Help! No fermentation activity

I am making a hard cider that did not start fermentation. I pitched White Labs WLP720 Sweet Mead with 1/2 tsp of Yeast Nutrients. After no visible fermentation at 48 hours I added 5- 1/2 tsp of yeast energizer. No fermentation activity after another 48 hours. What should I do now? OG is 1.060 @ 65 degrees.

When you say “no activity” do you mean airlock bubbles or no krausen and current gravity is the same as OG?

No krausen or airlock bubbles, I have not checked OG.

The only way you can be certain that no fermentation has taken place is to take a gravity reading. I don’t know much about hard ciders so not even sure if you should expect a krausen. No airlock activity could be from a poor seal in your fermenter.

Did you do a starter for the yeast? What was the expirey date?

If it really is not fermenting at this point, I would considder getting some new yeast pronto. Maybe a Lalvin 1118. cheep / quick / effective as a plan B option.

Was this fresh pressed cider? Pasteurized?

[quote=“Brew Meister Smith”]Did you do a starter for the yeast? What was the expirey date?

If it really is not fermenting at this point, I would considder getting some new yeast pronto. Maybe a Lalvin 1118. cheep / quick / effective as a plan B option.

Was this fresh pressed cider? Pasteurized?[/quote]

Thanks, that is my plan. I am not sure of the exp date on yeast. I bought it from the LHBS just a few days prior to pitching. I am not that familiar with White Labs, but I set it out at room temp approx 5-6 hours prior to pitching, and it seemed to be active when I opened (co2 escaping and foaming).
The cider is from a semi local orchard but was pasteurized as it was bought at a local grocer.
Thanks for the insight.

It wasn’t a cider with preservatives added, was it? (I know that is obvious, so forgive me for asking).

The only thing that comes to mind on this one could be it was old yeast or there might have been preservatives in the cider.

I’m just thinking that this was a massive underpitch - especially if the yeast was not too fresh. I’m no cider expert (or yeast expert by any means) but I assume the gravity you are dealing with would require a good abundance of healthy yeast. A starter may have been required (or a few more viles of unstarted yeast).

If it was pasteurized it means there would be no natural yeast cells available from the apples themselves to inoculate on it’s own.

Just pitch a couple of packs of the Lalvin 1118 - very easy to find. Probably won’t get you the exact same results as WL yeast specifically for cider, but it will get you going all the same.

Thanks for all the assistance. I am pitching 1118 today…I will report back with the results.

I guess the one thing I should have asked originally would be what volume of cider are you trying to ferment? I have given all my input based on the assumption that it was in the 18-23l range.