Should I add more yeast?

I recently started off a new batch of cider and Ive the feeling that I may have used the wrong/not enough yeast for it and so Im wondering should I re-pitch with another yeast.

To get down to specifics I started off a batch with ~25 litres of apple juice, 1kg of muscavado sugar and ~300g of wildflower honey. Initially I added all of the above and five crushed campden tablets to kill any wild yeasts. I pitched the yeast around 32 hours later. I used one 11g sachet of danstar nottingham beer yeast (as I had it sitting around) and rehydrated prior to pitching. I also added ~2 teaspoons of yeast nutrient. Prior to pitching I took a hydrometer reading and I think it was 0.62 (first time using a hydrometer and Im not entirely sure how to read it). That seems like a pretty high reading and its been three days and Ive seen no action from the airlock. Should I re-pitch with a wine/champagne yeast?


As a tangential question, how far into the bung should the end of the airlock be?

Do another hydrometer reading and see if your gravity has dropped any. If not, you may want to pitch more yeast. More likely than not you've got CO2 leaking out from somewhere other than the airlock.

I probably end up sticking the airlock about half way in.

I'd just leave it alone & wait. Sometimes it takes as long as a couple days to see any action from the yeast, but you can bet it's doing just what it should. Just to be on the safe side though, you might want to check the label(s) of your juice & verify there are no preservatives other than vitamin C (ascorbic acid). I did a cider with Nottingham yeast & it took about 36 hrs or so before I got any bubbles in the airlock, but it did get going & it's just fine.

As for how far into the bung to push the airlock shaft: I push mine in till the tip is just barely past the surface of the underside of the bung. This keeps it secure & gives it a good seal. I think the rule of thumb is: if it works, don't fix it. Regards, GF.