Crabby cider not fermenting

[Frannypantsak]

Ok. I started 4 batches of crabapple cider.
#1 fresh picked/juiced with in 24 hours. 100% crabby
#2 juiced about 4 days after picking. 100% crabby
#3 & #4 were 50% crabby (combo of both harvestings) and 50% store bought juice for mixed flavor batches (one cranberry, one pomegranate)
Not my first rodeo on any of the above and did everything the same, same time for all 4 batches. #1 is the only 6gal, rest are 5gal. More of all of the above for #1 to compensate for the extra gal.
Capden tabs in, wait 24 hours+. Added pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient. Added honey. Added wyeast liquid yeast, slap packs, cider & meade. One pack each carboy.
A couple things here. Not 100% how long the slap packs sat before i put em in (might have had a few drinks after i popped em..) but all were bloaty and bubbling audibly. Honey was crystalized the majority of the bucket and had to be microwaved to warm up and reliquify.
24 hrs: #3 & #4 bubbling away as expected, #1 & #2 nothing.
48 hrs: #3 & #4 bubbling away as expected, #2 slow bubbles, #1 nothing
72 hrs: #3 & #4 bubbling away as expected, #2 slow, #1 nothing. Stirred up 1 & 2.
24 after that #2 going strong. #1 still nothing.
Next day/yesterday i grabbed another pack of the same yeast. Sat out 4+ hiurs before pitching in plus added more yeast nutrient to #1. Still nada 24 hours later.
Here is where i am. How do i fix this..?? 3/4 are doing great. This one stubborn crabby batch though. Considering making a starter with store bought apple juice and pitching that in tomorrow, if nothing happens by morning. Other suggestions? Should i be concerned with throwing in 3 packs of yeast???

 

[RPh_Guy]

Are you checking s.g. to verify it's not fermenting?

Might be some issue with the campden and/or acidity...

Did you check pH?
How much campden? What size tablets? Potassium vs sodium? You crushed the tablets?
Did you aerate? When and how?
What sort of vessel is it in and how is it sealed?

Nothing different about the problem batch besides it being 6 gal? Same temperature?

 

[madscientist451]

Rack #3 or #4 cider out to a bucket, (unless you have an extra carboy) leave 1" of yeast and lees in the bottom , then use a large funnel and DUMP the "problem" cider on to the yeast in carboy #3 or #4. You want to dump it in to provide some aeration. The cider should kick off pretty soon. Rack the cider from the bucket into the carboy you just dumped, it should carry on without any issues.

 

[dmf38]

I recently made some crabapple cider and used some yeast energizer in addition to the yeast nutrient. That did the trick. And make sure you're keeping it at the correct temperature for your different types of yeast.

 

[Frannypantsak]

Ok. I started 4 batches of crabapple cider.
#1 fresh picked/juiced with in 24 hours. 100% crabby
#2 juiced about 4 days after picking. 100% crabby
#3 & #4 were 50% crabby (combo of both harvestings) and 50% store bought juice for mixed flavor batches (one cranberry, one pomegranate)
Not my first rodeo on any of the above and did everything the same, same time for all 4 batches. #1 is the only 6gal, rest are 5gal. More of all of the above for #1 to compensate for the extra gal.
Capden tabs in, wait 24 hours+. Added pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient. Added honey. Added wyeast liquid yeast, slap packs, cider & meade. One pack each carboy.
A couple things here. Not 100% how long the slap packs sat before i put em in (might have had a few drinks after i popped em..) but all were bloaty and bubbling audibly. Honey was crystalized the majority of the bucket and had to be microwaved to warm up and reliquify.
24 hrs: #3 & #4 bubbling away as expected, #1 & #2 nothing.
48 hrs: #3 & #4 bubbling away as expected, #2 slow bubbles, #1 nothing
72 hrs: #3 & #4 bubbling away as expected, #2 slow, #1 nothing. Stirred up 1 & 2.
24 after that #2 going strong. #1 still nothing.
Next day/yesterday i grabbed another pack of the same yeast. Sat out 4+ hiurs before pitching in plus added more yeast nutrient to #1. Still nada 24 hours later.
Here is where i am. How do i fix this..?? 3/4 are doing great. This one stubborn crabby batch though. Considering making a starter with store bought apple juice and pitching that in tomorrow, if nothing happens by morning. Other suggestions? Should i be concerned with throwing in 3 packs of yeast???

So.. an update:
I don't have a way to test ph other than strios and with the color of the cider, i am not confident i am getting an accurate reading. Ordered a digital one, will be here tomorrow. No good for now.

Left everything over last weekend whileni was out of town and nothing happened. Checked my spec gravity, sugars, etc and no change.
Stirred up with my syphon rod and blew air into it. Left for another couple days with no changes.
Couple days ago i decided to add in a bottle of store bought juice I use in off season to make cider and immediately it started bubbling after aggitation and fermenting as expected.
Been going well for a couple days now and expect it should finish off fine.
Thanks for the ideas, if i hadn't just started all of em, adding in some of the lees from the other batches would have been a good option but they haven't rested long enough for me to want to do that quite yet.