Beginner question –*yeast at bottom of carboy

[mglmrgn]

Hi All,

New to cider making, new to the forum. It was a crazy apple year and I had access to a press so some friends and I made about 25 gallons of juice from what we're led to believe are a good blend for cider.

So far: equipment sanitized and filled, campden tablets added and allowed ~36 hours, yeast (Lalvin EC-1118) pitched after being rehydrated according to instructions – and that was 24 hours ago. I think we're on the right track in theory, but maybe not. I don't have a hydrometer, so no readings have been taken. The thing is... there's no activity in the carboys, and the yeast appears to have all settled to the bottom.

From a bit of reading a lot of people seem to say give it up to 72 hours for fermentation to start, but the lack of activity and settled yeast has me concerned.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

MM

 

[thespiff]

I made my first cider this year, it's currently still fermenting. I did one batch with ale yeast pitched from a 1.5L starter and NO camden treatment. It is almost totally fermented out after 3 weeks, and had good activity within 48 hrs of pitching.

I did one batch with champagne yeast which I added 3lbs of sugar to. This one I treated with Campden and waited 2 days. The first yeast packet I pitched right in, didn't rehydrate. Waited a week, NOTHING happened. Second packet I rehydrated and pitched. Waited another week, started to see some very slow bubbling. another 3 or 4 days and I had a nice steady active ferment. It's still trucking along with an strong ferment at the 3 week mark.

As I understand it, the campden tablets really slow down the yeast reproduction at the beginning of the fermentation. Personally I'd give it almost a full week before I'd pitch more.

 

[bucketnative]

How much yeast did you pitch for 25 gal? If it is a light pitch, then it may take a while longer for fermentation to start. What you see at the bottom may be yeast, but it also maybe other particulate from the must that is settling out.

 

[mglmrgn]

Thanks for the information / advice! For now I'll keep on waiting, but was worried about the sediment at the bottom that looks like yeast...

The 25g are split between 5g carboys, so they each got a packet of rehydrated yeast. For what it's worth, the temperature is kept somewhere between 60-70F.

 

[RugenBrau]

Give it more time. Usually it will start by that time but many factors are involved. Just curious... How much Campden did you add?
I usually add 1/2 the recommended dosage and have never had a problem

You really need a hydrometer to know what is going on in there!

 

[mglmrgn]

So far doesn't look like much is happening, maybe a little ring of foam around the top edge that wasn't there yesterday but hard to say? I bake a lot of wild yeast sourdough and have a really vigorous starter so I'm not sure what to compare the action to...

I did one tablet per gallon which seemed to be the most common suggestion I could find. If I do this next year –*which I intend to – I will definitely have a hydrometer!