Acid stressing yeast?

[Shutteringfocus]

I have a batch that had some bad sulfur smell develop. Here are the details:

Musselman's Cider from Walmart - 1 gal.
2oz Brown Sugar
7oz Honey
Squirt of Lemon juice
Pectin Enzyme
Safale US-05 Yeast

OG: 1.060

Fermented for 12 days at 52 F.

SG: 1.032

Had what I would call a very strong sulfur smell.

I did some research and tried some things. I racked it over a copper pipe. Degassed until I couldn't smell the sulfur. I added some boiled raisins as a nutrient thinking maybe that is why the yeast might have been stressed. I also repitched some yeast.

Question is, could it have been the lemon juice that threw things off? It was maybe 2-3 tablespoons in the gallon.

If not the lemon, any other ideas why the Sulfur? Cold ferment temp?

Just want to avoid in the future.

Thanks

 

[ColoHox]

A cool fermentation temperature could contribute to H2S formation. I would guess the low nitrogen (nutrient) environment was more of a factor.

Apple juice and honey have far less soluble nitrogen compared to beer wort, so nutrients are usually required for a clean fermentation. I would guess that the temperature and low nutrient content is why you have only dropped 0.030 gravity points in 12 days. Those ingredients should make for a much dryer cider.

I would let your cider sit for a while to see if you have been able to ameliorate this batch.

 

[Shutteringfocus]

This trick worked perfectly. No sulfur smell. And after 3 days we are down to 1.01.

Next time I'll use the nutrients from the start.