[Daqinson]

Hello everyone. I am having an issue with yeast showing no activity. I am making a cider and I am fermenting it in a temp fridge at 56 degrees. The must us all made and ready, nutrients added, so i rehydrated my trusty Lalvin EC-1118 which has always been kept cool in the vegetable drawer of my fridge. I activate it and 15 minutes after it starts to bubble I add a shot glass full of apple juice and then a 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrient. I let it sit for another 30-40 minutes and it is foaming and ready to go.  I slowly chill it down to around 68-70 degrees then introduce it to the must and.... nothing. After two days I have nothing, so I repeat the process and re-add, this time leaving the airlock off for a few hours thinking it got no oxygen.... nothing. I know EC-1118 can easily work at that level but I am just seeing no signs. It has been 3 days now. So here are my questions.

Should I get an active fermentation in a room temp (71 degrees) prior to putting it in the fridge?
Will that have any adverse effects such as a yeast kill off?
Are they just not getting any air in the fridge?
Having now used two yeast packets have I effectively contaminated my must and need to start over?

Normally I brew in my hallway closet on the tile floor so it maintains around 71 degrees but I thought I would try my hand at a colder fermentation.  Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated.

[Stevie]

Have you pulled a sample and taken a gravity reading? What indicators are you using to determine there is no activity?

[Daqinson]

I will need to get home after work to give you my gravity reading. I have it written down on my spreadsheet, but after three days it had not changed much (I think it went slightly up but I attributed that the cold). Otherwise there is no activity in the fermenter itself. It is still crystal clear, there is no CO2 creation, there are no disruptions on the liquid surface or churning to indicate any sort of life. When I have made this recipe previously (I have done so many time) in a warmer temperature the fermentation is hot and heavy after about 12 hours and the clarity, consistency, and gravity change quickly.  As I stated above, this is my first attempt at brewing in a colder temperature. In Florida we do not really every get cold weather so year round I have a constant 70-74 degrees in the home, unaffected by weather.  Am I just getting hot and bothered for nothing? Does brewing in cold temperatures usually start slower and build over a longer period?

[dmtaylor]

I'm sure it's fermenting.  You're just not seeing it.  Checking gravity is the only way to know for sure.

[Stevie]

Yes, colder takes longer. Longer to start and longer to finish. Cider does not form krausen like beer, you typically only see small bubbles popping on the surface.