Fermentation not starting

[cottonwoodks]

This is the last batch of cider for the year, and after many hot months, it's suddenly quite cold, 58F in the building where the cider is. I have my last 5.5 gallons in a carboy, 5 campden tablets sitting for 24 hours, then pitching the yeast, and then.....nothing. It's been over 48 hours and absolutely nothing is happening. I'm using Premier Blanc yeast, but it was less than a whole packet (because I used a little bit for a gallon of pineapple cherry wine), and I made a starter, but then didn't let it sit long enough before dumping it into the rest of the cider, and it wasn't foaming yet. I guess now that I think about it, it took a while for the pineapple wine to start fermenting too, and it was a lot warmer last week. Do I need to put more yeast in there? Is it too cold? How long do I wait?

 

[Farside]

Whenever I've had problems starting a fermentation it has always been because of too much SO2.

Best wait a few days before repitching.

 

[cottonwoodks]

Well...it got itself going after a couple more days.....

 

[lurker18]

My first ever batch and I am getting the same thing so I am not sure where to turn. Juice was from a cidery, 1.048 SG, can't recall the pH. Campden tabs for 20 hours, then pectin for 12 hours, pitched S-04, no starter. Waited 48 hours in the basement, temp in the fermenter was about 16C, low end for S-04, but still in the range. No activity at all. Brought it upstairs where it is about 19C, added yeast nutrients and a shake of the carboy. The next morning there was very small accumulation of bubbles on the surface, but not what I would say is anything really going. It is getting on to 4 days since pitching nd if there is nothing when I get home from work, what would be the next step? Hopefully this can be saved as I did not go with the store bought juice to do my first batch, so there is a bit of cash dumped into this one already.

 

[Farside]

It'll be the Camden tablets.
FWIW I press juice from windfall apples that have dirt on them. Then they sit in the garage for a week or so before pressing.

Then if I'm using pectin enzyme the juice sits for 24 hours before I pitch yeast and I never use sulphites.

I use cool temperatures and high yeast pitching rates to counteract infection threats and have never had any problems since I started this practice.

The only times I have ever had problems starting a fermentation is when I've added sulphite at the beginning.

 

[Farside]

I recommend that you try not to stress out too much, wait another 48 hours, then aerate the juice and repitch a yeast starter made 48 hours earlier with sugar some nutrient and about a quart of water.

 

[lurker18]

It has been a bit, but here is what happened. As if the yeast knew I was threatening them, they took off. I stopped and picked up 2 packs of yeast for this, and when I got home there was some activity, so I let it go. The next morning is was bubbling away just fine. Full 5 or 6 days of very active bubbling that has now slowed, almost stopped. Pitched on Dec 1 and am going to be checking the hydrometer this weekend, crashing, racking, sulfites, add more cherry juice, tannins, keg and carb. Hopefully be ready by Christmas.