Cider batch not starting fermentation

[Engwar]

Hi, working on my first batch of cider.

Pressed the apples myself last Saturday from a blend of varieties from my in-laws farm. Added 2 teaspoons of metassulfite to a container with 25L and reserved this for cider. The rest went into bottles and other containers for drinking, without sulfites added.

I left the container open with a cloth covering the screw cap hole for about 48h (this was Monday evening). Sterilised a fermentation bucket and all the utilities and transferred the juice there. Added 3 spoons pectolase and waited 4 hours.

Measured 1.040 gravity and ph 2.95. Added 500gr sugar and 1L water for a final gravity of 1.045. Finally rehydrated 11g Nottingham ale yeast together with 4g fermaid K and tossed it in the bucket.

On Friday no visible CO2 bubbles were seen so I got another yeast packet and tossed it in after rehydrating.

When pressing the bucket lid bubbles show in the water trap, so I'm sure there are no leaks in the system. Could the ph be too low? Can I still salvage this somehow?

Thanks for the help

 

[MattH1973]

a few thoughts:

1 - do a hydrometer test after 2-3 weeks - thats the only way to know for sure whether anything is happening. I have had batches show no airlock action at all, but still magically fermented somehow

2 - i have never tried ale yeast in cider. Everything I have read suggests cider or champagne yeast is better. If the hydrometer test shows no action then use that, with some nutrient

3 - I am not sure whether acidity suppresses yeast but you can reduce it with some precipated chalk - it certainly wont do any hard as that pH is quite low.

But dont give up - if the juice has produced even a jot of CO2 then it will sit above the cider and preserve it....the sulphites amd acidity will also help in that regard.... so I hope you will be fine.....

 

[Cwrw666]

I've had trouble getting cider to ferment after using campden tablets to kill any bugs. The instructions say 24 hours before pitching yeast but I've then had it take nearly a week to get going.
So this year I thought why not pasteurise it instead. Added the juice to my 30L boiler and set the thermostat to just over 150F. Have to say I took my eye off the ball and it got up to 180. The juice had a distinct cooked apple smell and flavour but I went ahead and fermented it anyway. Happy to say the cooked flavour had completely gone at bottling time. Phew, wipes sweat from brow. Think I might have gotten away with it.

BTW I've used ale yeast in turbo cider before. It works ok. Stops fermenting at a higher FG than cider yeast, but you don't get as good an appley taste as you do with proper cider yeast. Wine yeast is even worse.

 

[Cwrw666]

BTW the best way to reduce acidity is to only use apples that are from the tree and not windfalls. Put them in a bucket and leave for a few weeks. The acidity falls and sweetness increases.
All my apple trees are either cookers or cider varieties so I mix the juice with apple juice from Tescos which is mostly dessert apples. Gives a better balance to the cider and less acidity too.