Apple Cider Melomel - Not Fermenting

[kserey]

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,

 

[WIP]

If I am not mistaken, pasturization won't stop fermentation. It is just a matter of killing of bacteria and wild yeast etc. What you need to worry about is preservitives. I am under the understanding that two days isn't necisarilly enough time to expect fermentation. Maybe it is just a slow start.

 

[kserey]

Hello,
I thought it may be a slow start as well, but I've always seen activity after at least a day. At the minimum, I've always seen some 'krausen' forming. Maybe I should just wait a few more days and not panic. I'm just like a kid on Christmas morning though. The day after I make a batch of something, I always have to sneak a few peeks in.

 

[Yooper]

Can you call the cider mill and ask if they add anything to preserve the cider? Some cider places add sorbate or benzoate if they don't pasteurize.

 

[summersolstice]

Disregard any visual activity and rely only upon your hydrometer. Did you hydrate the D-47 for the proper time and temperature and hopefully with an addition of Go-Ferm? Was the yeast properly stored and still within the expiry date? I made wine and mead for five years without every doing anything other than sprinkling dry yeast on the surface and never had a problem with starting fermentation. You could always try that.

 

[WIP]

Yeah, just wait it out a little longer.

 

[kserey]

I did hydrate the D-47 in warm water. The amount of time may not have been long enough though. As far as the hydrometer goes...after 2 days with no visual signs of fermentation, I did take a reading and it had not changed at all. I am going to let it go for a few more days, and take another reading. I will keep you all posted. thank you for the replies. I have only signed up to be a member today, but I have been reading these posts for months. very informative.

 

[cmore]

I am also a new member fermenting my first batch of melomel (1 gal) using the same recipe. I re-hydrated a half package D-47 in 100 deg water than used the orange juice (pasturized) starter. Being a newbie I have no idea what a finished starter would look like so I pitched it after 2hrs with some minimal activity 1.089 sg. Like a kid on xmas morning with out presents nothing.

I know it's early, just 12 hrs, but I am leaving for 3 days and just have a general bad feel (hench finding this site).

How long can the must sit w/o fermentation before it is a loss?

 

[MartyB]

I've got a small mill in the area that doesn't pasturize, but if you look at the jugs closely, in very small letters "Potassium Sorbate added". And yes, I noticed that after I mixed up a batch and it wasn't going anywhere after a week.