hours later I realised I had forgotten to give the juice a good stir, so I did this in the hope that this would correct any aeration problems if there were any.

It has now been another 24 hours and I have just tested the juice again - tastes fine, SG is exactly the same at about 1.050 and there is no sign of activity.

I really don't know what I have done wrong and more importantly what to do to get it going properly. something else to mention is the temperature of the room is pretty stable - it does not fluctuate by more than about 1 degree C.

My thoughts (for what they are worth)

1. Did I put too many campden tablets in and also prevent them from dissipating due to being a sealed airlock? So effectively this is stopping the yeast from working?

2. Is there something strange happening because I sweetened with honey. honey has antiseptic properties - but I have fermented mead before with no issues?

3. Is it the aeration that is bad and preventing the yeast from working?

4. Is there too big a temperature between the rehydrated yeast and the apple juice (about 16 degrees C)?

5. Is the room I have the fermenting bucket in too warm? I have fermented mead in this room too in the past without issues.

6. Is there something else wrong that I have missed completely?

Any help is welcome

Thanks

 

[dmtaylor]

Way too much Campden. Zero to one tablet per gallon would have been plenty. I think it will still ferment eventually but you might just want to add a couple more packs of yeast to help it along.

Everything else you did looks great.

 

[Blacksmith1]

What he^ said. Also, yeast uses oxygen to reproduce so the act of aerating it didn't hurt it.
Honey and apple juice is a cyser. Very common practice.
the temp difference between your yeast starter and must may have been part of the problem, it may also have been osmotic shock, the difference between the amount of sugar in each.
i have found that slowly adding a bit of must at a time to my starter fixes both issues. I make my starters in 1 quart containers to make sure I have room. About 45 mins to an hr to add, stir, add ,stir, etc.

 

[cojmh]

Thank you for the replies.

So I guess best thing to do is to rehydrate another packet of yeast and add the must to the yeast a bit of a time for about an hour. I guess this will cure the issue of osmotic shock, temperature shock and the act of pouring the must into the yeast will also help with aeration.

In terms of how many packets to rehydrate - I have three packs, should I just use one and go with that, or would it be better to use two or three together to add a lot of yeast in one go?

Thanks

 

[Blacksmith1]

One should do up to 23L according to everything I've seen. With a good starter there should be more than enough from one. I would stir the must up alot before pitching. This will ad O2 and hopefully remove some of the campden. Personally I would aerate it a couple times a day for two or three days then repitch.

 

[cojmh]

Thanks for the swift response.

Can I just check that I have enough time to aerate if for two or three days without the juice going off?

Thanks

 

[Blacksmith1]

The sulfite is protecting it. Once that is gone the yeast will do the job.

 

[Sequoiacider]

Definitely too much campden, looks like three times as much as necessary. You may want to do a "splash rack" before re-pitching. To do this you siphon your juice out of your container into another container. Set the siphon to that it is emptying into the receiving container near the top and is flowing onto the side surface of the container so it spreads out as it goes down the container side. This will aerate the cider, and will also allow more of the Sulfites to be released out of solution, hopefully bringing the sulfite levels down to where your yeast can survive.