Raisins in cider

[js82181p]

H All:

Earlier this week I started 7 carboys/buckets of cider, and have seen airlock activity in all of them except one.

The one that seems to have no activity I had added 36 oz of Sun Maid organic raisins to 6 gallons of freshly pressed cider with a packet of Red Star Premier Cuvée yeast direct pitched. The gravity pre raisins was 1.06. I thought last night that perhaps there wasn't a tight seal on the brew bucket, but I took the lid off and put it back on (the same with the airlock) and as of this morning still no luck.

Does anyone have any experience adding Sun Maid Organic raisins, or raisins in general? Maybe I'm just a bit impatient, but after two and a half days I would think that I'd see some sort of airlock activity (unless the raisins had preservatives).

At what point should I repitch?

Thanks,
Jimmy

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Check the exp date on the cuvee packet. What is the ambient temp (average)? Did you just dump the dry yeast into the must? If so, it might take a little extra time for the yeast to take off.

 

[js82181p]

I suspect at this point its not getting a good seal on the lid of the bucket as when I opened it I saw this:

Unfortunately we've been out of power since last Saturday and have just gotten it back last night. As such, it's been pretty cold in the brew room. The pear juice being fermented with Nottingham now looks like this:

It's incredibly clear at the top and seems to be getting more so. Is this what happens during a cold crash, or is it something else? It's been approximately 40-45 degrees from Saturday through yesterday.

Thanks,
Jimmy

 

[js82181p]

Here I am at day 12 and the pear cider now looks like this:

It's very clear and the gravity has dropped from an SG of 1.059 to 1.02. It's still slowly bubbling away, and there are quite a bit of bubbles coming from the glob at the bottom. The temperature is approximately 55 degrees.

Has anyone seen anything like this?

Thanks,
Jimmy

PS, changed the lid on the raisin batch and it's bubbling like crazy!

 

[js82181p]

bump. Still curious as to if anyone can confirm what this glob is...

 

[edmanster]

Looks like the yeast and pulp are having a party did you use a clarifying agent and camden tablets or other sulfites 24hrs before pitching?

 

[LeBreton]

It looks like your loss of power and cold temps led to you cider to being Keeving, which is actually a traditional way of making French cider. Essentially, the pectin in the cider is globing together and falling out of the liquid.

Read more about keeving here --> The Wittenham Hill Cider Pages (scroll down and click on the "keeving - what's that?" link)

Not a bad thing, I would consider it an opportunity.

 

[js82181p]

Ha, party indeed. Yes, used campden tablets immediately after pressing and 24 hours prior to pitching. No clarifying agents.