Apple wine from cider - not warm enough to ferment?

[Prosqtor]

6 gal cider, 2 packets of dc47, but I can't get it over 70 degrees to get primary started. I can't heat my house to that temp and afford to keep it

Location is NE Wisconsin, it's below freezing till March. That means 65 or so inside my drafty house is as good as it gets.

Any suggestions on what to do to get it warm enough to ferment?

 

[acarr160]

I would go to Walmart and grab one of those heat pads for your shoulder or back. You should be able to wrap the bucket or carboy. Set it to lowest setting and watch it. The electric ones.

 

[Prosqtor]

Going to try that - thanks!

Last year I did cider with lager yeast so the temp wasn't such a concern. Learning it's not all the same!

 

[DoctorCAD]

That temp is perfectly fine for yeast. Might be something else...

 

[Prosqtor]

Could it be ph?

 

[SupervisingChildren]

When did you add the yeast? Is it just that it's not bubbling away yet?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Prosqtor]

I first pitched nearly 3 weeks ago. I had some pressure but no airlock bubbles (bulging pail cap), pitched again last week on Monday. Still no bubbles.

 

[SupervisingChildren]

OG and current gravity? Both the same?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Prosqtor]

Yes.

 

[Yooper]

Yes.

If the OG is the same, then the problem isn't the temperature or the yeast. (65 is fine). The cider must have preservatives added to it, and that would inhibit or prohibit fermentation.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

What Yoop said. 65F should be fine unless something is inhibiting the yeast. What are the original and "final" gravities?

 

[Prosqtor]

The label didn't list any preservatives, but I called the orchard and wouldn't you know they use preservatives!

Anyway, this is going nowhere fast. Teaches me not to buy from this (small local) orchard again!

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I read that you can use bread yeast to chew through the preservatives, then use another yeast to ferment. May be something to look up...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app