No bubbling almost three days after pitching yeast

[amorphia]

Hi all!

I've got a 25 litre bucket full of apple juice, into which I pictched yeast almost three days ago. No bubbling in the airlock yet. I made the juice using a kitchen juicer so it has more sediment at the bottom than one would normally have, but it worked fine like this last time. On the basis of last time, the bucket does not leak gas (it bubbled a lot then, but I can't remember how long it took to get started). I used champagne yeast, the type that comes in a fluid in a plastic packet with a nutrient capsule inside which you break before pitching. The packet started swelling as it should, so I know the yeast was alive at least at the point I pitched it.

Many guides are saying after 48 hours with no bubbling, something went wrong, so pitch more yeast. I would do that, except for one thing. On top of the sediment, since I pitched the yeast, there has appeared a layer, perhaps 5mm thick, of white stuff, which looks to me like yeast. Is it possible that this is living yeast which for some reason is just not releasing CO2 yet? Do I need to just chill a while longer?

I am a bit stressed because I go abroad for a week this evening and am leaving this in the tender care of my wife who will probably not be able to pitch more yeast!

Cheers,

Ben

 

[alanywiseman.]

Did you take a OG? Has it shifted?

It may not have been long enough for the gravity to have changed but I would not use an airlock as a sure fire sign that fermentation has not started.

 

[PD]

This is where a hydrometer is your friend. If you took a reading when the brew was made up you could check the reading now and you would know if fermentation had started.
I find buckets and air locks very unreliable the co2 always seems to prefer to escape via a none perfect sealing lid than through the airlock.
Perhaps it would be better if you gave your brew a gentle stir with a sterilised spoon to agitate the yeasts again. If its a stuck fermentation then you should see a good release of co2 when you do this if nothing happens...its time for a re think and possible more yeast is required

 

[screamlead]

Get some andrews liver salts and bung in 4 t spoons and give it a good stiring i bet you a quid it goes off like a rocket. :

 

[amorphia]

Thanks for the advice folks. I did nothing and went away and apparently there is still no bubbling, but there does appear to be a layer of what looks very much like living yeast on top of the sediment.

In the worst case scenario, and the yeast is really dead, the juice isn't going to go bad somehow if I wait a week before coming back and pitching new yeast, is it?

Cheers,

Ben

 

[RobWalker]

Chuck some tomato puree in if you can, it'll act as a nutrient.

Shouldn't worry too much - it's in an airtight sterile environment and if the yeast are working a little, they're probably pushing the crap out too.

 

[amorphia]

Thanks Rob!

 

[Ken L]

I had the same problem with a turbo cider over the summer.
I'm now sold on using a starter bottle.
Personally, I'd drop a teaspoon of suger in. If it's fermenting, the gas will nucleate on the sugar and you should see bubles rising. If you don't, re-pitch the yeast.

 

[31bb3]

Have you tried giving the fv a shake to wake up the yeast stupid question but how old was the yeast ?

 

[amorphia]

The yeast was the kind that comes with it's own activator - it has an inner capsule inside the outer packet, and when you break the inner packet, the yeast gets going. I know this worked because the outer packet started swelling a few hours after breaking the capsule:

I'm not allowed to post a URL but if you google: wyeast direct pitch activator, then it's the first hit.

It was from March this year.

I going to try some of suggestions when I get back in a week. I'm hoping I've just got a leaky bucket. Although I don't really believe it because the same bucket didn't leak last time.

Cheers,

Ben

 

[31bb3]

Ive seen the yeast sachet before do you have an airlock on the fv ? what temp is it currently at ? it may be just slow to get going

 

[amorphia]

Yup I have an airlock, setup looks like this:

(sorry again being preventing from URLing).

Temperature normal room temperature, about 21C I should think.

Cheers,

Ben

 

[31bb3]

try shaking the fv give it a few hours see if it kick starts also try adding some yeast nutrient failing that if you have a DJ transfer some into that add some sugar and see if that gets going

 

[Crastney]

from the available info it certainly looks like you have fermentation.

you have what sounds like bubbles on the surface, and you have a positive pressure in the bubbler (in the pic the level nearer the inlet is lower than the outlet level).

My summation is that the lid is not perfectly sealed, and that you don't need to worry (yet).