Hello all,
I appreciate any help that anyone can give me. I have been homebrewing beer for 5 years, meads and wines for almost 2 years. However, my latest batch has got me stumped. I am making an apple cider melomel (roughly from a recipe out of Making wild wines and meads). It includes 3 gallons of apple cider, 9 lbs. of clover honey, and yeast. I added the honey to the 3 gallons of unpasteurized apple cider and aerated. It had a starting gravity of 1.112. I then added champagne yeast. After two days of nothing happening, I got nervous and took another hydrometer reading. No difference. I then pitched in some Lavlin D-47. The champagne yeast was pitched after making a starter. the D-47 was pitched after hydrating in warm water. 2 days later...no signs of fermentation. The temperature is where it needs to be, and I have never had a problem in the past. Not sure what my next step is.
Question 1- I assume it is possible that the cider WAS pasteurized, however, I bought it at a farmers market and was assured that it was unpasteurized. If it is pasteurized, can I still use it, or did I just waste a batch?
Question 2 - Any other advice of what to do is appreciated. How do I start this batch fermenting?
Thanks,
I appreciate any help that anyone can give me. I have been homebrewing beer for 5 years, meads and wines for almost 2 years. However, my latest batch has got me stumped. I am making an apple cider melomel (roughly from a recipe out of Making wild wines and meads). It includes 3 gallons of apple cider, 9 lbs. of clover honey, and yeast. I added the honey to the 3 gallons of unpasteurized apple cider and aerated. It had a starting gravity of 1.112. I then added champagne yeast. After two days of nothing happening, I got nervous and took another hydrometer reading. No difference. I then pitched in some Lavlin D-47. The champagne yeast was pitched after making a starter. the D-47 was pitched after hydrating in warm water. 2 days later...no signs of fermentation. The temperature is where it needs to be, and I have never had a problem in the past. Not sure what my next step is.
Question 1- I assume it is possible that the cider WAS pasteurized, however, I bought it at a farmers market and was assured that it was unpasteurized. If it is pasteurized, can I still use it, or did I just waste a batch?
Question 2 - Any other advice of what to do is appreciated. How do I start this batch fermenting?
Thanks,