Fresh Pressed Cider Slow To Start Fermentation

[Bobo1898]

I typically make cider with store bought pasteurized juice. I add brown sugar to it to up the gravity and pitch cote des blanc with yeast nutrient. I pitch around 60°F, sometimes around 63, and have had very good results with this. I tend to slowly raise the temp over time.

My LHBS does a cider buy every year and I decided to buy 5 gallons to compare to my typical batch. Since the cider was unpasteurized, I added 5 crushed campden tablets and let it sit for 24 hours. The cider OG was @ 1060 so I opted not to add brown sugar as I normally do (store bought juice is around 1045/1050).

After 24 hours, I rehydrated two packets of cote des blanc, added yeast nutrient and pitched into my batch. Two days later, I noticed no activity. Four days after pitch, there was still no activity, so I raised the temp to 63 degrees. 5 days since pitch, again, no activity so I raised the temp to 64.

I'm at day 6 with no activity.

I've never fermented fresh pressed cider so this is semi-new to me. I can't imagine it's THIS slow to start, right? Would be a coincidence that both packets of yeast were bad. I know that 60 degrees is on the lower end for this yeast, but I've been fermenting the store bought juice at that temp without issue.

Should I pitch new yeast? Dump the batch?

 

[Maylar]

That happened to me once... Add a few teaspoons of DAP.

 

[Bobo1898]

Thanks for the response @Maylar !

So I did add yeast nutrient, which I believe has some DAP in it. Should I add more?

 

[Maylar]

A bit more up front won't hurt anything. That's what got mine started. Bring the temp up to 68 until it finally starts?

 

[sbro]

I did 10 gal of fresh pressed cider in september and used much less campden (only 2 tablets) than you used, but after 24 hours you should have been good.
A dose of O2 or a good shake and the DAP (about 3 grams for 5 gallon) prior to pitching yeast at 60F are the main things needed.
I used SafCider TF-6 and it took almost 2 days till a steady bubbling at 60F.
My delay may have been because I added the O2 1 day after the yeast addition.

I see your cote des blanc yeast temperature range is 64-86 F which might have slowed it down if you are below that range.

 

[Bobo1898]

I see your cote des blanc yeast temperature range is 64-86 F which might have slowed it down if you are below that range.

Yep, it's on the low end. I've had success at this temp with store bought juice.

I think I can chalk this up to oxygen levels. It finally started today (8 days later). I'm sure the campden scrubbed some oxygen and delayed the start. I don't have O2 tanks so I agitated what I could. Will still add additional nutrient.