Clumps of pectin inhibiting yeast?

[mikerlynch26]

Hey all, so this is the first time I've used pectic enzyme in a cider, and I think there may be an issue with the clumps of pectin goo and the yeast.

I have two gallons of cider, one an apple peach mango juice and the other a plain apple juice. The peach mango was pretty cloudy, so I dumped in a 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme and waited a little over an hour before pitching yeast (per label instructions). I used 1/2 tsp yeast energizer in both, and one packet of 71b in both. I pitched them at a cool 50-55 degrees (current temp of my basement).

After about 12 hours the plain apple juice was slowly but surely fermenting, but there was no activity in the peach mango. After 24 hours I moved the peach mango upstairs into 65-68 degrees to help it along. This morning I checked and there are a few little bubbles, more activity than before but still less than the plain apple juice.

There are a lot of floating clumps of goo from the pectic enzyme doing its thing, and there's a good layer of it on the bottom. I swirled things up to loosen it, but do you think the solidified pectin is binding up and inhibiting the bottom-fermenting yeast? Anyone have experience with this?

**edit** Yes, I did check both juices for preservatives, both just had citric acid, nothing else.

 

[BeeDeeEff]

I've had a few of my ferments have a delay before bubbling for no discernible reason and finish out fine. Are you still getting little activity out of the one? Also, by yeast energizer, are you using that synonymously with yeast nutrient? if not did you add any yeast nutrient?

 

[mikerlynch26]

No, it's yeast energizer for sure, I got it without realizing that it and nutrient are two different things.

I brought the cider upstairs where it was about 65, shook it real good and left it for a few days, and it took off. I've moved it back down into 50-55. Now there aren't the clumps of pectin goo there were before, it all got broken up between shaking and (finally) active yeast. I've also read that pectic enzyme needs a 12 hour working period, and I only gave it an hour, so not sure if that's part of it either.

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