Its been a while but I remember it being slow to develop. If you are not using anything to remove the choloramine/chlorine please give it a try it will change everything. It also only takes an additional 30 seconds in your brew day its a complete game changer. Your LHBS will have them, if not here is a link to amazon. its $6.50 USD for 100 of them, like a said you only need one tablet per 10 gallons. Please give it a try it has made brew day so much easier for me. I don't have to go buy water I just use tap based off my water report, and I don't get that medicinal/plasticy/band-aid flavor anymore.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O9HWI/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_7z75DbEC38698
Lots of water in the US is now treated with chloramine, not chlorine, specifically because it does not evaporate out as easily. Just buy some campden tablets (LHBS or amazon). Use about 1/2 tablet per 10g to remove chlorine and chloramine. https://www.amazon.com/Campden-Tablets-potassium-metabisulfite-100/dp/B0064O9HWI
> spring water
Chloramine as that thing is very hard to get rid off.
It can certainly make it hard for ginger bug to kickstart fermentation, especially if sugar content is low.
I'd still try adding bit more sugar and water to see if that helps.
To be safe for next time you can use distilled water or use campden tablets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O9HWI/
I have made mine with tap water I pre-boiled and left over overnight.
Campden tablets can remove chlorine and are cheap and easily available because they are used by brewers to treat water and kill yeast. One tablet can treat about 10 gallons.
Sorry. Can you give me a picture or a link to the product?
This is what they should be like: https://smile.amazon.com/Campden-Tablets-potassium-metabisulfite-100/dp/B0064O9HWI?sa-no-redirect=1
Buy campden tablets, because you will want to back sweeten the cider. Once you have them, crush two up put them in the FINISHED cider and it kills off all the yeast. Then once you bottle it’ll stay “still” aka “flat”
Edit: here’s what I bought works like a charm: Campden Tablets (potassium metabisulfite) - 100 Tablets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O9HWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_faq8DbXFH71HT