4 days into fermentation, no activity

Seeing as how I've been brewing for a long time and I don't think I really screwed anything up, I think I am a victim of a misrepresented product, I'm suspecting that the Giant brand apple juice contains preservatives and is not listing them, the ingredients are only the apple juice and ascorbic acid.

Tossed in two brand new packets of S04, they were bubbling like crazy when I rehydrated them so I know they are good.

Has this happened around here before?

And I'm saying no activity which means : the gravity hasn't changed, no krausen, no bubbling, nothing on the surface at all, my OG was 1.065, it is still 1.065. It's been in the chamber at 64 degrees.

What's your fermentation temperature? How big a batch? Could you raise the temp and see if that helps?

I'd be really surprised if they didn't list preservatives in the ingredients since some people are sensitive to them...

SEABrewer said:

What's your fermentation temperature? How big a batch? Could you raise the temp and see if that helps?

I'd be really surprised if they didn't list preservatives in the ingredients since some people are sensitive to them...

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64-66 degrees. 5 gallons. i put it in my bedroom (72 degrees) last night. still nothing.

Could be lack of nutrients/insufficient aeration?

I've used store brand juice from Kroger, Wal Mart and Target- it's all cheap stuff, but it all ferments for me.

I agree with SEAbrewer. If they included preservatives and didn't list them the FDA would jump on that pretty quickly. They would have to be listed.

S04 is a very active ale yeast and 72º should be more than warm enough to kick things off. I wish I had some advice for you, but a little more time is all I can think of other than pitching something vigorous like 1118.

Obviously it's impossible to tell for sure, but I suspect you might be right about preservatives. It's not like companies never violate the FDA rules. You pitched a very active yeast, already started, into a bath of pure yeast food (apple sugars, 100% fermentable) at ideal yeast temps and it didn't go. Something is poisoning them or putting them to sleep. Unless you used a sanitizer/sterilizer that is somehow inhibiting growth, I can't see what else would explain it.

For your info, its never a 100% perfect list. Its like 95% correct which is compliant with their standards. You should see what amount of animal droppings are allowed.

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