First apple wine batch won't ferment

Hello all,
New to brewing so bear with me. I've been searching on why I'm not able to get this batch to ferment and can't find a solution. I am guessing I'll just have to repitch yeast again. BUT, in the case my recipe is off here is what I did.

2 gallons Musselman's 100% apple juice

2 pounds of corn sugar

2 tsp of Acid Blend

1 tsp of Pectic Enzyme

1/2 tsp of Tannin

1 tsp of Nutrient

2 crushed Campden tablet

1.085 SG

I let that sit for 24 hours before adding in the champagne yeast. The process I did for the yeast is warm some water to 105F. Poured the yeast in 1/4c of the warm water. Gave it a little stir, not too much. It started foaming up after 10 minutes. I gave the bucket a gentle stir and pour the yeast right in the middle. 12 hours later I have no activity, no bubbles at all.

Should I just try to repitch more yeast today? Was something off on my recipe? Should I have to top of the bucket open? I took it right out of the book I got with my wine making kit for one gallon and just doubled it for the two gallons.

Sometimes it takes a couple days or more before activity really starts up. Hang in there and see what it looks like tomorrow.

nebben said:

Sometimes it takes a couple days or more before activity really starts up. Hang in there and see what it looks like tomorrow.

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Will do. I guess with some of the threads I've read that people were seeing activity in a few hours.

iadubber said:

Will do. I guess with some of the threads I've read that people were seeing activity in a few hours.

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Yeah, it can be hours or days. Also, sometimes there isn't a lot of airlock activity (not a tight seal, or plenty of head space), but fermentation is occurring. The only way to know for sure is to take a second gravity reading. Having said that, unless you are degassing, I wouldn't mess with it for a few days, just RDWHAHB and test it after a week to 10 days or so.

If you put the campden tabs in before pitching yeast, it may be killing your yeast right off the bat.

I'm not familiar with the juice you are using. Did you check to make sure it had no potassium sorbate or potassium benzoate? If it has either one of those things than it won't ferment (well there are ways to get around this but it's a lot of work).

WIP said:

If you put the campden tabs in before pitching yeast, it may be killing your yeast right off the bat.

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I can see from your sig, you obviously have more experience than I, but it was my understanding campden tablets will not kill yeast, but will make it inhospitable for them. The last wine I brewed called for 5 crushed tablets 24 hours before pitching the yeast. It was a pretty sluggish fermentation but that's what the recipe said.

Recipe OK. Yeasts can be delicate and be shocked by too warm or too cold temperature. Temp. should be in the 65-75 deg. range. If you waited 24 hours after Campden tablets added - should be fine. Bucket covered w/ airlock. Good point made above about the juice - check the ingredients.

SzWinemmkr said:

Recipe OK. Yeasts can be delicate and be shocked by too warm or too cold temperature. Temp. should be in the 65-75 deg. range. If you waited 24 hours after Campden tablets added - should be fine. Bucket covered w/ airlock. Good point made above about the juice - check the ingredients.

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Our home is never less than 65. And is 70 most of the time we are home. I did wait 24 hours after the Campden tabs. The juice is 100% with just vit c added.

Wyrmwood said:

I can see from your sig, you obviously have more experience than I, but it was my understanding campden tablets will not kill yeast, but will make it inhospitable for them. The last wine I brewed called for 5 crushed tablets 24 hours before pitching the yeast. It was a pretty sluggish fermentation but that's what the recipe said.

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Yep, I was just following the recipe I have that called for one tab per gallon.

Pivovar_Koucky said:

I'm not familiar with the juice you are using. Did you check to make sure it had no potassium sorbate or potassium benzoate? If it has either one of those things than it won't ferment (well there are ways to get around this but it's a lot of work).

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Yes I checked.

Wyrmwood said:

Yeah, it can be hours or days. Also, sometimes there isn't a lot of airlock activity (not a tight seal, or plenty of head space), but fermentation is occurring. The only way to know for sure is to take a second gravity reading. Having said that, unless you are degassing, I wouldn't mess with it for a few days, just RDWHAHB and test it after a week to 10 days or so.

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I did a stir lastnight and it was fizzy so it's going, albeit slow. I'll let it go a few more days and check the gravity again. I don't have a tight lid right now. I think that helped it start to get going. I just have the lid sitting on there and a towel over that.

Thanks for all the help!