No Fermentation After Days Since Pitch

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bizzerkly

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I primarily homebrew beer but have done cider in the past and followed this same routine with different yeast strains and have had no issue.

I picked up 5 gallons of unpasturized cider last week and threw in 7 campden tablets (recommended 1-1.5 per gallon). I waited 24 hours then added pectin and then added yeast an hour after. I'm going for something a bit more funky and am using a saccharomyces strain from Imperial Yeast. My experience with their yeasts for my beer has always been that it takes off instantly. After 24 hours of pitching the yeast I saw no visible fermentation and added some yeast nutrients.

36 hours after pitching the yeast, still no fermentation was visible and a gravity reading confirmed no changes. I went back to the homebrew store and bought another pack of the yeast and re-pitched figuring maybe I didn't wait long enough for the campden tablets and surely this had been long enough for things to dissipate. It is now almost 24 hours after pitching that second pack of yeast and still no activity or change in gravity.

Am I just being impatient here or is there something wrong with my process? Is it possible that this yeast strain is just not compatible with the apple juice? I added a yeast energizer to the carboy this morning as well in hopes to jump start things further.
 
I don't believe so but I don't know for sure. My understanding was that the apples were just pressed and delivered. The juice came from a bulk batch that got delivered to my LHBS and they haven't heard of anyone else having this issue.
 
Isn't that a lot of Campden tablets to just break down chlorine compounds? For that purpose, you use about 1/4 tablet for 5 gallons. I think with the amounts you used, you essentially sterilized - might he a very difficult environment for the yeast to get established in.
 
Isn't that a lot of Campden tablets to just break down chlorine compounds? For that purpose, you use about 1/4 tablet for 5 gallons. I think with the amounts you used, you essentially sterilized - might he a very difficult environment for the yeast to get established in.

No, that's fine for fresh juice and is a typical dose.
 
I don't believe so but I don't know for sure. My understanding was that the apples were just pressed and delivered. The juice came from a bulk batch that got delivered to my LHBS and they haven't heard of anyone else having this issue.

It would be weird to have commercially pressed apples that weren't preserved OR pasteurized. It's not even legal in some states to sell that- you may want to double check and make sure it was 100% apple cider and without anything added. Pasteurized is fine, but adding preservatives wouldn't be.

In any case, it should have taken off by now OR gotten funky with natural yeast/bacteria. The fact that nothing is happening at all leads me to believe you've got some preservatives in it.

Did you take a hydrometer reading? It's possible that something may be happening that you just don't see.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I did take a hydrometer reading on Day 1 and Day 3 but both were coming out at 1.052. I'll try contacting the orchard and see about preservatives.

After adding some more yeast energizer about 8 hours ago it looks like there is a very small layer of krausen beginning to form so hopefully it will start to take off soon. Unsure why it would be so delayed though.
 
Was the temperature too low when you added the yeast?
 
Be sure to oxygenate early on. Swirl your juice 2-3 times a day for next couple of days. Sounds like the yeast may have a rough environment, don't need stressed yeasts.
 
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