What SHOULD it look like?

[harriw]

Hey guys (and gals),

This is an extremely silly question for most of you I know, but I just pitched my first batch of cider last night, and I'm wondering what it's SUPPOSED to look like once the yeasties take off? I saw the "post your infection" thread - is there anything similar that shows what it SHOULD look like? I also saw the "don't panic if it hasn't started yet" thread so I'm not panicing... Just wondering what it's supposed to start doing soon...

Just for reference, I've got 5.5 gal. of cider, w/ 2 lbs of light brown sugar, and pitched in S-04 last night, about 19 hours ago. No starter or anything, but I took it out of the fridge an hour or so before to let it warm to room temp. Cider was at 60 deg. F when I pitched, and is currently around 64 deg. F.

Right now, I do get a single bubble out of the airlock every once in a while, and there are some very tiny little bubbles forming in the center of the surface - a ring about 3-4 inches in diameter. I don't actually see any bubbles forming, or bubbling or anything - it's just there.

Thanks a lot guys! You've been ton of help already!

-Bill

 

[likwidbliss]

Give it time my friend. BTW 19 miles west of Rochester. I make apple cider into wine and the yeast will take off and look light brown. A bubbling mess but the benefits make it worth it.

I doubt it is infected. I have never had an infected batch of wine or beer. I did however taste a peach wine that is a great vinegar. I am amazed how yeast ferment, globs of chunkies in the fermenter. Really who thought that spoiling juice and wort would amount to a wonderful concoction of bliss, not to mention all the new friends that want beer and wine.

 

[Revvy]

WHen ever it begins to take off it will look something like this inside your bucket...



Actually this is even cooler, this is time lapse of the whole process



It also shows how no two fermentations are ever the same.....

Just relax, it is really hard for your beer/wine or cider to get infected......

 

[harriw]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll try to be patient....

BTW, just East of Rochester in Penfield.

Thanks again!

-Bill

 

[harriw]

Hey guys,

Well, I'm coming up on 72 hours (about 2 hours to go), and it still hasn't "taken off" - just a ring of tiny bubbles about 4-5" in diameter in the center of the surface.

I'll take a hydrometer reading tonight to make sure it's not just a "tame" fermentation, but we assume for a minute that that's not the case, where should I go from here? This is cider, by the way...

Should I toss in some yeast nutrient to see if that sparks anything? Or skip over that and just re-pitch another packet of S-04, maybe with a starter this time? What about shaking it up to aerate it some more? I'm afraid that will oxidize it though...

Any thoughts? Thanks a ton!

-Bill

 

[likwidbliss]

I just made a Pilsner and It was nearly 72 hours to the hour before fermentation began. It is a liquid yeast, Budvar from White labs. I didn't make a starter. This is first for me. Most of my yeasts take off in a day or two. The oatmeal stout I made that same day started in about 5 hours after I made a starter. I didn't realize that starters were necessary for liquid yeast.. We live, we learn, we drink beer!

 

[harriw]

OK, guess I'm not in trouble yet then... I opened it up and took a few hydrometer readings. SG is actually a tad HIGHER than the 1.060 I measured just before pitching 3 days ago. All I can figure is that the sugar wasn't quite stirred in completely? Anyway, I re-sanitized the airlock when done and popped it back on (with vodka in it this time - nice trick). Also jogged it around a bit during all this, and decided to bring it in from the garage for a bit (it felt awfully cold, even though the thermometer read 62-64ish). It's in the 70 deg. Kitchen now, and I think I actually see a bit more air lock activity now. Maybe it's finally starting to take off...

By the way, I got a few good whiffs of it while taking the hydrometer readings. This stuff smells INCREDIBLE!!!!!!! Smelled like a sweet, sweet apple wine almost... My Dad always says (regular) apple cider always tastes best JUST before it starts to turn. I think he's right.