1st Attempt at making cider not going to plan

SparrowHawk

Hi All,
So I planted 8 apples trees a couple of years ago, and decided I'd try making cider as a bit of fun. Both myself a press and a crusher, washed it all out, and got to work. 
Apples were washed, crushed and pressed - got myself a whole 10 litres!! Added 2 x camden tablets to each 5 litre container - waited 2 days, and added a couple of teaspoons of yeast, plugged with cotton wool, placed in the utility room (reasonably warm) and waited.....and waited...and waited some more.
4 days later no sign of any fermentation - checked my process again, and realised I should have re-hydrated the yeast before hand :-( 
So did that  - mixed the yeast in water, added to containers - gave them a good mix,  and waited.....and waited...and waited some more.
So I'm nearly two weeks in - no fermentation - there are no a couple of spots of mould beginning to form :-(
At this stage, I'm assuming all is lost? Are there any suggestions as to what went wrong?
Thanks in advance.

SH

BeerNut

SparrowHawk wrote: »

a couple of teaspoons of yeast

This is the bit that looks wonky to me. Measuring yeast with a teaspoon? What kind of yeast were you using?

mordeith

BeerNut wrote: »

This is the bit that looks wonky to me. Measuring yeast with a teaspoon? What kind of yeast were you using?

Were the containers you are using properly sterilized?

hatrickpatrick

As well as re-hydrating the yeast, you need to oxygenate your wort / mixture before adding the yeast. Yeast need oxygen in order to begin their fermentation process - as far as I know, they spend a few hours storing energy from oxygen intake and also multiplying like rabbits inside the fermenter, and then begin actually fermenting once all the oxygen is consumed.

Get a wooden spoon or paddle, dunk it in boiling water for a couple of minutes to sterilise it, and then stir the mixture vigorously, occasionally switching the direction of your stirring without stopping, or suddenly doing a stir across the mixture instead of around it - anything which causes a good amount of splashing, visible foaming, and bubbling. Add your yeast immediately after doing this.

If you oxygenate with enough gusto, you can actually cause fermentation to start far sooner than most guide books tell you - since I started really putting energy into this (a good ten-fifteen minutes of mad stirring while listening to some epic and upbeat music is my recommendation), the amount of time between sealing the fermenter and seeing visible bubbling in the airlock has decreased from an overnight thing to around four hours.

EDIT: Best way to rehydrate is to fill a pint glass 2/3rds with boiling water, cover it with clingfilm and stick it in the fridge for half an hour or so to bring the temperature down, sprinkle the yeast into the water (don't stir it or swirl it, most of the yeast will sink into it of its own accord over time) and leave it alone for another half an hour or so, out of the fridge and again covered in clingfilm. I usually boil the water for re-hydrating before I start doing anything else, stick it in the fridge, pass the half an hour or so of waiting by doing all the sterilisation of the fermenter, then add the yeast to the pint glass. By the time you've then mixed your wort and added enough water, the yeast should be well re-hydrated.

SparrowHawk

BeerNut wrote: »

SparrowHawk wrote: »

a couple of teaspoons of yeast

This is the bit that looks wonky to me. Measuring yeast with a teaspoon? What kind of yeast were you using?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AX5BM18/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

SparrowHawk

mordeith wrote: »

BeerNut wrote: »

This is the bit that looks wonky to me. Measuring yeast with a teaspoon? What kind of yeast were you using?

Were the containers you are using properly sterilized?

Sterlised with warm water with camden tablets desolved

SparrowHawk

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

As well as re-hydrating the yeast, you need to oxygenate your wort / mixture before adding the yeast. Yeast need oxygen in order to begin their fermentation process - as far as I know, they spend a few hours storing energy from oxygen intake and also multiplying like rabbits inside the fermenter, and then begin actually fermenting once all the oxygen is consumed.

Get a wooden spoon or paddle, dunk it in boiling water for a couple of minutes to sterilise it, and then stir the mixture vigorously, occasionally switching the direction of your stirring without stopping, or suddenly doing a stir across the mixture instead of around it - anything which causes a good amount of splashing, visible foaming, and bubbling. Add your yeast immediately after doing this.

If you oxygenate with enough gusto, you can actually cause fermentation to start far sooner than most guide books tell you - since I started really putting energy into this (a good ten-fifteen minutes of mad stirring while listening to some epic and upbeat music is my recommendation), the amount of time between sealing the fermenter and seeing visible bubbling in the airlock has decreased from an overnight thing to around four hours.

EDIT: Best way to rehydrate is to fill a pint glass 2/3rds with boiling water, cover it with clingfilm and stick it in the fridge for half an hour or so to bring the temperature down, sprinkle the yeast into the water (don't stir it or swirl it, most of the yeast will sink into it of its own accord over time) and leave it alone for another half an hour or so, out of the fridge and again covered in clingfilm. I usually boil the water for re-hydrating before I start doing anything else, stick it in the fridge, pass the half an hour or so of waiting by doing all the sterilisation of the fermenter, then add the yeast to the pint glass. By the time you've then mixed your wort and added enough water, the yeast should be well re-hydrated.

Can I still do this - or is the mixture worthless after this time?

Spook_ie

SparrowHawk wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AX5BM18/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Does a yeast nutrient contain yeast?

mordeith

SparrowHawk wrote: »

Sterlised with warm water with camden tablets desolved

So a Camden tablet solution. Not just warm water and then Camden into the juice?

SparrowHawk

mordeith wrote:

So a Camden tablet solution. Not just warm water and then Camden into the juice?

Nope a Camden solution and then Camden into the juice about two days later

SparrowHawk

Ah b******s I thought it was yeast. Can I recover this if I add yeast ?

..

Cloudio9

SparrowHawk wrote: »

Nope a Camden solution and then Camden into the juice about two days later

The problem as Spook has pointed out is that you haven’t used any yeast. Yeast nutrient is not yeast.

At this stage I’d buy a dry yeast and chuck it in and see what happens. I rarely make cider but I think a white wine yeast is generally used. It will ferment but doesn’t sound great if you can see mould.

RasTa

Bin this

SparrowHawk

Ill order some yeast and keep you all posted