Re: [Cider Workshop] Stuck Fermentation Help

[Andrew Lea]

Can you give a bit more detail, e.g. type of fruit, is it from big old trees and therefore nutrient poor, did you use any nutrient to start, did you add SO2, are you using wild or cultivated yeast, what sort of temperature are you working at etc etc?

In general the pH shouldn’t affect speed of yeast fermentation per se. And an SG drop of 40 points in 20 days is just fine in the normal way. pH can both rise or fall during fermentation depending on the yeast strain. I wouldn’t worry too much about pH adjustment just now if it’s in active fermentation, but if it makes you feel happier you could adjust it if you wish.

Andrew

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Wittenham Hill Cider Page

www.cider.org.uk

On 14 Nov 2023, at 21:12, JC <jen.co...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi, I have cider that has been fermenting for about 19 days now and it hasn't moved much in SG, for a couple days now. It is sitting around 1.020 from 1.060. The pH has increased from 3.56 to 3.85. I am wondering how to get my cider fermenting again or if I just need to be patient. If indeed it is stuck, any suggestions? I have neve experienced this before.

I'm concerned about microbial spoilage if I let it sit too much longer to ferment at a higher pH. I was always taught to adjust pH after fermentation. Can it be adjusted now to bring the pH level down then continue to let it sit to see if it will continue to ferment?

Thanks in advance.

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[Claude Jolicoeur]

In my experience, a cider which is fermenting happily as is the case with yours (drop of 40 points in 19 days, thus making over 200 FSU) will not stop fermenting like that in just a few days. The fermentation will gradually slow down and then stop, but this takes weeks or months, not just a few days.

You also say "it hasn't moved much in SG, for a couple days now" - this is much too short time to diagnose a stuck fermentation. If you'd said a couple of weeks, maybe...

I suspect a manipulatoin error in measurement of SG. Possibly bubbles were stick on the hydrometer?

[terryc...@gmail.com]

I had a similar issue a few months ago, but closer to 1.010. Eventually it was resolved by adding nutrient (DAP) as suggested in both Claude's and Andrew's books because I started to suspect nutrient depletion using apples from old unfertilised trees late in the season (here in Oz we are six months out of whack with the Northern hemisphere). Andrew also replied to the post along similar lines. FYI the post was from @thepgreensoup with replies around the end of October and early November.