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Bosun

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Hello all
I'm new to cider making and I have just pressed my first 5 gallons of apple juice using three different types of apples. . After pressing I transferred the juice to a FV (the hydrometer reading was 1052) and added 10 level teaspoons of Sodium Metabisulphate (2 for each gallon) then left it for 24hrs before adding a cider yeast at temp of 22 deg, 48 hrs later there is still no sign of any fermentation......any idea's anyone?
 
How can you tell there is no fermentation?? Do you have it under airlock??
I've just done the same with about 15 litres of pressed apple juice....I was expecting a vigorous ferment but it seems to just plod away at around 20 degrees, you would think it wasn't fermenting as it is very slow through the airlock.
 
Yes, It's got an airlock but there doesn't seam to be any movement at all also have checked inside the FV and it looks pretty stagnant!....I've just read that sometimes it can take up to 48hrs to start fermenting....will let you know tomorrow.
 
I /think/ that's way too much sulphite.
Get loads of oxygen in there by stirring it madly to give the sulphite something to react with so it'll decompose, then try re-pitching in a couple of days, preferably using a proper starter.
 
Bosun said:
Hello all
I'm new to cider making and I have just pressed my first 5 gallons of apple juice using three different types of apples. . After pressing I transferred the juice to a FV (the hydrometer reading was 1052) and added 10 level teaspoons of Sodium Metabisulphate (2 for each gallon) then left it for 24hrs before adding a cider yeast at temp of 22 deg, 48 hrs later there is still no sign of any fermentation......any idea's anyone?
Click to expand...

Sounds like the Sod Met is inhibiting if not killing the yeast. 1 Campden tablet a gallon is enough 2 tsp per gallon sounds too much to me. You have to allow enough time for the free sulphur dioxide to discharge itself. Did you have it under airlock during the 24 hours? If so you may not have left enough time.
 
Also, only a simple idea, but have you checked for a good seal around the fv, if there is a leak , the airlock won't bubble.
 
I'm very inexperienced at this side of things, but I read that the amount of sod met to add should be determined by the pH. I used the equivalent of 2tsp/gal and mine is fermenting okay....albeit slowly.
 
When using fresh fruit to make a wine I always wait for at least 36 hours after the adding sulphite/campden tablets before adding the yeast.The yeast will then have an ideal envoiroment to colonise.
 
The standard rate is 1 Campden tab per gallon, and ISTR the powder is 5 times stronger.
I thought the pH thing was "don't go past this or you'll wreck the acidity levels of your must" but I may have misunderstood.
 
oldbloke said:
I thought the pH thing was "don't go past this or you'll wreck the acidity levels of your must" but I may have misunderstood.
Click to expand...

I read that the pH should be between 3.2 to 3.8.
 
Andrew Lea's recommended range.
Just re-read his page on it and it looks like it's not that the sod met messes with the acidity, it's just how much you want to combine with the acidity to give adequate protection.
Anyway... His max is 3 Campden/gallon for the high end of his pH range, which IIRC is not 2tsp as the OP used, but 0.6tsp
 

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