Cider stalled - Any advice please ?

[gdwhitaker]

Hello folks,

1st time poster on here as having a problem with one of my batches of cider. I have done 3 batches (25litres each). Each from a variety of apples which I add a cider yeast to and leave by my wood stove. 2 batches are fine are are ready for 2nd ferment but one batch seems to have stalled. It started a little ferment but has then ceased. I have racked it and added another batch of yeast but still no further fermentation seems to be occurring. It airlocked and the gravity reads 1.30 when I use my hydro-metre. It tastes very sweet but nothing seems to be happening. My options as I see them are as follows:

- add more yeast (i have a sparkling wine/champagne) ??

- add yeast nutrients??

- mix this sweet batch (25l) with the 2 ok batches (50l) and hope that the sugar starts a secondary fermentation??

- juice a new batch of 25l and mix the stalled batch to that to see if it will start again ??

Any help or advice greatly received. thanks.

 

[GB2014]

I am having a similar problem except in my case one of my FVs has never started fermenting although everything was identical to the one that did.

You didn't mention adding metabisulphite, if you did is it possible you added too much and need to dissipate it,

Doesn't sound like the temperature could be too low, the advice I found was add a 3 pint starter mixture. Also check the SG over time to be sure it's not falling.

 

[Bramble]

I don't think I can help you either but all I can do is to repeat myself from earlier post.
The apples juice I pressed this year had nothing added, within 24 hours all the juice started fermenting without any help from me. All I did was to pulp the apples in a food processer put under a press and collect the juice then nature did the rest, I didn't even wash the apples first, everything went into the mix stalks the odd leaf grubs if there were any the lot..

 

[user 4004]

I don't think I can help you either but all I can do is to repeat myself from earlier post.
The apples juice I pressed this year had nothing added, within 24 hours all the juice started fermenting without any help from me. All I did was to pulp the apples in a food processer put under a press and collect the juice then nature did the rest, I didn't even wash the apples first, everything went into the mix stalks the odd leaf grubs if there were any the lot..

+1 on this, I do add yeast in the form of a culture I have had going for a few years, but that is besides the point.

If you have the means to I would add the troublesome one with one of the ones that are working or maybe just swap the odd 5l from one barrel to the other, the working one will just consume the sugar from the new juice, and there should be enough active yeast in the working juice to kick start the other.
Maybe give the stalled barrel a gentle slosh, enough to break the surface when the fresh juice/culture has been added, just to make sure there is enough oxygen in the juice.
If I have a barrel that does not appear to be working some times, I just give that a shake and it seems to come to life with quite some vigor.