I just started my first batch of hard cider and I'm hoping to get some advice here as I'm having trouble right out of the gate.
I'm using 5 gallons of unpreserved, unpasteurized cider that I picked up at the local orchard. I also used a package of Wyeast #3766 cider yeast.
First, I sanitized everything with a dilute bleach solution and rinsed with hot water until all traces of the bleach smell were gone. I let the cider come to room temperature and added it to the carboy, making sure to aerate well. I smacked the yeast packet and let it incubate 3 hours per the instructions. I added it to the cider and put the airlock on after shaking the whole thing vigourously.
So here's the problem. I checked on my brew after 24 hours and there is no activity, no bubbling at all. Plus, I noticed a solid layer at the bottom of the carboy. I am assuming I did something wrong. It is my understanding that the yeast is supposed to stay dissolved in solution until it does its job (1-2 weeks?), then it dies and falls to the bottom. So either the primary fermentation finished in under 24 hours (unlikely), or I screwed up somewhere along the line.
Please help!
-John
I'm using 5 gallons of unpreserved, unpasteurized cider that I picked up at the local orchard. I also used a package of Wyeast #3766 cider yeast.
First, I sanitized everything with a dilute bleach solution and rinsed with hot water until all traces of the bleach smell were gone. I let the cider come to room temperature and added it to the carboy, making sure to aerate well. I smacked the yeast packet and let it incubate 3 hours per the instructions. I added it to the cider and put the airlock on after shaking the whole thing vigourously.
So here's the problem. I checked on my brew after 24 hours and there is no activity, no bubbling at all. Plus, I noticed a solid layer at the bottom of the carboy. I am assuming I did something wrong. It is my understanding that the yeast is supposed to stay dissolved in solution until it does its job (1-2 weeks?), then it dies and falls to the bottom. So either the primary fermentation finished in under 24 hours (unlikely), or I screwed up somewhere along the line.
Please help!
-John
