Cider ferm fell off

[NerdrageIMO]

Hello

I started a 6 gallon batch of cider on 7/7/16. Approx 11-12 weeks ago. The OG was around 1.065, so the abv would have landed around 8.5%. At about a month, I took gravity readings and the batch had zeroed out at 0.990 to 1.000.

So, I added brown sugar and a couple cans of apple concentrate.
The apple concentrate is just concentrated apple juice and vitamin C.
The brown sugar is something I add to all my ferms to add flavor and strengthen.

The reading was around 1.040 after this and hasn't changed since.

I pitched new yeast around a week ago and the gravity still hasn't changed.

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The yeast I used was ec-1118, both times.

there were no sorbates or potassiums added.

any insight would be appreciated.

 

[CKuhns]

First I would wait it out for a few more days to a week.

Second - I would try bumping up the temp 3 - 4 Deg F.

Then I would Check pH and adjust if out of the ranges mentioned below.
Most juice is in the range of 2.9 to 5.2 pH at the very most we are looking for a juice that fits within the 3.2 to 3.8 pH range. You need to adjust our pH up to 3.2 or down to 3.8.

Adjusting your pH UP
DON’T DO ANYTHING! Low pH means that you have a high acid level. The gist of it is that acids protect your cider from spoilage microbes and have a converse relationship with pH. If one goes up the other goes down. During the fermentation process and during the mellowing period the acid levels will naturally go DOWN and your pH will go UP.

Adjusting your pH DOWN
Use Malic Acid. Malic acid is the best acid to add as it is an apples’ natural acid. This is a much better choice than using citric acid or Calcium Carbonate. Try your best to get in the middle of the range above.

 

[bernardsmith]

I would recheck the concentrate to see if there was in fact no preservatives added. A week after adding fermentables seems to me to be a long time for the yeast to have been unable to find the sugar. Sounds to me as if there is something inhibiting their activity.